Clif Magness' Grammy award-winning career as songwriter/producer dates back… Read Full Bio ↴Clif Magness' Grammy award-winning career as songwriter/producer dates back to the early '80's when he brought soap opera heartthrob Jack Wagner into the music scene with his #1 hit, "All I Need." Magness skyrocketed again to #5 with Wilson Phillips' hit song "Impulsive" (co-written with Steve Kipner) after taking home a Grammy in 1990 for his song "The Places You Find Love" on Quincy Jones' album, From Back on the Block.

Clif's talents also include the film sound tracks arena where his expertise gained him several Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for his song, "The Day I Fall In Love", from Universal Pictures' Beethoven's 2nd. Other motion picture projects under his belt include My Fellow Americans, Two of A Kind, Gladiator and Caddyshack 2.

His impressive roster of artists with whom he has written and/or produced for include Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Sheena Easton, Steve Perry, Dolly Parton, James Ingram, Patti Austin, Cheap Trick, Amy Grant, Lisa Marie Presley, Judith Owen and Wild Orchid to name a few. Clif's work includes eight songs on Java artist Judith Owen's CD.

He joined forces with Jay Graydon and Glen Ballard in the group Planet 3 in 1991. These three songwriters were going to write new material to the major group Heart, but when they composed the songs, they decided to bring them out by themselves, so the band Planet 3 released the album "A Heart For The Big Machine". This was the only album from this group.

In 1994 Empire Records in Sweden did release the first soloalbum from Clif Magness, and it was also released in Japan by Toshiba records in 1995. After this Clif Magness is still very active in composing songs for other artists, including Jessica Simpson, Avril Lavigne, and others.

Footprints In The Rain
Clif Magness Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We were restless
We were wild ones
No one can tell you
When you're young
Innocent eyes
Always dream in colors
But somewhere out there I lost you
I'd do anything to get you back

I know I had to follow footprints in the rain
Wind trails on the sea
You were never far away
Always near the heart of me
I was trying to read the shadows in the night
Messages on windows panes
Just before the storm washed you away
I found your footprints in the rain

I hear you whisper
Your voice is reaching me
Until you're in my arms again
I'll turn every stone
Innocent eyes
Help me to remember
Can you show me the way back to you
Take me home again

I know I had to follow footprints in the rain
Wind trails on the sea
You were never far away
Always near the heart of me
I was trying to read the shadows in the night
Messages on windows panes
Just before the storm washed you away
I found your footprints in the rain

We were young
I know I found it now

I know I had to follow footprints in the rain
Wind trails on the sea
You were never far away
Always near the heart of me
I was trying to read the shadows in the night
Messages on windows panes
Just before the storm washed you away
Before I'm gonna steal the pain
I found your footprints in the rain
I found your footprints in the rain

I found your footprints in the rain... uuhh
I found your footprints in the rain

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Footprints In The Rain" by Clif Magness can be interpreted as a nostalgic reflection on love lost and the longing to recover it. The first verse sets the tone of restlessness and wildness that characterizes youth. The second line, "No one can tell you when you're young," suggests that the period of youthful freedom is fleeting and unpredictable. The lyrics continue to describe the dreamy quality of youth, with "innocent eyes" that "always dream in colors."

The chorus serves as a refrain, with the singer searching for his lost love in the "footprints in the rain" and "wind trails on the sea," suggesting that memories and echoes of the lost love are still present in nature. The final lines in the chorus, "Just before the storm washed you away," implies that something catastrophic happened to the relationship, but the singer continues to hold onto the hope of finding his lost love despite the obstacles.

The second verse is more explicit in their longing for the lost love, with "Innocent eyes/Help me to remember/Can you show me the way back to you," a plea to the lost lover. The bridge, with "We were young/I know I found it now" serves to remind the singer that time has passed, but the nostalgia remains strong. The final chorus continues to express the yearning to recuperate the past love, with the last line "I found your footprints in the rain" indicating a possible catharsis, even if the reunion is only in memory.

Line by Line Meaning

We were restless
We were never content with just settling, always looking for something more exciting and fulfilling.

We were wild ones
We were free-spirited and adventurous, never wanting to be tied down to anything or anyone.

No one can tell you When you're young
When you're young, you feel invincible and unstoppable, and no one can tell you what to do or how to live your life.

Innocent eyes Always dream in colors
As children, we see the world with a sense of wonder and imagination, always dreaming big and imagining vibrant possibilities for our future.

But somewhere out there I lost you I'd do anything to get you back
Somewhere along the way, I lost the person who meant everything to me, and I would do anything to have them back in my life.

I hear you whisper Your voice is reaching me Until you're in my arms again I'll turn every stone
Although you're not physically with me right now, I can still hear your voice calling out to me. I'll stop at nothing to find you and bring you back into my arms again.

Help me to remember Can you show me the way back to you Take me home again
I need your help to remember what it feels like to be with you, and I need you to guide me back to where I belong - with you, at home.

Before I'm gonna steal the pain I found your footprints in the rain I found your footprints in the rain I found your footprints in the rain... uuhh I found your footprints in the rain
Before I let the pain consume me, I found a glimmer of hope in the form of your footprints in the rain, and I will follow them wherever they lead.

Writer(s): Stephen Kipner, Clif Magness

Contributed by Cameron G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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