Though best known for their instrumental hit "Pick Up the Pieces," the band's strength lies in their consistently accomplished songwriting, stretching across several gold-selling albums and multi-Grammy nominations for Atlantic Records. Despite their Scottish roots, the six-piece band developed their own "authentic" sound influenced by R&B heroes such as Marvin Gaye, James Brown, and Donny Hathaway, which was eagerly adopted by black audiences in the US and elsewhere.
Many of the band's cuts, such as "Cut The Cake" and "Let's Go 'Round Again," attracted chart action as hit singles, while album tracks like "Schoolboy Crush" and "Person to Person" became much-sampled "rare" grooves. Other tunes like "Cloudy," "A Love Of Your Own," and "Nothing You Can Do" stand alongside some of the finest soul album tracks ever recorded.
The current lineup of the band, with noted US musicians alongside founding members Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre, continues to delight audiences and critics alike in its wide-ranging touring. The musical energy and trademark sound are remarkably true to the original, and with constant revisitation and re-workings of AWB's, and others' classics in the mix, it is no surprise that the Average White Band is now a multi-generational attraction and a perennial fixture with many of the top music venues.
Stop The Rain
Average White Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Away from me
Without so much
As one word of good-bye
You packed the sunshine
In your big old suitcase
Now only the rain fills the sky
But suddenly it's changed
Wish that I could find a way
To stop the rain
I thought that everything
Was going fine
But I was blind
Blind as a man could be
I took for granted
What you tried hard to give
And now the rain
Is all I can see
You were mine
But that was yesterday
Wish that I could find a way
To stop the rain
Now tell me please
Do you understand
What this feeling
Is all about
'Cos when you left me
You took my heart
Squeezed the sunshine out
But in time
This heart of mine will heal
The Sun will shine
And I can find a way to stop the rain
The song Stop The Rain by Average White Band is about the end of a romantic relationship. The first verse describes the sudden departure of the singer's partner. The sunshine that used to be in their life is now gone, replaced by rain, which serves as a metaphor for the sadness and emptiness left behind. The second verse reflects on the past, and the singer recognizes that they took their partner for granted. They were blind to their love and now they are left alone with only the rain. The chorus expresses a wish to stop the rain, to find a way to win back the lost love.
The bridge of the song is a plea for understanding. The singer asks their ex-partner if they can comprehend the pain they are feeling. When their partner left, they took the singer's heart with them and left them with nothing but rain. The final verse brings a sense of hope. The singer acknowledges that their heart will eventually heal. The sun will shine again, and they will find a way to stop the rain.
In general, the song is about the pain of losing someone you love and the yearning to recapture what was lost. The use of rain as a metaphor throughout the song creates a vivid image of sadness and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Just yesterday you slipped
You left me just yesterday.
Away from me
You went away from me.
Without so much
You didn't even give me the courtesy of
As one word of good-bye
saying one word of goodbye.
You packed the sunshine
You took all of the happiness
In your big old suitcase
in your suitcase that carried everything else.
Now only the rain fills the sky
All I see now is the rain and the sadness that it brings.
You were mine
You belonged to me.
But suddenly it's changed
But now everything is different.
Wish that I could find a way
I wish I could think of a solution.
To stop the rain
To end the sadness.
I thought that everything
I believed that all was good
Was going fine
and everything was working out.
But I was blind
I didn't see
Blind as a man could be
as I should have.
I took for granted
I assumed and neglected
What you tried hard to give
what you worked to offer me.
And now the rain
And as a result of my actions, there's just sadness now.
Is all I can see
It's clouding my vision.
Now tell me please
Now can you tell me
Do you understand
if you fully grasp
What this feeling
what it's like to feel this way?
Is all about
It's all just too much to bear.
'Cos when you left me
Because when you left me
You took my heart
You stole my ability to love.
Squeezed the sunshine out
You took everything bright and happy with you.
But in time
But eventually
This heart of mine will heal
my heart will repair itself
The Sun will shine
and happiness will return.
And I can find a way to stop the rain
And I will find a way to end the sadness.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Alan Edward Gorrie, Hamish Stuart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tomwatts703
Favourite AWB song by far, can't get enough of that bass line and drum break
@ArmchFlow
There should be at least 100 times more views. I don't know why this group isn't in top 10 white funk groups just for that single beauty...
@sylviafranklin1109
I love Stop the rain! One of my favorites from Awb! I love this group!Alan is singing his heart out! Sing it ,and keep playing it! A Awb fan from Detroit-Sylvia Franklin.
@altontaylor3490
The funk is dripping all over this tune. Loveit.
@SunbeamsSting
Awesome funky track!
@RobDarkhalfakaSluggahDeezus
Best tune on the LP hands down.
@tomrawley6549
scottish soul at it's very best.
@TheCornishCockney
so funky it should come with a health and safety warning.
@agape4tube
Can not leave the dance floor nor get off the skate rink wood on this one!!
@atuffrecord
classic material