A stalwart of the house band at the famous Austin blues club Antone's Nightclub, O'Brien is most often found backing up other Austin frontmen, including Delbert McClinton, Lou Ann Barton, The Texas Tornados and almost anyone recording on the Antone's Records label.
O'Brien has also backed up major blues names such as Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters. Ted Drozdowski, writing on Gibson Guitars' website, says, "O’Brien has a terse, arrow-sharp and spare style comparable to Jimmie Vaughan’s – light on flash, but soooo right. Check it out."
Rainy day blues
Derek O'Brien Lyrics
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Cloudy in the morning and it's gonna be raining in the afternoon
If you don't like this rainy weather you better pack your bags and move
But if you're running from it brother the only road that I can see
If you're running from it brother the only road that I can see
Is the road that leads to nowhere and nowhere is a fool like me
Rain keep a falling falling round my window pane
Rain keep a falling falling round my window pane
Save those dimes and nickels save 'em for a rainy day
Save your dimes and nickels save 'em for a rainy day
It ain't gonna keep the rain from coming but at least you know you've paid your way
Rain rain rain keep a falling...
The first verse of Derek O'Brien's Rainy Day Blues paints a picture of a gloomy day. The repetition of "cloudy in the morning, gonna be raining in the afternoon" emphasizes the inevitability of the rain. The following line, "if you don't like this rainy weather you better pack your bags and move," is a simple yet effective commentary on the fact that some things in life we cannot change or control. Rather than dwelling on it, we have a choice to make a change, however difficult it may be. But, as the next line suggests, even if we try to outrun the rain, we may end up going nowhere. The line "nowhere is a fool like me" implies that Derek has tried to escape his problems before, but has come to the realization that running from them is futile.
The second verse advises us to save our money for a rainy day. While the phrase usually implies that we should save money for unforeseen expenses, here it functions as a metaphorical suggestion to prepare for life's challenges. The line "It ain't gonna keep the rain from coming but at least you know you've paid your way" suggests that we cannot always prevent difficult times from coming, but we can take comfort in the fact that we've done all we can to prepare for them. The final line "rain rain rain keep a falling" adds to the despair of the song's tone, emphasizing that the rain keeps coming, no matter what we do.
Line by Line Meaning
Well it's cloudy in the morning gonna be raining in the afternoon
The day will start cloudy, but eventually, it's going to rain later in the afternoon.
If you don't like this rainy weather you better pack your bags and move
If you dislike this rainy weather, you might want to relocate to where you'll have better weather luck.
But if you're running from it brother the only road that I can see
If you are fleeing from the rainfall, the only path you will probably find is one of failure and ambiguity.
Is the road that leads to nowhere and nowhere is a fool like me
The way that takes you to nowhere is the path of irresponsibility and foolishness that someone described as absurd like me.
Rain keep a falling falling round my window pane
Rain keeps falling around my window, continuously and non-stop.
Ain't never seen so much rainy weather guess I'll never see the sun again
I haven't witnessed such an extent of rainy climate; therefore, I'm worried that I won't be able to see sunshine again.
Save your dimes and nickels save 'em for a rainy day
Keep your dimes and nickels secure for dire moments.
It ain't gonna keep the rain from coming but at least you know you've paid your way
Securing your dimes and nickels cannot impede the rain's arrival but, at the very least, you've prepared yourself financially.
Rain rain rain keep a falling...
Rain keeps pouring, perpetually and with no end in sight.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: J. MAYO WILLIAMS, JOE TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind