They continued their partnership over the next several years under the name 'Oister', going for a catchy, hook-filled sound very reminiscent of The Beatles and other British invasion groups. Twilley and Seymour signed with Shelter Records in 1974 as the Dwight Twilley Band. Their first single,"I'm on Fire", reached #16 on the charts in 1975 with relatively no promotion. Tasting mainstream success as a jangly rock act. the future seemed bright.
During an appearance on American Bandstand, the band played what was to be the follow-up single, "Shark". The success of the film Jaws, however, caused the label to reject the single to keep the group from being perceived as a cash-in novelty act. This was just the beginning of bad luck that would plague the group from that point on.
According to the I'm On Fire Songfacts, Shelter Records was in turmoil at the time, and as a result could not release their debut album until a year later, which killed the momentum generated by this song. A second album recorded in England was left unreleased. The belated follow-up single, "You Were So Warm", failed to become another hit due to distribution problems, although many fans of underground rock helped the band gain a reputation as a cult act. When the group's album 'Sincerely' was finally released in 1975, it failed commercially as well. Under different circumstances, Twilley could have been a major star, latching onto the late 70s power pop boom that artists such as Cheap Trick and The Knack rode into rock stardom with, yet his group kept on working hard as time passed.
Seymour and Twilley befriended the like-minded Tom Petty and contributed backing vocals on several of his tracks. Petty repaid the favor for their second album, "Twilley Don't Mind," for Arista Records in 1977. Their work with Petty brought them critical respect and praise from fellow musicians, but Twilley's album proved to be another commercial disappointment. Seymour left the band the following year, pursuing a brief solo career until he died of lymphoma in 1993.
Twilley continued as a solo act, releasing "Twilley" for Arista in 1979 and "Scuba Divers" for EMI America in 1982. He finally found success again with the album "Jungle" in 1984, which included Twilley's second hit single "Girls." His 1986 followup album "Wild Dogs" went unnoticed on its CBS Records. In addition, Twilley recorded an album in 1980, Blueprint, that remains unreleased and contributed one track to the 1992 Wayne's World soundtrack, "Why You Want to Break My Heart." In 1993, DCC released "The Great Lost Twilley Album," which collected a fraction of the "hundreds" of early unreleased songs Twilley and Seymour had recorded.
Two newly recorded songs appeared on the best-of collection "XXI" (The Right Stuff) in 1996, and in 1999, Twilley released both another rarities collection, "Between the Cracks, Vol. 1 (Not Lame Archives)," and his first new album in 13 years, "Tulsa" (Copper). In 2001, Twilley released "The Luck" (Big Oak), an album he had actually completed in 1994. The seasonal EP "Have a Twilley Christmas" (dmi) appeared in 2004, followed by Twilley's ninth studio album, "47 Moons," in 2005.
In November 2014, Twilley released his album Always through Big Oak Records. The 12-song LP featured an array of appearances from power-pop and rock and roll musicians such as Ken Stringfellow, Timm Buechler and Mitch Easter.
Let It Rain
Dwight Twilley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're so afraid, you might see
Your tomorrow's in me, so I go
My, now it can rain now
Skies won't seem the same now
I just walk for miles and miles with smiles
'Cause I know it's alright, let it rain
Clouds fill up the night
Stars never in sight
I'll just wait till dawn
Till the sun comes along or it hides
My, now it just rains now
Skies won't be the blame now
I just close my eyes
Till the sidewalks are dry
'Cause I know it's all right
Let it rain all night, let it rain
The lyrics of Dwight Twilley’s song “Let It Rain” seem to be speaking to someone who is afraid to face their future, specifically the “tomorrow” that the singer seemingly symbolizes. The first few lines of the song set a tone of hesitance and fear, questioning why the singer should try to “stop by” and attempting to reconcile with the reality that the other person is “afraid” of the future that seems to be represented by the singer. The singer seems to acknowledge this fear and discomfort, and ultimately decides to leave so as not to cause any more discomfort to the other person.
However, this is not a song of defeat. Rather, the chorus offers a sense of acceptance and even enjoyment of the rain that seems to be present in the singer’s life. “My, now it can rain now/ Skies won't seem the same now” suggests that the rain is no longer an oppressive or negative force in the singer’s life; instead, it is something that can be appreciated and even celebrated. The singer is content to “just walk for miles and miles with smiles/ ‘Cause I know it’s alright, let it rain.” They are not worried about the clouds filling up the night or the stars disappearing from view; they will simply “wait till dawn/ Till the sun comes along or it hides” and enjoy the rain as it comes.
Overall, “Let It Rain” seems to be a song about finding peace and contentment in the midst of uncertainty and adversity. The rain may represent difficult or challenging situations in life, but the song encourages listeners to face those situations head-on and find joy and peace within them.
Line by Line Meaning
I never stop by, why, why should I try?
I don't visit you anymore, because there's no point. You're scared of what you might feel or discover when you're near me, so I've given up.
You're so afraid, you might see
You're scared that if we spend time together, you'll see a future with me that's too complicated or uncertain to deal with.
Your tomorrow's in me, so I go
You know deep down that your future could be with me, but you're not ready to accept that yet. And so I leave.
My, now it can rain now
I'm okay with the rain now.
Skies won't seem the same now
The weather doesn't affect me like it used to, because I'm not afraid of what it represents anymore.
I just walk for miles and miles with smiles
I'm content just being myself, and I'm happy to take long walks and enjoy my own company.
'Cause I know it's alright, let it rain
I'm okay with whatever life throws at me, because I trust that everything will work out in the end.
Clouds fill up the night
The darkness and uncertainty are becoming more apparent.
Stars never in sight
I can't see the beauty or wonder in things anymore, because I'm too focused on my own worries and concerns.
I'll just wait till dawn
I'll endure these difficulties until better times arrive. I'll wait for the light and warmth of the sun to return.
Till the sun comes along or it hides
Eventually, everything will be bright and clear again. But sometimes it might take longer than I want it to.
My, now it just rains now
I'm okay with the rain now (again).
Skies won't be the blame now
I won't blame the weather for my problems anymore, because I know that the real issue is within myself.
I just close my eyes
I need to take a break from the world and relax for a bit.
Till the sidewalks are dry
I'll wait until the world outside is ready for me again.
'Cause I know it's all right
I'm confident that everything will be okay in the end, even if things seem challenging right now.
Let it rain all night, let it rain
I'm okay with facing these difficulties and experiencing the hardships. I'm ready to take on whatever comes my way, good or bad.
Contributed by Nora F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.