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The reggae group Inner Circle was formed in 1968 by the brothers Ian and Roger Lewis in Jamaica. At first they covered soul and R&B hits from the United States, and then also a few reggae songs, predominantly from Bob Marley.
The band released two albums as The Inner Circle in 1974 for jamaican label "Starapple"(and they were distributed by "Trojan" in UK), and resigned to Capitol Records in 1976, and Island Records(where the internationally successful album "Everything Is Great" originated. This album reached top 20 in the UK and preceded their other chart success by some years) in 1979.
Inner Circle was decidedly influenced through the original member Jacob Miller, the frontman and lead singer who was killed in a car crash on March 23, 1980. At the end of the 1970s Inner Circle with Jacob "Killer" Miller was more popular in Jamaica than Bob Marley. The band also appeared in the reggae cult film Rockers in 1978.
After the loss of Jacob Miller, Inner Circle broke up, but in 1982 another album called Something So Good was released. In 1986 Ian and Roger Lewis reestablished Inner Circle with the singer Carlton Coffie, and the band experienced a comeback with the album Black Roses.
In 1989, Inner Circle released the song "Bad Boys." Since then, the band calls itself "The Bad Boys of Reggae". They had another big hit with the 1993 song "Sweat (A La La La La Long)."
The lead singer Carlton Coffie was ill for a long period in 1995 and decided after his recuperation to start a solo career. The current singer Kris Bentley took his place.
Have You Ever Seen The Rain
Inner Circle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a calm before the storm,
I know; it's been comin' for some time.
When it's over, so they say, it'll rain a sunny day,
I know; shinin' down like water.
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain
Yesterday, and days before, sun is cold and rain is hard,
I know; been that way for all my time.
'Til forever, on it goes through the circle, fast and slow,
I know; it can't stop, I wonder.
Yeah!
The Inner Circle's song "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" is a reflective ballad about the cyclical nature of life and the inevitability of change. The song opens with the lyrics, "Someone told me long ago, there's a calm before the storm. I know; it's been comin' for some time." This suggests that change is imminent and there is a sense of foreboding. The line "calm before the storm" implies that something big is about to happen but the immediate future is peaceful. This is consistent with the idea that change is always around the corner and it can be unpredictable.
The chorus of the song asks a provocative question, "I want to know, have you ever seen the rain? Comin' down on a sunny day?" This juxtaposition of sun and rain creates a striking visual that speaks to the contradictory nature of the world. The sunny day is oftentimes associated with happiness and positivity, while rain is often seen as negative and gloomy. However, when both are experienced at the same time, they create an unusual, yet beautiful occurrence. This is similar to life, where negative situations can lead to positive outcomes, or vice versa.
The lyrics "Yesterday, and days before, sun is cold and rain is hard, I know; been that way for all my time" show that the singer has been through hardships and constant change. The phrase "been that way for all my time" suggests that this is an ongoing pattern in their life. The line "til forever, on it goes through the circle fast and slow" implies that this is a universal experience, that time is circular and moves quickly or slowly depending on the situation. This lyric also indicates that change happens in cycles, the good times and bad times alternate in a continuous loop.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone told me long ago
A long time ago, someone shared some knowledge with me
There's a calm before the storm
Before bad things happen, there's usually a period of peace or quiet
I know; it's been comin' for some time
I am aware that something bad is on the way, and it's been building up for a while
When it's over, so they say, it'll rain a sunny day
After the bad thing happens, good things will come and it will feel like a relief
I know; shinin' down like water
I am sure that these good things will come and it will feel like a shower of light or positivity
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?
I'm curious if you've ever experienced tough times in your life
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain
I'm asking you again if you've ever experienced tough times in your life
Comin' down on a sunny day?
Have you experienced bad things happening during seemingly good times?
Yesterday, and days before, sun is cold and rain is hard
In the past, things may have seemed good but they were actually difficult and harsh
I know; been that way for all my time
I've been around long enough to know that things have always been tough, even when they seemed good
'Til forever, on it goes through the circle, fast and slow
This cycle of good and bad things will continue forever, it may come quickly or slowly
I know; it can't stop, I wonder
I'm aware that this cycle can't be stopped and it makes me wonder how to deal with it
Yeah!
An expression of excitement, agreement, or emphasis
Writer(s): John Cameron Fogerty
Contributed by Brody R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mary Jane Faleni
no matter how old this song is i still love listening to it.
judith jarrett
love it :) made for dancing to
Mary Jane Faleni
i love this song!!!
Mateusz Gunia
I just love that song !!! So many great movies uses that song...
joe celua
2018 and this song still rocks. All the way from the Aloha land. ~DJ Jacintah~
Toss_679
Amen to that DJ Jacintah!! Sa malo kai noqu.
CALIDEE HOLMES
I was in High School 1969 12th grade when this song was published originally sung by CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL...oh the memories๐ญ GREAT JOB! ๐ณ๐๐๐ฏโโ
Richie Elliott
THANK YOU SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH!! Been Looking For Years For This Version!!!!! YAY!!!
cman085
LEGEND!
manu samoa
it's beautyful !!! magnifique trOp tOop la Version !!!