The band's first, self-titled album was released in 1988, and it met with a great fan response as well as gave the band two hit singles in the United States: "When I See You Smile" and "Price of Love". Positive reviews followed by massive tours built up immense expectations about the songwriting talent of the band in their future endeavors. However, on their second album, entitled 'Backlash', the one and only single failed to enter the U.S. Top 40, peaking instead at only number 42. Critical views were also mixed on the release.
Soon after the band recorded their second album 'Backlash', in 1991, the group disbanded. Members went their separate ways even before the album could be mixed. In a later interview, frontman John Waite said that, while he enjoyed playing to stadium-sized audiences again, he wasn't happy with the somewhat 'corporate rock' image that the Bad English had been tagged as having. He has since had a solo career focused more on mellower singer-songwriter music.
Pray For Rain
Bad English Lyrics
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Someone needs a miracle, and I'm the livin' proof
Drink, light a cigarette, and let me count the ways
But I can hear a whisper in our haunted house these days
She won't set me free, she won't let me go, she won't leave my soul alone
[Chorus:]
'Til she comes back to me, I'll have to pray for rain
Wrap yourself around me, only you can pull me through
Through this desert that I call my heart, I'll pray for rain to you
To you, to you
I can see the firelight reflected on her skin
She was smooth as alabast, with a taste of salt and sin
Slave to a servant, a prisoner to a kiss
Addicted to temptation, and we did not resist
Now I can't get free, 'cause she won't let go, she won't leave my soul alone
[Chorus]
Now I'm a stranger to myself, now my life is not my own
She won't leave my soul alone
[Chorus]
(Lead me to the river) Lead me to the river, I'll pray for rain
(Lead me to the river, pray for rain) She comes back to me again
(Lead me to the river) Lead me down, take me down
(Lead me to the river, pray for rain) Pray for rain
(Lead me to the river, lead me to the river
(Lead me to the river, pray for rain)
[Repeat]
The lyrics to Bad English's song Pray For Rain explores the theme of addiction and the feeling of being trapped in a toxic relationship. The singer is at a point where they need a "miracle" to free them from the grasp of their lover, who is described as a "slave to a servant" and "addicted to temptation". The singer can't seem to break away from this person, who won't set them free, won't leave their soul alone and won't let them go. The chorus "She just leads me to the river, as my heart goes down in flames / 'Til she comes back to me, I'll have to pray for rain" is a metaphor for the cyclical nature of the relationship, where the singer keeps getting dragged down into the depths of their emotions until the lover returns and the whole cycle starts again.
The repetition of the line "Lead me to the river, I'll pray for rain / (Lead me to the river, pray for rain)" adds to the desperate plea of the singer to be saved from themselves and their addiction. The line "Now I'm a stranger to myself, now my life is not my own" emphasizes how the singer has lost their sense of identity and control over their life due to this relationship. The haunting vibe created by the "whisper" in their "haunted house" also adds to the feeling of being trapped and controlled by the lover.
Overall, the lyrics to Pray For Rain explores the themes of addiction, toxic relationships and the cycle of emotional highs and lows that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen to the rain come down on the roof
As the sound of the raindrops hitting the roof fills the air, I know that there is someone out there in need of a miracle and I am the living testimony
Drink, light a cigarette, and let me count the ways
As I smoke a cigarette and drink, I ponder about the different ways we can deal with heartbreak
But I can hear a whisper in our haunted house these days
In our relationship that is as ominous as a haunted house, I can hear a whispering voice that talks of doom
She won't set me free, she won't let me go, she won't leave my soul alone
I am trapped and held captive by the love of a woman who constantly haunts me and refuses to let me go
She just leads me to the river, as my heart goes down in flames
She drags me along, leading me to my end as my heart burns and crumbles in the fire of our love
'Til she comes back to me, I'll have to pray for rain
Until she returns, the one who has my heart, all I can do is hope and pray for a life-giving downpour of rain
Wrap yourself around me, only you can pull me through
I am lost in the emptiness of my heart, only you, the one that has my heart, can help me through my pain
Through this desert that I call my heart, I'll pray for rain to you
My heart is a barren wasteland with no end in sight, and all I can do is pray and hope that the rain of life will come to me through the one I love
I can see the firelight reflected on her skin
I can see the warm and comforting glow from the light that reflects off her skin
She was smooth as alabast, with a taste of salt and sin
She was flawless and perfect, yet had a tantalizing flavor of desire and evil
Slave to a servant, a prisoner to a kiss
I am a slave to the one I serve, and a prisoner to the passion that we share through our kisses
Addicted to temptation, and we did not resist
We were consumed by our insatiable desire, and we could not resist the temptation that surrounded us
Now I'm a stranger to myself, now my life is not my own
Through this tumultuous love affair, I have lost who I once was, and my life is no longer under my control
Lead me to the river, I'll pray for rain
Take me to the river where I can pray for the life-giving downpour of rain to bring me the one I love
She comes back to me again
When the rain comes and the drought is gone, I believe she will return to me again
Lead me down, take me down
I am reaching a point of desperation, where I need to be taken to the edge in order to break free from the hold of the one I love
Pray for rain
All I can do is pray for the life-giving downpour of rain to bring me the hope and promise of a new day
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHN CHARLES WAITE, JONATHAN L CAIN, MARK SPIRO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind