In the mid 1970s, Chapin focused on social activism, including raising money to combat hunger in the United States and co-founding the organization World Hunger Year, before returning to music with On the Road to Kingdom Come. He also released a book of poetry, Looking...Seeing, in 1977.
His fellow Long Islanders loved him for his support of local artists, as well. He and his wife Sandy raised funds for the Performing Arts Foundation, a now-defunct local theatre group. They also supported the Long Island Ballet. The band shell at Huntington's Hecksher Park is named for Harry Chapin.
Chapin died on July 16, 1981 in an automobile accident on the Long Island Expressway at the age of 38. He was headed west from Huntington Bay, where he lived with his wife and three children, to perform a concert in Eisenhower Park in Nassau County when his car was struck by a truck. An autopsy showed that he had suffered a heart attack, but it could not be determined whether that occurred before or after the collision. Supermarkets General, the owner of the truck, paid $12 million in the ensuing litigation.
November rain
Harry Chapin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It rides the cool wind
You need somebody holding you tight
When November rains
You need somebody caring
You want somebody sharing your night
(CHORUS)
That's when it all falls down
There are clues
When November rains
And it's all around
And it seems that there's nothing left 'cept the dream
Of the first sweet warm morning light
November rains into your deep, dark night
When November rains
Midnight is calling
The old year is falling away
When November rains
It's like something is greiving
Or somebody's leaving this day
(CHORUS)
November rains,
Why don't you shine your warm sun on down
November rains,
Why don't you keep me warm as sundown
Why don't you rain your warm sun down,
Down on me
Don't leave me
When November rains
Something is needed
Somebody is sending an echo
When November rains
It's too late for praying,
It's like somebody's saying
Don't follow
(CHORUS)
The lyrics of Harry Chapin's song November Rain elicit emotions of sadness and longing for someone to hold tight during the cold and rainy nights of November. The words speak of the need for someone to care, share, and grieve with during the dark hours of the month. It’s a time when everything seems to 'fall down,' implying something might be changing or coming to an end. The words suggest the importance of the warmth of a human touch during the cold month of November, and the sense of hope that comes with the dream of the first sweet warm morning light.
The chorus of the song highlights that the clues to the future can be found when the November rain falls. It’s a time of change, when the old year is falling away, and the new year is just around the corner. The dream of the golden warmth of morning light is the only thing that seems to linger as everything else seems to be washed away by the rain. The words suggest that November rains into your deep, dark night, emphasizing the emotional depth that comes with living through the dark and cold nights of November.
The last verse of the song speaks to a finality that comes with the November rains. It’s too late to pray about what is happening, and the words imply that someone or something is saying, 'Don't follow.' This finality, coupled with the sadness of the lyrics, creates an overall sense of melancholy in the song. However, Chapin’s beautiful and insightful poetry enables listeners to feel and connect with the emotions conveyed in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
When November rains
The start of November brought with it the rain season
It rides the cool wind
The breeze carries the rain to all corners
You need somebody holding you tight
You need someone to ease your emotional burden during tough times
When November rains
The continuous falling of rain marks the beginning of a difficult period
You need somebody caring
A compassionate companion is required to help move through these trying times
You want somebody sharing your night
A partner in sharing your dark times would make them easier to bear
(CHORUS)
Repetition of how rains mark a difficult time in life
That's when it all falls down
The pouring rain represents how everything is falling apart
There are clues
There are indications that things are not right
And it's all around
It's hard to ignore the presence of something wrong
And it seems that there's nothing left 'cept the dream
Amidst chaos, all that's left is the dream for bright sky after rain
Of the first sweet warm morning light
Looking forward to the time when things will be better again
November rains into your deep, dark night
Sorrow seems to be never ending and depresses the night
When November rains
The falling rain at this point represents the call of midnight
Midnight is calling
The clocks tick louder as night advances
The old year is falling away
Another year is ending, and the rain symbolizes people who left us in the past
When November rains
Continuation of the theme of November rains signifying something sad
It's like something is greiving
The rain's melancholic effect portrays things that are mourning
Or somebody's leaving this day
Rain represents someone's departure from this world
(CHORUS)
Repetition of how rains mark a difficult time in life
November rains,
As in the past lines, November rains still carry the same meaning
Why don't you shine your warm sun on down
Asking for some good to come out of this bad patch
November rains,
As in the past lines, November rains still carry the same meaning
Why don't you keep me warm as sundown
Asking the rain to bring some solace rather than making things worse
Why don't you rain your warm sun down,
Asking the rain to bring warmth instead of constant mournful showers
Down on me
Asking for personal help during tough times
Don't leave me
A plea asking rain, which in this context represents sadness, to end soon
When November rains
The sadness of the rain invites a sense of need and urgency to address what's wrong
Something is needed
A lack of something essential is felt, and it's time to remedy that
Somebody is sending an echo
There is a foreboding sense of an impending event or news
When November rains
The rain also signals warning of impending danger
It's too late for praying,
Despite the warning signs, sometimes it is too late for saving
It's like somebody's saying
The ominous environment conveys the sense of advice to not take the situation lightly
Don't follow
The warning advises one message: not to follow the path leading to trouble
(CHORUS)
Repetition of how rains mark a difficult time in life
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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