Despite producing an excellent, melodic, catchy and very Magnum-like self-titled album the band was relatively short-lived with Clarkin announcing it's demise around 1999. The album "Hard Rain" (1997), follows the previous Magnum formula with Catley's superb vocals, Clarkin's guitars and use of backing keyboards in the older "prog rock" tradition; as well as a slightly funkier beat and harmonic backing vocals (Sue McCloskey). A second, more experimental album, "When the Good Times Come" followed in 1999.
In 1981, two tracks were written and produced by Clarkin and were sung by Sue McCloskey, a friend of Magnum. They were entitled "Really Need Your Love" and "Lost Inside Myself". After Catley left Hard Rain, Clarkin continued to write material with McCloskey. Some of these songs were broadcast on radio during an interview with Clarkin. Two of these songs surfaced as Magnum songs, "Still" and "Dream About You" on Magnum's 2002 studio album, Breath of Life.
Often overlooked but if you are a long-standing fan of Magnum then you're very likely to want the album "Hard Rain" in your collection as it rivals the best that the former band had to offer.
No One Can Show You The Way
Hard Rain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, so deep inside, don't let them go
'Cause when the rain kissed your lips
Not just once but time and time again
So now you pray
But no one listens
Don't you hesitate
So you just pray
For something different
The love we take
And all the vows we break
No one can show you the way
When love is hard to find
And no one can hear what you say
It's all in your own mind
Now everything's too much
There's nothing you can trust
Ain't no one can show you the way
The time, the place, the day
It's cold, the midnight wind blows
So you light the fire and burn the dead
While you play your music real low
You get lost in dreams you fear to tread
And now you pray
There ain't no witness
Maybe it's your fate
Who knows, maybe you won't get away
So you just pray
This dirty business
Of love and hate
Won't be so hard to face
No one can show you the way
When love is hard to find
And no one can hear what you say
It's all in your own mind
Now everything's too much
There's nothing you can trust
Ain't no one can show you the way
The time, the place, the day
No one can show you the way
When love is hard to find
And no one can hear what you say
It's all in your own mind
Now everything's too much
There's nothing you can trust
Ain't no one can show you the way
The time, the place, the day
No one can show you the way
When love is hard to find
And no one can hear what you say
It's all in your own mind
Now everything's too much
There's nothing you can trust
Ain't no one can show you the way
The time, the place, the day
The song "No One Can Show You The Way" by Hard Rain talks about the struggles of finding love and trusting someone enough to show you the right way. The opening lines suggest that the person hides their love deep inside, as if it was a secret. They fear letting it go and showing it to the world, but they have experienced the rain kissing their lips multiple times, which is a metaphor for moments of vulnerability where it's hard to hide one's emotions. Despite their efforts, they feel like no one listens to their prayers and they're hesitant to pursue a relationship.
The chorus talks about the difficulty of finding love, as no one can show you the right way to find it. The person's thoughts and feelings are all in their own mind, and no one can hear what they say. They feel lost and unsure about everything, unable to trust anyone. The second verse adds to the person's challenges, as they describe the cold midnight wind blowing and lighting a fire to burn the dead. It's a metaphor for closing off their emotions and trying to forget about their past experiences, while playing music to distract themselves. They pray that there's no witness to their pain but fear it's their fate that they won't be able to get away from it.
Overall, the song is a reflection on the struggles and uncertainty that come with love and relationships. It portrays a person who's afraid to let go of their emotions, unsure of how to trust anyone, and lost in their thoughts.
Line by Line Meaning
You hide your love like secrets
You keep your feelings for someone hidden and private
Oh, so deep inside, don't let them go
Your love for someone is so strong that you don't want to let it go
'Cause when the rain kissed your lips
When you were in the rain, you felt an indescribable feeling when you kissed someone
Not just once but time and time again
You didn't experience this feeling just once, but multiple times
So now you pray
You hope for something better
But no one listens
No one seems to understand or care about your feelings
Don't you hesitate
Don't be afraid to take risks in love
Oh, no, don't you be a runaway
Don't give up on love and run away
So you just pray
You continue to hope for love
For something different
You hope for a love that is not complicated
The love we take
The love we receive
And all the vows we break
All the promises we make but can't keep
No one can show you the way
No one knows the answer to finding love
When love is hard to find
It's difficult to find true love
And no one can hear what you say
No one seems to understand your feelings
It's all in your own mind
Your thoughts and feelings about love are personal
Now everything's too much
Everything is overwhelming, including love
There's nothing you can trust
You can't rely on anyone or anything for help with love
The time, the place, the day
The circumstances in which you find love are unpredictable
It's cold, the midnight wind blows
You're feeling alone and lost
So you light the fire and burn the dead
You try to forget past loves and move on
While you play your music real low
You listen to music to help you cope with loneliness
You get lost in dreams you fear to tread
You dream of finding love but are scared to take risks
There ain't no witness
No one is there to see your struggles with love
Maybe it's your fate
Maybe you're meant to be alone and not find love
Who knows, maybe you won't get away
Maybe you won't be able to move on from your past loves
This dirty business
The complicated nature of love
Of love and hate
The mix of emotions that come with love
Contributed by Reagan W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.