Rainbow
Fred Lyrics


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What are you supposed to do
When your rainbow breaks in two
And all those stars come crashing to the ground?

What are you supposed to do
When your pot of gold is fool's gold
And you're the only fool left around?
What are you supposed to do
When the one you're counting on
Turns out she just can't do the math?

What are you supposed to do
When your rainbow breaks in two
Now all you're left with is a half?

What are you supposed to say
When the one who's going away
Turns out her ticket was for two?

How can you carry on
When you've been stolen from
By the very one who said she'd be true?

And all your setting suns
Turns out that they weren't done
They were coming up in someone else's world

What are you supposed to do
When your rainbows break in two
And all your favorite colors went to her?

Pick up half a rainbow
Throw it over your shoulder
Tell her you're glad that it's finally over

And find another rainbow
You can hook up to
That's what you're supposed to do

Yeah, pick up half a rainbow
Throw it over your shoulder
Tell her you're glad that it's finally over

And find another rainbow




You can hook up to
That's what you're supposed to do

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Fred's song Rainbow are discussing the hardships and heartbreak that come with a broken relationship. Fred narrates the challenges of dealing with a broken relationship, one in which the one he loved either betrayed him, left him, or lost love for him. Fred poses questions throughout the song such as “what are you supposed to do when your rainbow breaks in two?” and “what are you supposed to say when the one who’s going away, turns out her ticket was for two?” These questions indicate that something went awry, and Fred is unsure how to move on or react.


Fred suggests that the best way to move on is by finding a new rainbow to hook up to. While the pain may be severe at first, you eventually have to learn to let go and move on. When half of your rainbow is gone, you have to pick up the other half, throw it over your shoulder, and be glad it's finally over. This last line may seem insensitive, but it showcases how one is supposed to adjust and move on from heartbreak.


Line by Line Meaning

What are you supposed to do When your rainbow breaks in two And all those stars come crashing to the ground?
What do you do when you experience a devastating event, causing everything to fall apart?


What are you supposed to do When your pot of gold is fool's gold And you're the only fool left around?
What do you do when you realize that the thing you've been chasing after is not what you thought it was, and you're left feeling like a fool?


What are you supposed to do When the one you're counting on Turns out she just can't do the math?
What do you do when the person you relied on fails you, and you're left to pick up the pieces?


What are you supposed to do When your rainbow breaks in two Now all you're left with is a half?
What do you do when you're left with only a partial version of what once brought you joy?


What are you supposed to say When the one who's going away Turns out her ticket was for two?
What do you say when the person you love is leaving and you realize that they had planned to go without you all along?


How can you carry on When you've been stolen from By the very one who said she'd be true?
How do you keep going when the person you trusted turned out to be a thief, taking something invaluable to you?


And all your setting suns Turns out that they weren't done They were coming up in someone else's world
All the things that you thought were coming to an end were actually just beginning for someone else.


What are you supposed to do When your rainbows break in two And all your favorite colors went to her?
What are you supposed to do when everything that you loved and cherished has been taken away from you?


Pick up half a rainbow Throw it over your shoulder Tell her you're glad that it's finally over And find another rainbow You can hook up to That's what you're supposed to do
Instead of dwelling on the loss, move on and find something new that gives you joy and purpose.


Yeah, pick up half a rainbow Throw it over your shoulder Tell her you're glad that it's finally over And find another rainbow You can hook up to That's what you're supposed to do
Reinforcing the idea that the way forward is to let go of the past and move towards something new that brings light and happiness into your life.




Lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: Fred Elgersma

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@robbyfry527

Howard describing Imus is like anyone describing Howard, today. Satellite radio is dying, and Howard somehow has convinced them that all the subs they have are listening to him as he's completely alienated every fan he ever had.

@TeleCaster66

I would have never guessed Howard would've turned into the person he is now. He's really a horrible person in a lot of ways, one being his Covid views, what a sad old fool.

@IAEMThatIAEM

I don't understand why a fan would feel alienated that the person who they liked got old

@IAEMThatIAEM

howard is older now than imus was then. There has to be a reason they keep reupping his contract

@sskoog

This is one of those things where multiple revelations come out years after-the-fact. Fred and Allison Norris had marital troubles (continuing for several years) in that April 1996 period. Fred was keeping in touch with his estranged wife, but only meeting her at restaurants for dinner and such. They tried to keep up appearances, but would flare up into fights, most notably at this Rainbow Room venue. What isn't such common knowledge is that HOWARD and his missus were also on the rocks during that same time -- Howard moved into a specially-built-for-him apartment during the Private Parts film, Howard was trying to keep up appearances (because THE MOVIE WAS ABOUT A HAPPY MULTI-DECADE MARRIAGE), but the Sterns were effectively estranged during production. The undercurrent here (in 1996) is: Howard is poking Fred about the deteriorating quality of his marriage, Fred isn't happy about it, and Fred is hinting but not directly saying "Hey, buddy, YOU'RE not the one to be mocking OTHERS for a quietly disintegrating marriage." He even repeats it here, again, years after the fact. "Other people had their own issues, during that time, and that's all I'm gonna say."

@MossB87

Mad respect for Fred for keeping quiet about Howards’s marital troubles I would not have hesitated in putting Howard on blast if I’d been in Fred’s position.

@GetMeThere1

Thanks for that summary. Appreciated.

@sskoog

Last bit of this drama: Howard kept bugging Fred about this Rainbow Room incident, Fred kept saying "Lay off, I'm not gonna talk about this on-air," Howard did his typical "Yes, we'll talk about whatever I want to" schtick, and finally Fred walked out of the studio. Howard downplayed it as a lighthearted spat-of-the-week, UNTIL Fred also skipped the (Private Parts) movie filming that afternoon. Then Howard threw his own tantrum, and the two had a backstage conversation.

@GetMeThere1

@@sskoog Yes, I'm listening to it now ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok791HVQRhM ). I'd heard it before, years ago, but I didn't really put together the overview of Fred AND Howard both having marriage troubles around the same time,

@lopey5035

Almost like Howard is a soulless piece of shit who built his career off of infinitely more talented, funnier, better people than himself.

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