Rainfall
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics


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Rainfall on rolling green
Wavy lines and peacock sheen
Rainfall on rolling green
Prettiest world I've ever seen

Faces and places in a highway land
Beads strung on a silver strand
Quick silver in a callused hand
Never a place for the Son of Man

Born under a rainbow sign
Flash of wave in space and time




Molten glass and hearts that shine
Stone to gold in fire refined

Overall Meaning

The song Rainfall by Bruce Cockburn is a beautiful and poetic celebration of the natural beauty of the world. The lyrics paint a picture of rolling green fields, shimmering with the iridescent colors of peacock feathers, and the gentle rain that falls upon them. The singer marvels at the breathtaking sight before him, declaring it the prettiest world he has ever seen.


However, this idyllic scene is juxtaposed with the harsh realities of life in a modern, industrialized society. The highway that cuts through the landscape is described as a string of beads on a silver strand, a stark contrast to the natural beauty that surrounds it. The people who inhabit this world are calloused and rough, and there is no room for the Son of Man, a reference to Jesus Christ.


Despite this, the song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer proclaiming that he was born under a rainbow sign, suggesting that he has been blessed with a sense of wonder and appreciation for the natural world. He sees beauty and value in everything, from the flash of a wave to the hearts that shine, and believes that even the most ordinary things can be transformed into something precious and refined.


Overall, Rainfall is a powerful and evocative song that speaks to our innate human desire to connect with nature and find meaning and beauty in the world around us.


Line by Line Meaning

Rainfall on rolling green
The sound of rain falling on the lush green landscape


Wavy lines and peacock sheen
The undulating lines of the land reflected in the shining, colorful feathers of a peacock


Rainfall on rolling green
The beauty of rainfall on the ever-moving, never-ending greenery


Prettiest world I've ever seen
This world is the most beautiful place I have ever seen, and rainfall only adds to that allure


Faces and places in a highway land
The multitude of faces and places encountered in this world that resembles a busy highway


Beads strung on a silver strand
A metaphorical way of saying that people and places interconnect like beads on a string – a string of fate, perhaps?


Quick silver in a callused hand
Materialism rules this world, often in the hands of working-class people


Never a place for the Son of Man
There seems to be no place in this world for Jesus, aka the Son of Man, who preached love and compassion but is often shunned and misunderstood


Born under a rainbow sign
Being born under the sign of the rainbow represents emergence or rebirth, signifying a bright future


Flash of wave in space and time
Life is fleeting and ephemeral, like a wave in the cosmic sea


Molten glass and hearts that shine
Just like molten glass can become a beautiful object when molded, our hearts can also be refined and shine when we go through difficult times


Stone to gold in fire refined
Perseverance and hard work can turn our rough lives into something beautiful, like turning a simple stone into a piece of gold that glimmers with hope and joy.




Contributed by Allison C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Burt472

Beautiful track....Great artist

moonlitme

"....prettiest world I have ever seen..."

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