In October 1978, McCulloch founded Echo & the Bunnymen with Will Sergeant (guitar), Les Pattinson (bass), and a drum machine (allegedly named Echo), making their live début at Eric's in November that year. In October 1979 the Bunnymen exchanged the drum machine for Pete de Freitas on drums. With their line up solidified, the Bunnymen played in the late 1970s and early 1980s, releasing their critically praised debut album, Crocodiles in 1980, and the heavier, bass driven, Heaven up Here in 1981. They released their third album Porcupine in 1983 with the lead single "The Cutter" finishing in the Top 10 of the UK Charts. Ocean Rain followed in 1984.
In 1988, McCulloch left the group to pursue a solo career under the impression the Bunnymen would be laid to rest, if only temporarily. When the remaining Bunnymen continued using the name with new singer Noel Burke, the split became permanent with McCulloch referring to the band as "Echo & the Bogusmen".
In 1990, McCulloch released the album Candleland which reflected a more mature outlook on the world, owing to the recent deaths of McCulloch's father and his friend Pete de Freitas. The album peaked at number 18 in the UK Charts. It yielded two Modern Rock Tracks hits, "Proud To Fall" (No. 1 for 4 weeks) and "Faith and Healing." His album Mysterio was released in 1992, but the public's interest in the former Bunnyman was waning and it sold less than its predecessor. Shortly after, McCulloch left the public eye to devote more time to his family.
McCulloch rekindled his relationship with Will Sergeant, leading to the formation of Electrafixion in 1994. The band released the album Burned which peaked at number 38 in the UK and included the top-30 hit "Sister Pain." The band soon found themselves performing set lists composed of half Electrafixion songs and half Echo & the Bunnymen songs.
In 1997, Echo & the Bunnymen reformed and released the album Evergreen to positive reviews and chart success. Evergreen made the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart and the single "Nothing Lasts Forever reached No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart.[12] The reformed Bunnymen have since recorded several further albums, the most recent being Meteorites[/abum] which was released in 2014.
Raindrop On The Sun
Ian McCulloch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The proof all hope is in the mind
And gas, not God, is what's behind
The beginning and the ending of time
Was never sacred, never divine
Just one giant step back for mankind
Refracted light and mirrors will with chemistry and physics kill
All afterlife and miracles
And blind faith's just for the blind
And God leaves no traces behind
It's there out of reach
In a dream not quite broken
Like a snowflake on a beach
It awaits a breaking ocean
The will to kill's the thrill it seems
As killer teens fill TV screens
They're bringing back the guillotine
Don't it make you wanna go blind
Don't it make you wanna go blind
Don't it make you wanna go
Like a race lost on the run
Forever out of motion
Like a raindrop on the sun
Never finds the ocean
God can't make it anymore
He's playing naked on the floor
Cause no one's praying anymore
It's the beginning of the ending of time
Nothing's sacred, nothing's divine
Just one giant step back for
It's there out of reach, in a dream not quite broken
Like a snowflake on a beach, it awaits a breaking ocean
Like a race lost on the run, for ever out of motion
Like a raindrop on the sun, never finds the ocean
Never finds the ocean
The lyrics of Ian McCulloch's song "Raindrop On The Sun" are a commentary on modern society's increasing reliance on science and rationality over religion and faith. The first verse describes the quest for scientific proof, using telescopes to observe the universe and rejecting the idea of a divine creation. The imagery of "refracted light and mirrors" suggests that scientific discoveries are advancing at a rapid pace, replacing or disproving traditional religious beliefs. The lines "holy water wasn't holy or wine and blind faith's just for the blind" reinforce this idea, emphasizing the loss of faith in supernatural beings and phenomena.
The second verse shifts focus to the darker aspects of modern society, such as violence, crime, and the desire for sensation. The line "the will to kill's the thrill it seems" suggests that some people are drawn to violence for its own sake, perhaps fueled by exposure to media that glorifies or trivializes it. The mention of "killer teens fill TV screens" also suggests that youth culture is becoming more accepting of extreme behavior. The chorus emphasizes the sense of directionless motion and purposelessness that characterizes the modern era, using the metaphor of a "race lost on the run" and the image of a "raindrop on the sun" that can never reach its destination. The repeated phrase "it's the beginning of the ending of time" suggests that the world is in a state of transition, with old values and traditions falling away and new ones still emerging.
Line by Line Meaning
They're building telescopes to find
Scientists are trying to discover through telescopes
The proof all hope is in the mind
Evidence shows that hope is a mental construct
And gas, not God, is what's behind
The universe's creation is due to gas, not a deity
The beginning and the ending of time
The start and finish of the universe
Was never sacred, never divine
Neither beginning nor end are holy
Just one giant step back for mankind
The realization takes our progress back by one step
Refracted light and mirrors will with chemistry and physics kill
Science disproves afterlife and miracles
All afterlife and miracles
Supernatural events are non-existent
Holy water wasn't holy or wine
Religious symbols have no divinity or holiness
And blind faith's just for the blind
Believing without proof is ignorance
And God leaves no traces behind
There is no evidence of deity's presence
It's there out of reach
Aim is unattainable
In a dream not quite broken
A hope still existing but unfulfilled
Like a snowflake on a beach
An unlikeliness or anomaly
It awaits a breaking ocean
Awaiting a realization that may never come
The will to kill's the thrill it seems
The desire to murder is what excites some people
As killer teens fill TV screens
Teenagers committing violent crimes are portrayed by the media
They're bringing back the guillotine
People are advocating for a return to harsh punishment
Don't it make you wanna go blind
Isn't it frustrating and appalling?
Like a race lost on the run
Like a hopeless endeavor
Forever out of motion
A stagnant state of being
Like a raindrop on the sun
A metaphor for something unlikely to occur
Never finds the ocean
Never achieving the goal
God can't make it anymore
Religion's influence is declining
He's playing naked on the floor
God has lost his power and control
Cause no one's praying anymore
People are losing faith and not practicing religion
It's the beginning of the ending of time
The start of the unraveling of the universe
Nothing's sacred, nothing's divine
All things previously considered holy or divine are not
Just one giant step back for
One significant setback for humanity
Contributed by Avery L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@innocentbystander4857
Mac is even a better songwriter at this point in his career. Hate it that the world is yet to discover and appreciate his genius...
@cathsalazar9930
U betcha & so right! Very underrated!.......🙏
@weaner2004happyhour
I can't stop listening to this song. :)
@cathsalazar9930
Me too dude!......👍❤️🙏🇺🇸🔥
@cathsalazar9930
This is so damnnnnn beautiful! Ty’s for posting new subscriber live Mac & this great song!..........👍🇺🇸❤️🙏🔥🥵
@cathsalazar9930
Totally awesome Ty’s Mac! Your voice is so damnnnnn great!!!!!......lovein u 38 years! Ty’s for this gem!.......👍❤️🙏🇺🇸🎼🔥🥵🦊🤩
@cathsalazar9930
Wow never ever heard this before magical epic awesome voice still love ❤️ u after 37 years thanks for this fab upload! He sizzles like 🔥❤️❤️👍👍🔥🔥😻☮️🥵thanks for sharing this !!!
@soninobaloni4064
I love you Ian McCulloch!❤❤❤❤❤
@elle39
wish i had Pledged - -love the bowie tribute too... dang!