In 1959, Fender recorded the blues ballad "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights." The song became popular in 1959, but he was beset by legal troubles after he and a band member were arrested for possession of marijuana. After a two years in Louisiana's Angola prison farm, he was released through the intercession of Gov. Jimmie Davis, also a songwriter and musician. Davis requested that Fender stay away from music while on probation as a condition of his release. By the end of the 1960s, Fender was back in Texas working as a mechanic, and attending a local junior college, while only playing music on the weekends.
Number One Pop and Country
In 1974, Fender recorded "Before The Next Teardrop Falls." The single was selected for national distribution, and became a number one hit on the Billboard Country and Pop charts. His next four singles, including a remake of "Wasted Days", all hit the number one spot on the Billboard Country charts. During the next few years, Fender had several major country hits, including the No. 1 hits "Secret Love" (1975) and "You'll Lose a Good Thing" (1976).
Texas Tornados
In the 1990s, Fender teamed up with fellow Tex-Mex musicians Doug Sahm, Flaco Jimenez and Augie Myers to form the Tex-Mex supergroup the Texas Tornados, whose work was widely acclaimed. Following the death of Sahm, the production of the Tornadoes slowed.
Los Super Seven
Freddy Fender continued to still be on top with a groundbreaking collaboration with several musical legends to produce another supergroup, Los Super Seven which consisted of David Hidalgo (vocals, guitar, drums, bass, percussion, requinto, hidalguera); Rick Trevino, Joe Ely (vocals, guitar); Flaco Jimenez (vocals, accordion); Cesar Rosas (vocals, six-string bass, guitar, guitarron, jarana); Freddy Fender (vocals, acoustic bass); Ruben Ramos (vocals). This Super Seven effort won a Grammy in 1999.
On February 4, 1999, Freddy's star was installed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2004, the Texas Folklife Resources produced a widely acclaimed sell-out show at the Paramount in Austin, Texas " Fifty Years of Freddy Fender", where Freddy was honored and then performed to a packed house. Also in 2004, Freddy's hometown of San Benito Texas honored Freddy with his likeness emblazoned on their new watertower with "Hometown of Freddy Fender". Freddy would later say that this honor meant more to him than any other accolade he had ever won.
Freddy Fender's Masterpiece...
La Musica De Baldemar Huerta
Freddy delves deeply into the music of his forefathers: the boleros and rancheras that would have played in the ghettos of his native San Benito, Texas, and that he sang as a youth in border-town cantinas. Especially gorgeous are "Adios Muchachos," a melancholy meditation on final farewells, and the delicate opener, "Rayito de Luna." El Be Bop Kid isn't just back; he sounds reborn. Freddy won his last Grammy for this album.
Freddy Fender underwent a kidney transplant in 2002 donated by his daughter and a transplant of the liver in 2004. Nonetheless, his condition continued to worsen. He was suffering from an "incurable cancer" in which he had tumors on his lungs. On December 31, 2005, Fender performed his last concert and resumed chemotherapy.
Fender has Passed on...
Rest in Peace, Vaya Con Dios
Freddy Fender passed away on Saturday, October 14, 2006, after a long battle with lung cancer. He is buried in his Hometown of San Benito, Texas.
Plans are underway for a Freddy Fender Museum to be located in his beloved hometown, San Benito, Texas. Check back at: www.freddyfendermuseum.org or
www.freddyfender.com
The Rains Came
Freddy Fender Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tears keep coming down
I can't find my baby
I wonder she left town
Rain rain rain rain
I'd like to see my girl again
She broke my heart in two
Rain rain rain rain
My pillow's soaking wet
I can't find her in the morning
She's not home yet
Rain rain rain rain
My pillow's soaking wet
I can't find her in the morning
She's not home yet
The rain keeps falling
Tears keep coming down
I couldn't find my darling
I wonder she left town
Rain rain rain rain
My pillow's soaking wet
Where is she in the morning
She's not home yet
Rain rain rain rain
Rain rain rain rain
Rain rain rain rain
In Freddy Fender's song The Rains Came, the lyrics speak to the pain and heartbreak that accompanies a lost love. The endless rain and tears falling from the sky represent the singer's overwhelming emotions and depressive state as he searches for his lost love. He cannot understand why she left town and wonders where she is, hoping to see her once again. The repetition of the phrase "rain rain rain rain" emphasizes the constant torment that he is going through as he experiences sleepless nights due to his longing for his beloved.
The image of a "soaking wet pillow" also adds to the somber tone of the song. It is a reminder of the singer's solitude and loneliness, as he is unable to find solace and comfort without his loved one. These feelings of loneliness and despair are amplified by the backdrop of the rainy weather, creating a melancholic setting and mood.
Overall, the song speaks to the universal human experience of lost love and the associated emotional turmoil. The lyrics and melody are able to capture the painful emotions that one feels during such times, making it a classic song that still resonates with many people around the world today.
Line by Line Meaning
The rain keeps falling
The rain hasn't stopped falling
Tears keep coming down
I keep crying in despair
I can't find my baby
I have lost the love of my life
I wonder she left town
I am questioning why she left me
Rain rain rain rain
The pouring rain is constant and relentless
I'd like to see my girl again
I desperately want to be reunited with my love
She broke my heart in two
She shattered my heart into pieces
And caused me so much pain
Her departure has caused me an unbearable amount of emotional agony
My pillow's soaking wet
My tears have soaked my pillow
I can't find her in the morning
I awake to an empty bed
She's not home yet
She hasn't returned home
The rain keeps falling
The rain won't stop pouring
Tears keep coming down
I can't stop crying
I couldn't find my darling
I have lost the love of my life
I wonder she left town
I am baffled by her decision to leave me
My pillow's soaking wet
My tears have drenched my pillow
Where is she in the morning
I awaken alone and unsure of her whereabouts
She's not home yet
She hasn't returned home
Rain rain rain rain
The constant rain feels like a symbol of my constant heartache
Rain rain rain rain
The rain feels like a never-ending reminder of my pain
Rain rain rain rain
The rain is a constant presence, filling me with sadness and longing
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Ben Peters, Vivian Keith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Home ent Marinka
The rain keeps falling
Tears keep coming down
I can't find my baby
I wonder she left town
Rain rain rain rain
I'd like to see my girl again
She broke my heart in two
And caused me so much pain
Rain rain rain rain
My pillow's soaking wet
I can't find her in the morning
She's not home yet
(Repeat)
The rain keeps falling
Tears keep coming down
I couldn't find my darling
I wonder she left town
Rain rain rain rain
My pillow's soaking wet
Where is she in the morning
She's not home yet
Rain rain rain rain
Rain rain rain rain
Rain rain rain rain
Home ent Marinka
The rain keeps falling
Tears keep coming down
I can't find my baby
I wonder she left town
Rain rain rain rain
I'd like to see my girl again
She broke my heart in two
And caused me so much pain
Rain rain rain rain
My pillow's soaking wet
I can't find her in the morning
She's not home yet
(Repeat)
The rain keeps falling
Tears keep coming down
I couldn't find my darling
I wonder she left town
Rain rain rain rain
My pillow's soaking wet
Where is she in the morning
She's not home yet
Rain rain rain rain
Rain rain rain rain
Rain rain rain rain
Daniel Burns
this song went to #4 on the country charts in 1977!!!
Angela Gonzalez
loving this song!!!
Bobby Jo Cowpoke
Great Song, R.I.P. Freddie 🙏🏻
Etelinda Garza
I LOVE THIS SONG!!!!!.....ESPICALLY FREDDY FENDER!!!!
Albert Mesa
My Mother all time favorite song by Freddy Fender, she had the album, but flood ruined it! Nostalgia!!!
Michael Butler
AWESOME!!! It is PISSING DOWN here in NZ, but I LOVE IT! Freddy on utube, fire on, and hot soup heating up on the fireplace for tea!!!!!! AND a dry pillow!!!!! Freddy is so cool!!!!!!!!!
Lynn Glidewell
A lost gem!
Dolly Marinello
May you Rest in Heavenly Peace Valde.🙏💖😇🎸
Justin Fortune
I haven't heard since I was like 7. I'm 21 now. I'm crying