When Benton was young he enjoyed gospel music and wrote songs and in 1948 he went to New York to pursue his music career.
He was a member of several gospel groups including "The Langfordairies", "The Jerusalem Stars", and "The Golden Gate Quartet".
After returning to his home state he joined a R&B singing group, "the Sandmen", and soon went back to New York to try for a big break. Eventually the record company decided to drop The Sandmen and push Brook as a solo artist.
Benton wrote songs for artists such as Nat King Cole, Clyde McPhatter, and Roy Hamilton. Soon he released his first minor hit A Million Miles From Nowhere, and later he joined the Mercury label, which would later bring him big success.
In 1952 he got his big break with It's Just a Matter of Time and Endlessly.
It's Just a Matter of Time made it to #3 on the U.S. Pop charts, while Endlessly made it to #12 . Both hits were written by Benton himself.
Benton had many #1 hits including Rainy Night in Georgia and Hotel Happiness. According to Songfacts, his version of the blues standard The Boll Weevil Song has the unique distinction of being the first #1 song on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.
Altogether, Benton had 38 hit singles through out his career. His last album was "Fools Rush In", released posthumously in 2005. He died on April 9, 1988.
Rainy Night In Georgia
Brook Benton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tryin' to find a warm place to spend the night
Heavy rain's fallin'
Seems I hear your voice callin' "it's all right"
A rainy night in Georgia
A rainy night in Georgia
Lord, I believe it's rainin' all over the world
Neon signs a-flashin'
Taxicabs and buses passin' through the night
A distant moanin' of a train
Seems to play a sad refrain to the night
But it's a rainy night in Georgia
Such a rainy night in Georgia
Lord, I believe it's rainin' all over the world
I feel like it's rainin' all over the world
How many times I wondered
It still comes out the same
No matter how you look at it or think of it
It's life and you just got to play the game
Find me a place in a box car
So I take my guitar to pass some time
Late at night when it's hard to rest
I hold your picture to my chest and I feel fine, I feel fine
But it's a rainy night in Georgia
Baby, it's a rainy night in Georgia
Lord, I believe it's rainin' all over the world
Kinda lonely now and it's rainin' all over the world
Rainin', rainin' rainin', rainin', rainin' rainin', rainin', rainin', rainin', rainin'
The song "Rainy Night in Georgia," originally recorded by Tony Joe White in 1962 and popularized by Brook Benton's 1970 version, tells the story of a man stranded in a small town on a rainy night. The song paints a vivid picture of the scene around him - a dismal town with neon signs flashing, taxis and buses driving by, and the moaning of a train in the distance. He's alone, searching for a warm place to stay the night, but even in his loneliness, he feels connected to the world because it's raining everywhere.
The lyrics also suggest a deeper loneliness and longing for love. The singer holds onto a picture of someone he cares about, trying to find some solace in it. He wonders how many times he's been in this situation before and how many times it will happen again. Despite the gloomy scene around him, the song ends on a hopeful note. The singer finds comfort in his guitar and the picture he holds, even on a rainy night in Georgia.
Line by Line Meaning
Hoverin' by my suitcase
I am standing next to my suitcase trying to find a place to stay
Tryin' to find a warm place to spend the night
I am searching for a comfortable place to spend the night
Heavy rain's fallin'
It's raining heavily
Seems I hear your voice callin' "it's all right"
I can imagine and hear your voice comforting me that everything is going to be okay
A rainy night in Georgia
It's a rainy night in Georgia
Lord, I believe it's rainin' all over the world
I think it is raining everywhere in the world
I feel like it's rainin' all over the world
It seems like it is raining in every part of the world
Neon signs a-flashin'
The neon signs are flickering
Taxicabs and buses passin' through the night
Taxis and buses are moving around in the dark
A distant moanin' of a train
I can hear the distant sound of a train's horn
Seems to play a sad refrain to the night
The sound is contributing to the atmosphere of the night, making it even sadder
How many times I wondered
I have often thought about this before
It still comes out the same
The result is always the same
No matter how you look at it or think of it
Regardless of your perspective
It's life and you just got to play the game
This is life, and you need to deal with it
Find me a place in a box car
I want to find a spot on a train carriage
So I take my guitar to pass some time
I bring my guitar to entertain myself
Late at night when it's hard to rest
At night, when sleeping is difficult
I hold your picture to my chest and I feel fine, I feel fine
I feel comforted when I hold your picture close to my heart
Baby, it's a rainy night in Georgia
It's a rainy night in Georgia, my love
Kinda lonely now and it's rainin' all over the world
Feeling a little lonely now that it is raining everywhere in the world
Rainin', rainin' rainin', rainin', rainin' rainin', rainin', rainin', rainin', rainin'
It's pouring rain everywhere
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Tony White
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@robertcanup4473
In Dec of 1969, when this song was released, I was 21, in basic training at Ft Benning Ga. I remember serving guard duty one night as a pickup truck driver for the Officer in charge of the guard. It was a rainy night in Ga, while I was driving back from making a delivery run, and this song came on the radio in the truck. I knew Vietnam was in my near future, and it felt like it was raining all over the world.
@JB-ch8mc
Wow. Sadly beautiful
@ACS9723
I got choked up reading this. So glad you are here to share this. Thank you so much dear Veteran!
@jamesgreene5342
thank you for your service sir.vet here too
@gaa4142
Did you go to Vietnam?
@ogretheill
Thank you for the story. Little snapshots of life like this are always beautiful.
@citizenronin
What a picture this song paints. A man beaten down by heartache. All he has left is a suitcase full of memories, a picture to remind him of loss and a guitar his only friend and consolation. You can picture the rain coming down. The reflections of the streetlights and neon signs in the puddles. His only refuge from the world is a dark and empty box car. And with Brook Benton's emotional delivery this song is a masterpiece...."I feel like its raining all over the world."
@Southerngirl675
You are a great storyteller Citizen ☺️ thanks for coming by.
@marilynmurray1712
Sure makes you stop and think about all the heartbroken people for many reasons the homeless how the world has turned its back on so many God please go to all who are stuck in the sadness of maybe even their own making but you Lord came to mend the broken in this world no matter how dark it may look please God show yourself to anyone who has an hear to hear or a voice to cry out to you and save that one who needs you so much , I pray that someone who needs this will be lead to read and know you are there waiting , cry out to God he’s real and he loves you even if you don’t love you 🙏
@granjmy
I couldn't have said it any better than you did.