When The May Rain Comes
Current 93 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The asphalt is glistening
When the dust of the day
Shall be washed away
The windows are closed
And the rain is dripping
From sill to sill
And down to the ground
When the May rain comes
Very young are the leaves
Of the trees and the shrubs
And tiny flowers grow
In the roadside ditch
The laughter of the child
Who's jumping into puddles
Whilst the water trickles
Right over his face
When the May rain comes
This is the morning of the year
A rainy green smile
After a long gloomy
Pale winter night
The shouting of the child
Melts into rustling
When the heavy rain
Rushes from on high
When the May rain comes
All of this shall be washed away
When the May rain comes...
The song "When the May Rain Comes" by Current 93 is a beautiful meditation on the cleansing power of rain. The lyrics describe a world that is made new by the arrival of a fresh spring rain. The streets are green, the leaves and flowers are young and vibrant, and the laughter of children fills the air as they jump in puddles and play in the rain.
The metaphor of rain as a purifying force is a powerful one, and the song uses it to great effect. The rain washes away the dust and grime of daily life, leaving behind a world made new and fresh. The rain brings renewal and rebirth, and the song captures the sense of joy and hope that comes with the arrival of spring.
Overall, "When the May Rain Comes" is a beautiful and insightful song that invites listeners to contemplate the power of nature to restore and renew the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Green are the streets
The streets are lush and verdant.
The asphalt is glistening
The pavement sparkles with rainwater.
When the dust of the day
At the end of the day,
Shall be washed away
when the rain washes away the accumulated dirt and grime.
The windows are closed
People have sheltered indoors from the rain.
And the rain is dripping
Water droplets are gently falling from the rooftops.
From sill to sill
From one windowsill to another.
And down to the ground
Finally reaching the earth below.
When the May rain comes
Referring to the cleansing springtime rains.
Very young are the leaves
New foliage has recently emerged on plants and trees.
Of the trees and the shrubs
The young leaves belong to these types of vegetation.
And tiny flowers grow
Small blossoms have also started to bloom.
In the roadside ditch
These flowers are growing in ditches along the road.
The laughter of the child
The sound of a joyful kid.
Who's jumping into puddles
The child is happily bounding through puddles.
Whilst the water trickles
As the rainwater slowly runs off in different directions.
Right over his face
The water splashes onto the child's face.
This is the morning of the year
The beginning of a fresh new spring season.
A rainy green smile
The world seems to be smiling with delight in the moist greenery.
After a long gloomy
Following a cold, dark and murky
Pale winter night
The winter night is described as being lifeless and colorless.
The shouting of the child
The boisterous sounds of a kid enjoying the rain.
Melts into rustling
The noise eventually becomes a soft rustling sound.
When the heavy rain
The downpour is described as being intense and weighty.
Rushes from on high
The water falls from the sky with force.
When the May rain comes
A repeated reference to the arrival of spring's rainfall.
All of this shall be washed away
The rain brings cleansing and renewal to the environment.
When the May rain comes...
An ellipsis denotes the continuation of the song's themes.
Contributed by Anna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Helen Wong
Green are the streets
The asphalt is glistening
When the dust of the day
Shall be washed away
The windows are closed
And the rain is dripping
From sill to sill
And down to the ground
When the May rain comes
Very young are the leaves
Of the trees and the shrubs
And tiny flowers grow
In the roadside ditch
The laughter of the child
Who's jumping into puddles
Whilst the water trickles
Right over his face
When the May rain comes
This is the morning of the year
A rainy green smile
After a long gloomy
Pale winter night
The shouting of the child
Melts into rustling
When the heavy rain
Rushes from on high
When the May rain comes
All of this shall be washed away
When the May rain comes...
Helen Wong
Green are the streets
The asphalt is glistening
When the dust of the day
Shall be washed away
The windows are closed
And the rain is dripping
From sill to sill
And down to the ground
When the May rain comes
Very young are the leaves
Of the trees and the shrubs
And tiny flowers grow
In the roadside ditch
The laughter of the child
Who's jumping into puddles
Whilst the water trickles
Right over his face
When the May rain comes
This is the morning of the year
A rainy green smile
After a long gloomy
Pale winter night
The shouting of the child
Melts into rustling
When the heavy rain
Rushes from on high
When the May rain comes
All of this shall be washed away
When the May rain comes...
Аясніё Моояэ
her face*
Triple Gnosis
I can't tell you how many times I've sat for hours and watched this video repeatedly. You have done a great service to a brilliant song with what you've made here.
Zarina Sv
Arte pura 👏
Alex McGurk
Cant get enough of this. So atmospheric!
darren nuttall
what an absolutely beautiful tune.
faust ventirati
Αυθεντικά όμορφοι και ωραίοι όπως ήταν πάντα, αγαπημένοι μπάντα και αγαπημένη μουσική, συνοδεία αψέντι και καλής φιλήδονης παρέας.
Graziano Murru
this is art. Pure art.
Thijmen 84
if only the music these days was 10% of this!! the world would be soo much better off :)
Danika Hardiman
I can say- with conviction- that you have made a subtlety brilliant video clip. Your choice of minimalist images, combined with an almost ethereal sense of black and white, makes this video one of rare beauty. I have a strong dislike for current video clips that make excessive use of symbolism, colour and supposedly "obscure" imagery- thank you for making this! On another note, if I give you my e-mail can you send me the picture at the end? I really dig it :)