Graham played bass in the highly successful and influential funk band Sly & the Family Stone from 1967 to 1972. He pioneered the art of slap-pop playing on the electric bass, in part to provide percussive and rhythmic elements in addition to the notes of the bassline when the band lacked a drummer. This style has become archetypical of modern funk. Slap-pop playing couples a percussive thumb-slapping technique of the lower strings with an aggressive finger-snap of the higher strings, often in rhythmic alternation. The slap and pop technique incorporates a large ratio of muted (or 'ghost' tones) to normal notes, which adds to the rhythmic effect.
This "machine-gun" bass style was later used by such artists as Les Claypool, Bootsy Collins, Louis Johnson, Mark King, Flea, Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke, John Norwood Fisher, P-Nut, Danny McCormack, Matt Noveskey and Dirk Lance.
Upon the Family Stone's disintegration due to lead singer Sly Stone's drug addiction, Graham formed his own band, Graham Central Station. The name is a pun on Grand Central Station, the train station located in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Graham Central Station had several hits in the 1970s, including "Hair."
In the mid 1970s, Larry Graham worked with Betty Davis, the former second wife of jazz legend Miles Davis. Betty Davis' band included members of the Tower of Power horns and the Pointer Sisters, and she recorded three albums to critical acclaim but limited commercial success.
In 1975, Graham became a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses. In the early 1980s, Graham recorded five solo albums and had several solo hits. His biggest hit was "One in a Million, You", which reached number 9 on the Billboard chart in 1980.
He recorded another album in the late 1990s, with a new band using the Graham Central Station name. Two of the new members were former Family Stone bandmates Cynthia Robinson and Jerry Martini. He also toured with Prince as opening act in 1997 and 1998.
In 2007 he was invited to play in Minneapolis with the reformed Sly & the Family Stone, but declined because he was out of town. He did, however, appear onstage in Minneapolis on July 8th, 2007 with Prince at First Avenue.
I Can't Stand The Rain
GRAHAM LARRY Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bringing back sweet memories
Ican't stand the rain 'gainst my window
'Cause he's not here with me
Hey window pain do you remember
How sweet it used to be
When we were together
Everything was so grand, yes it was
There's one sound that I just can't stand...
Alone with the pillow
Where his head used to lay, yeah
I know you've got some sweet memories
But like a window you ain't got nothin' to say
I can't stand the rain 'gainst my window
Bringing back sweet memories, hey
I can't stand the rain, ooh
'Gainst my window, oh no no
'Cause he's not here with me, uh
Alone with the pillow uh uh
Where his head used to lay, yeah
I know you've got some sweet memories
But like a window you ain't got nothin' to say, hey hey
Uh, uh, I can't stand the rain...
(I can't I can't I can't can't stand the rain)...
Baby, uh, uh, uh, hey hey
Ooh, ooh, uh, uh, hey
Don't you know, 't you think...
No no ooh oooohh hey hey hey hey hey, no
Dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum
Oohh !... Get off my window...
(I can't I can't I can't can't stand the rain)...
Get off my window now, get off my window
Get off my window nah, I can't stand the rain
I can't stand the rain, ooh, can't stand the rain, oh
In "I Can't Stand the Rain," Graham Larry sings about the painful reminder of a lost love brought on by the rain. The rain reminds her of the time when she was with her lover, and as it pelts her window, it brings back sweet memories that she can no longer enjoy. When she was with her lover, everything was grand, but now that they have parted ways, the sound of the rain against her window is the only thing she cannot stand. She is alone with the pillow where his head used to lay, and she cannot help but remember their time together. However, she also acknowledges that the window, like her memories, cannot provide her with any comfort or solace.
The lyrics of "I Can't Stand the Rain" were written by Peebles and her husband Don Bryant, along with DJ Bernard "Bernie" "B.J." Miller. The song gained massive popularity after it was first released in 1973; it reached number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number 16 on the R&B charts. Over the years, numerous artists have covered the song, including Tina Turner, Seal, and Ann Peebles herself in collaboration with Bonnie Raitt and Luther Allison. It has also appeared in several films and TV shows, including the critically acclaimed drama Queen Sugar.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't stand the rain 'gainst my window
The rain is a reminder of the good times I had with my lover, and now that he is gone, it feels depressing.
Bringing back sweet memories
The rain makes me revisit the past and think about the good memories that I have shared with him.
'Cause he's not here with me
My lover is not here with me, and the rain reminds me of his absence.
Alone with the pillow where his head used to lay, yeah
I feel alone in bed without him, and the pillow reminds me of the times when he used to sleep with me.
I know you've got some sweet memories but like a window, you ain't got nothin' to say
Although my memories are sweet, they cannot replace the love that I shared with him, and the window cannot provide me with any comfort or consolation.
Now that we've parted, there's one sound that I just can't stand...
The sound of the rain is unbearable now that we have broken up, and it reminds me of the pain and hurt that I am experiencing right now.
I can't stand the rain 'gainst my window, bringing back sweet memories, hey
The rain just keeps reminding me of the sweet moments that I shared with my lover, and it's making it hard for me to move on.
Don't you know, 't you think... No no ooh oooohh hey hey hey hey hey, no
I am urging myself to move on and not dwell in the past because it's not going to help me feel better.
Get off my window now, get off my window, get off my window nah, I can't stand the rain
I want the rain to stop because it's only making me feel worse, and I cannot handle it anymore.
I can't stand the rain, ooh, can't stand the rain, oh
The rain is a constant reminder of my heartbreak and absence of my lover, and it is unbearable for me to handle right now.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ann Peebles, Bernard Miller, Don Bryant
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind