Julie Andrews got her big break when her stepfather introduced her to Val Parnell, whose Moss Empires controlled prominent venues in London. Andrews made her professional solo debut at the London Hippodrome singing the difficult aria "Je Suis Titania" from Mignon as part of a musical revue called "Starlight Roof" on 22 October 1947.
Andrews gained fame at a young age in 1950s Britain by acting and singing on light entertainment radio programmes such as "Educating Archie". She rose to international prominence after starring in Broadway musicals such as My Fair Lady and Camelot, as well as musical films like Mary Poppins (1964) and The Sound of Music (1965).
Andrews had a major revival of her film career in the 2000s, in children's films such as The Princess Diaries (2001), its sequel The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), and the Shrek animated films (2004-2007). In 2005, Andrews made her debut as a stage director with a revival of The Boy Friend, in which she also made her Broadway acting debut in 1954.
She was married with Blake Edwards in 1965 until his death in 2010.
The Rain In Spain
Julie Andrews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Poor Professor Higgins!
Night and day
He slaves away!
Oh, poor Professor Higgins!
All day long
On his feet;
Up and down until he's numb;
Doesn't eat;
Doesn't touch a crumb!
Poor Professor Higgins!
Poor Professor Higgins!
On he plods
Against all odds;
Oh, poor Professor Higgins!
Nine p.m.
Ten p.m.
On through midnight ev'ry night.
One a.m.
Two a.m.
Three...!
Quit, Professor Higgins!
Quit, Professor Higgins!
Hear our plea
Or payday we
Will quit, Professor Higgins!
Ay not I,
O not Ow,
Pounding pounding in our brain.
Ay not I,
O not Ow,
Don't say "Rine," say "Rain"
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!
By George, she's got it!
By George, she's got it!
Now, once again where does it rain?
On the plain! On the plain!
And where's that soggy plain?
In Spain! In Spain!
The three
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!
In Hartford, Hereford, and Hampshire...?
Hurricanes hardly happen.
How kind of you to let me come!
Now once again, where does it rain?
On the plain! On the plain!
And where's that blasted plain?
In Spain! In Spain!
The three
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!
The Rain in Spain is a song from the musical My Fair Lady, written by the legendary duo of Lerner and Loewe. It is sung at a pivotal moment in the story when Eliza Doolittle, the flower girl who Professor Higgins has been attempting to transform into a lady, finally succeeds in speaking with a refined accent. This song is a vocal masterpiece, showcasing the immense talent of Julie Andrews, who originated the role of Eliza Doolittle on Broadway. The song is not only amusing but also contains clever lyrics, highlighting the phonetic differences between English accents.
The first few paragraphs of this song talk about the struggles of Professor Higgins (played by Rex Harrison) who has been working hard to train Eliza to speak like a lady. His efforts have been so intense that he hardly rests, eats, or sleeps. We get a glimpse of just how demanding his task is, and the chorus of "Poor Professor Higgins" seems to mirror the feelings of the members of his staff, who are likely exhausted from working with him. The last two paragraphs of the song then shift the focus to Eliza's progress- she finally nails her pronunciation, and the group is thrilled with her improvement. The rain in Spain, which seemed to be the crux of the problem, is juxtaposed with Eliza's almost perfect accent.
Line by Line Meaning
Poor Professor Higgins!
Expressing sympathy towards Professor Higgins for working tirelessly.
Night and day
Referring to the long hours Professor Higgins puts into his work.
He slaves away!
Describing how hard Professor Higgins works.
All day long
Highlighting the duration of Professor Higgins' workday.
On his feet;
Describing how Professor Higgins works standing up without sitting down.
Up and down until he's numb;
The physical strain of working relentlessly, which leads to numbness.
Doesn't rest;
Implying that Professor Higgins doesn't take any breaks.
Doesn't eat;
Describing the lack of food intake by Professor Higgins due to his focused work.
Doesn't touch a crumb!
Emphasizing the fact that Professor Higgins doesn't eat at all.
On he plods
Depicting how Professor Higgins continues his hard work with persistence.
Against all odds;
Despite the difficulties, Professor Higgins still perseveres.
Nine p.m.
Describing the late working hours of Professor Higgins.
Ten p.m.
Further elaborating on the long hours Professor Higgins works.
On through midnight ev'ry night.
Underlining that Professor Higgins works extremely late into the night, consistently.
One a.m.
Stressing the long hours that Professor Higgins works, even talking into the early morning.
Two a.m.
Heightening the sense of a very long day for Professor Higgins.
Three...!
Illustrating the early hours that Professor Higgins works until every day.
Quit, Professor Higgins!
A cry from the people around Professor Higgins for him to stop working so hard.
Hear our plea
Urging Professor Higgins to listen to the people around him.
Or payday we
Suggesting that there will be consequences if Professor Higgins doesn't take a break i.e., they will stop paying him.
Will quit, Professor Higgins!
More emphasis on stopping Professor Higgins from overworking himself by ceasing to cooperate with him.
Ay not I,
Demonstrating the phonetic differences between different words that sound similar.
O not Ow,
Further following the idea of demonstrating contrasting phonetics.
Pounding pounding in our brain.
Repeating the same idea over and over, emphasizing how pronunciation matters.
Don't say "Rine," say "Rain"
Reiterating the correct pronunciation of the word 'rain' to emphasize the idea of proper speech.
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain!
A tongue-twister that helps Eliza to learn the proper pronunciation of the word 'rain'.
By George, she's got it!
Announcing the success of Eliza learning the proper way to pronounce 'rain'.
Now, once again where does it rain?
Asking Eliza to reiterate the answer to the question again, to ensure she remembers it correctly.
On the plain! On the plain!
Emphasizing the correct answer to the question of where it rains.
And where's that soggy plain?
Asking for the location of the place where it rains often.
In Spain! In Spain!
Answering the previous question and repeating the name of the country to reinforce the idea.
Hurricanes hardly happen.
A tongue-twister meant to be practiced by Eliza to perfect her pronunciation ability.
How kind of you to let me come!
Expressions of gratitude by Eliza towards the two gentlemen who are assisting her.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAN JAY LERNER, FREDERICK LOEWE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Caio0_057
If they had just filmed the original stage show!!!!!!
I would have watched the hell out of that!
Camop 1992
I read years ago that CBS, which owned the show, considered filming the stage version, but it never happened. Darn it!
Suvir Sinha
When I think of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard, Julie Andrews must be at the top of that list.
Sung Kim
I think we must clone Julie Andrews for our next generation. Julie Andrews must not die. She should alive till the end of the earth.
Rafael Logan
i realize it's kinda randomly asking but do anybody know of a good website to stream new series online ?
Daniel Mok
She will live forever in VR.
Meditta
Ah, that would be amazing to see this version of "My Fair Lady"... If only that was possible...
Gary Nicholas
God Willing, Yes. Amen
Brian Turner
According to Julie, this was the hardest role she ever played on her voice. She was on stage a lot of the time, had a ton of singing to do, and because of the unique nature of this role, she had to do all those shrill and harsh OWS' and Ahhs, virtually shreaking and screaming half her lines, in that heavy cockney in the first act, and sing her first three songs like that, then become the pretty pure toned soprano vibretto throughout the rest that you hear in this number. The same woman who half sings half shouts her way through 'Just You Wait' has to sing 'Show Me' and "I could have danced..." later its very hard on that voice box.
Teresa Clemmer
She did have an amazing voice...I get very emotional when I listen to her old recordings here on YouTube and watch the movies she sang in!
I cried my eyes out when she sang in Princess Diaries 2.
She is remarkable! Love her so much!