White began performing when she was a child, singing in a gospel group with her parents and brother. The group, called the White Family Singers, sang at local church and community gathering. After a while, the children began working pop music into the act, most notably Elvis Presley. As a teenager, Lari sang show tunes at talent contests and sang with a local rock & roll band. She earned a scholarship to the University of Miami, where she studied vocals and music engineering. After a while, she began writing her own songs, singing in local clubs at night and taking professional singing jobs. Upon graduating from college, she travelled around the United States, looking at various local music scenes. In 1988, she decided to move to Nashville and try to become a professional.
Later in 1988, she appeared on the Nashville Network's You Can Be a Star and won the first prize. The award led to a record contract with Capitol. Before the end of the year, she had released a single on Capitol, "Flying Above the Rain," which became a regional hit in the South but failed to break into the big time. Later that same year, she joined Ronnie Milsap's publishing house and began taking acting lessons. For the next few years, White continued in this vein, choosing to hone her talent, sing in local dinner theaters and wait for another break. That break arrived in 1991, after an ASCAP showcase revived interest in her talents. Following the showcase, Rodney Crowell asked her to sing backup vocals in his live band. In 1992, White signed a record contract with RCA and Crowell produced her debut album, Lead Me Not, which was released the following year.
Lead Me Not received strong reviews and produced three minor hit singles: "What a Woman Wants," "Lead Me Not," and "Lay Around and Love You." Wishes, White's second album, became her breakthrough release, producing the Top Ten singles "That's My Baby," "Now I Know," and "That's How You Know (When You're in Love)." Don't Fence Me In, White's third album, wasn't quite as successful as its predecessor, but it continued her success. Stepping Stone followed in 1998. In 2004, after a lenghty hiatus that found the artist building her own home studio, White released the self-produced Green Eyed Soul on the UK based Mesmerizing Records.
When It Rains
Lari White Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He'd had some time
He'd been doing fine
He couldn't remember when she'd last crossed his mind
But a storm cloud comes stealin'
With that old mournful feelin'
Just like the black night she left him behind
When it rains
When it rains
It pours down memories and thunders her name
And he drowns in the flood of the same old pain
When it rains
When it rains
He starts to cry
He gets to wondering why
And he's sure he can't take one more long lonely night
But his mind keeps on achin'
And his heart keeps on breakin'
And he stands shakin' his fist at the sky
When it rains
When it rains
It pours down memories and thunders her name
And he drowns in the flood of the same old pain
When it rains
When it rains
When it rains
It pours down memories and thunders her name
And he drowns in the flood of the same old pain
When it rains
When it rains
The lyrics of Lari White’s song “When It Rains” aptly convey the feeling of a man who has been trying to move on from his past but is still haunted by his memories of a lost love. The song starts with a man who had been doing fine and had almost forgotten about the woman who had left him. However, when it starts raining, the man realizes he is still not over her. The storm cloud creates a mournful feeling of melancholy that brings back memories of his lost love, reminiscent of the night she left him behind.
The chorus reinforces the idea of how the rain triggers his emotions, making him drown in the pain that he had been trying to forget. He starts to cry, and his mind and heart hurt more than they normally would. He curses his fate by standing in the rain and raising his fist against the sky. He wonders why he can’t take one more long lonely night and why his memories must continue to torment him.
The song is a powerful ballad that is easy to relate to, and Lari White does an excellent job of conveying the raw emotions of dealing with heartbreak. The metaphor of the rain is relatable as most people have experienced the kind of rain that brings back memories associated with a person or event, especially in love. The song is a beautiful representation of how emotions can be triggered easily by something as common as rain, emphasizing how memories hold power over our feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
He'd had some time
It had been a while since he thought about her
He'd been doing fine
He was okay without her
He couldn't remember when she'd last crossed his mind
He didn't know the last time he thought about her
But a storm cloud comes stealin'
Suddenly he feels depressed
With that old mournful feelin'
The sadness he felt before when she left him is coming back
Just like the black night she left him behind
He remembers the night she left him and it feels like it's happening again
When it rains
Whenever he feels down
When it rains
Whenever he feels lonely
It pours down memories and thunders her name
Memories of her flood his mind and he can't stop thinking about her
And he drowns in the flood of the same old pain
The pain of her leaving him feels fresh and overwhelming again
He starts to cry
The flood of emotions is too much and he can't hold back the tears
He gets to wondering why
He questions why it hurts so much and why he can't move on
And he's sure he can't take one more long lonely night
He feels like he can't bear another night without her
But his mind keeps on achin'
His thoughts are consumed by memories of her
And his heart keeps on breakin'
His heart is still hurting from the pain of her leaving
And he stands shakin' his fist at the sky
He is angry and frustrated that he can't make the pain go away
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind