Till the Clouds Roll By
Jerome Kern Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Verse 1
[she]
I'm so sad to think that I had to
Drive you from your home so coolly.
[he]
What would Missus Grundy say?
Her conventions, kindly recollect them!
We must please respect them duly.
[she]
My intrusion needs explaining;
I felt my courage waning.
Please, I beg don't mention it!
I should not mind a bit,
But it has started raining.
Refrain:
[both]
Oh, the rain comes a pitter, patter,
And I'd like to be safe in bed.
Skies are weeping, while the world is sleeping,
Trouble heaping on our head.
It is vain to remain and chatter,
And to wait for a clearer sky,
Helter skelter, I must fly for shelter
Till the clouds roll by.
Verse 2
[she]
What bad luck, It's coming down in buckets;
Have you an umbrella handy?
[he]
I've a warm coat, waterproof, a storm coat,
I shall be alright, I know.
Later on, too, I will ward the grippe off,
With a little nip of brandy.
[she]
Or a glass of toddy draining,
You'd find that more sustaining.
Don't be worried, I entreat,
I've rubbers for my feet,
So I don't mind it raining.
[both]
Repeat Refrain
The song "Till the Clouds Roll By" is a duet between a man and a woman who are seeking shelter from the rain. In the first verse, the woman is sad that she had to drive the man from his home, and the man explains that he had to leave to please Missus Grundy and respect the conventions of society. Although the woman seems to regret her actions, the two start chatting and making suggestions on how to stay warm and dry. In the second verse, the woman realizes that it is raining heavily and asks the man if he has an umbrella, to which the man replies that he has a storm coat and will ward off the grippe with a little nip of brandy. They sing the refrain together, expressing their desire to be safe and warm until the clouds roll by.
The song speaks to the theme of social pressure and conformity, as the man had to leave his home to respect the conventions of society and the woman is worried about what others might say. The rain serves as a symbol of their troubles, and seeking shelter together is a way to escape from the outside world. The song also highlights the importance of taking care of oneself and finding comfort in small pleasures like brandy and rubbers.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm so sad to think that I had to
I am remorseful for having had to
Drive you from your home so coolly.
Tell you to leave your home unemotionally.
I'd be gaining nothing by remaining,
There would be no benefit in my staying
What would Missus Grundy say?
What would society think of us?
Her conventions, kindly recollect them!
Please remember and respect her traditions!
My intrusion needs explaining;
I must clarify the reason for my unexpected visit;
I felt my courage waning.
I became nervous and lost my confidence.
Please, I beg don't mention it!
Please don't bring up the subject again!
I should not mind a bit,
It doesn't bother me at all,
But it started raining.
But unfortunately, it began to rain.
Oh, the rain comes a pitter, patter,
The rain falls gently and rhythmically,
And I'd like to be safe in bed.
I wish I were in a warm and cozy bed.
Skies are weeping, while the world is sleeping,
The sky is shedding tears while the world is asleep,
Trouble heaping on our head.
Putting us in challenging situations.
It is vain to remain and chatter,
It is pointless to stay and talk,
And to wait for a clearer sky,
And wait for better weather conditions,
Helter skelter, I must fly for shelter
Disorganized rush to seek cover from the rain.
Till the clouds roll by.
Until the rain stops and the sky becomes clear.
What bad luck, It's coming down in buckets;
How unfortunate that it's raining heavily.
Have you an umbrella handy?
Do you have an umbrella I could borrow?
I've a warm coat, waterproof, a storm coat,
I have a heavy and rain-resistant coat.
I shall be alright, I know.
I'm sure I'll be fine.
Later on, too, I will ward the grippe off,
Later, I'll take precautions against catching a cold.
With a little nip of brandy.
By taking a small amount of brandy.
Or a glass of toddy draining,
Or by drinking a warm, alcoholic beverage.
You'd find that more sustaining.
It would be more beneficial for you.
Don't be worried, I entreat,
Please don't worry,
I've rubbers for my feet,
I have waterproof shoes,
So I don't mind it raining.
So I don't dislike the rain.
Repeat Refrain
Sing the chorus again.
Writer(s): P. G. Wodehouse, Jerome Kern
Contributed by Max W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Marcos Peretta
Aqui no Brasil, em pleno ano de 2022 e eu me maravilhando com essa música. Um clássico!!
graham frear
I'm in England and I just love this dance sequence and the music 🎶🎵 also 👍
BluebirdFrank
One of my dad’s favourite films - he and mum loved that dance sequence
He passed away at 95 this year and miss him and mum so much
So many happy memories of watching the old films with them xx
Moe
There's something wistful about this number which brings a tear to my eyes. Something unexplainable.
Imani M
I saw this movie for the first time yesterday and fell in love 💗
Joseph Ebneth
sounds great are you gonna do the entire soundtrack in stereo i would love it!!!!
Broadway Classics
Thanks, but it doesn't exist. Only a couple of numbers, and I think the others are already on YouTube.
fanofmusicals
Sounds great! Where did you get this track?
Broadway Classics
From the MGM Composers Collection
Jim Curlott
Just what we need these days.