He was born Delecta Clark in Blytheville, Arkansas, and moved to Chicago in 1941. His mother, Essie Mae Clark, was a gospel singer and encouraged her son to pursue his love of music. Clark made his first recording in 1952 as a member of the Hambone Kids, who enjoyed some success with a recording of "Hambone" on the OKeh label. In 1953, he joined an R&B group called the Goldentones, who later became the Kool Gents and were discovered by Chicago radio DJ Herb Kent upon winning a talent competition. Kent had the Kool Gents signed to Vee-Jay label's subsidiary Falcon/Abner. The group recorded for Falcon/Abner in 1956, and also recorded a novelty record as "The Delegates".
Clark embarked on a solo career in 1957, initially following the styles of Clyde McPhatter and Little Richard. When Little Richard temporarily abandoned his music career to study the Bible, Clark fulfilled Richard's remaining live dates and also recorded with his backing band, the Upsetters. Over the next four years he landed several moderate hits, two of which ("Just Keep It Up" and "Hey Little Girl") reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100). His records for Abner and Vee-Jay were orchestrated by Riley Hampton. His biggest single, "Raindrops," a power ballad augmented by heavy rain and thunder sound effects and Clark's swooping falsetto, was released in the spring of 1961 and became his biggest hit, soaring to number two on the pop chart and number three on the R&B charts. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. "Raindrops" was also an international success, reaching number one in New Zealand and reaching the top ten in South Africa and Belgium, and selling well in Japan. "Raindrops" remains a staple on oldies and adult standards radio station playlists to this day, and has also been covered by several other artists in the years since, including David Cassidy, Tony Orlando and Dawn, and most notably Narvel Felts, who took the song to number 30 on the country chart in 1974. Clark himself recorded an updated version of "Raindrops" in 1973.
However, Clark's biggest hit was also his last. The follow-up to "Raindrops," "Don't Walk Away From Me," was a flop, and he made the pop charts in America only twice more, with "I'm Going Back to School" (1962) and "Crossfire Time" (1963). By the time "Crossfire Time" came out, Clark had moved from Vee-Jay to the Constellation label. Though he continued to record for Constellation through 1966, none of his records charted nationally. He had considerable local success in Chicago with such standout recordings as "Come Closer" (1964), the double-sided hit of "Warm Summer Breezes" and "Heartbreak" (1964), and "TCB" (1965). He later recorded for the Columbia, Wand, Liberty and Rocky labels, without success. Clark had a brief revival in 1975 when his song "Ride a Wild Horse" became a surprise Top 30 hit in the UK Singles Chart, becoming his first chart hit in the UK since "Just Keep It Up."
Afterwards, Clark performed mostly on the oldies circuit. By the late 1980s, he was in dire straits financially, living in a welfare hotel in Toccoa, Georgia. Despite suffering a stroke in 1987 that left him partially paralyzed and with a mild speech impediment, he continued to perform until his death on December 7, 1990, in Smyrna, Georgia, from a heart attack at the age of 52. His last concert was with the Jimmy Gilstrap Band at the Portman Lounge in Anderson, South Carolina.
Rain Drops
Dee Clark Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It feels like rai-ain drops
Falling from my eye-eyes
Falling from my eyes
Since my love has left me
I'm so all alone
I would bring her back to me
I don't know where she's gone
There must be a cloud in my hea-ea-ea-ead
Rain keeps falling from my eye, eyes
Oh no they can't be teardrops
For a man ain't supposed to cry
So it must be rai-ain drops, so many raindrops
It feels like raindrops
Falling from my eye,eyes
Falling from my eyes
Oh, there must be a cloud in my hea-ea-ea-ead
Rain keeps falling from my eye-eyes
Oh no they can't be teardrops
For a man ain't supposed to cry
So it must be rai-ain drops, so many raindrops
It feels like raindrops
Falling from my eye, eyes
Falling from my eyes
It keeps on fallin'
Fallin' from my eyes
It keeps on fallin' from my eyes
Dee Clark's "Rain Drops" is a song about heartbreak and loss. The lyrics describe the singer's feeling of loneliness and sorrow since his partner has left him. He compares his tears to raindrops, which keeps falling from his eyes, and wonders if there is a cloud in his head that causes the rain to keep falling. The singer tries to stay strong and not cry but realizes that the drops falling from his eyes are not tears since a man is not supposed to cry, but rather, raindrops.
The repetition of the phrase "So many raindrops, it feels like raindrops falling from my eyes" emphasizes the incredible amount of sadness that the singer is experiencing. The line "Oh no they can't be teardrops, for a man ain't supposed to cry" reflects the societal expectations that men face, which prevents them from openly expressing their emotions. The song ends with a note of hopelessness and despair as the rain keeps falling from the singer's eyes.
Line by Line Meaning
The raindrops, so many raindrops
The singer experiences an overwhelming amount of raindrops falling, which he later describes as falling from his eyes.
It feels like rai-ain drops
Raindrops falling from his eyes is an apt metaphor for his grief, as it hurts and feels as though raindrops are falling from his eyes.
Falling from my eye-eyes
Emphasizing the fact that the raindrops are a result of his emotional distress and sadness.
Since my love has left me
The artist's grief is a result of being left by his romantic partner.
I'm so all alone
The artist has been left to deal with his emotions by himself.
I would bring her back to me
The singer wishes to be reunited with his partner, as he is struggling without her.
But I don't know where she's go-o-o-ne
The singer is unable to find his partner and bring her back, adding to his feelings of despair.
There must be a cloud in my hea-ea-ea-ead
The artist feels as though his head is clouded and full of sadness, causing the raindrops to fall from his eyes.
Rain keeps falling from my eye, eyes
The raindrops seem to be endless, reflecting the depth of his emotions and sadness.
Oh no they can't be teardrops
The artist tries to deny that he is crying and instead attributes the falling raindrops to other causes.
For a man ain't supposed to cry
The singer feels societal pressure to not express his emotions, as he believes that men aren't supposed to cry.
It keeps on fallin'
The raindrops keep falling relentlessly, representing the inescapable nature of his grief.
Fallin' from my eyes
The raindrops continue to fall from his eyes as a result of his ongoing heartache and emotions.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: EVAN BOGART, PETE ROCK, HAL DAVID, BURT BACHARACH, ZSUSANNA WARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@michaelmartin6912
Geez , just one of the ELITE sounds of the best early R and R era....just great ! We lost Mr. Clarke at only 52....bummer....😢
@timjones7547
Wow! I haven't heard this in fifty plus years, but I sang along to the lyrics as though I sang it yesterday. What a great old song...
@MarleneInostrozadeBoyle
No soy de su época, pero esta canción me gusta mucho. Bendiciones.
@manuelcampos2357
I remember Dee Clark. I gave my cd to a friend
@Rocketman88002
The 60's decade of music had a sound all of its own.....kind of a hybrid of what was and what it became. Dee Clark carries on the theme of love and broken hearts that preceded from forever before his time.
@tyronesmith8250
The scream at the end goes right through my heart and hits me so hard In my soul!!!
@loretosilva7687
You're right😥💔
@tw364
you hit it on the head!
@5871248
gots a good scream...reminds me of Jackie Wilson...anbother good screamer.
@axecalibore
I noticed the same.