The band was founded by college roommates Matt Piucci (guitar, vocals) and David Roback (lead guitar, vocals) in 1981, originally as The Sidewalks. David's brother Steven Roback (bass, vocals) joined the band shortly thereafter. David and Steven had been in a band called The Unconscious with neighbor Susanna Hoffs (who went on to lead the most famous of the Paisley Underground bands, The Bangles.) The band soon added Will Glenn (keyboards and violin) and later Eddie Kalwa (drums). They self-released their debut single, "What She's Done to Your Mind" on their Llama label in 1982.
David Roback left to form a new band, Opal, the rest of the band continuing to record as a four piece, releasing the mini-LP, Explosions in the Glass Palace in 1984. After a single, "You Are My Friend", Kalwa left, his replacement being Mark Marcum, and John Thoman (guitar, vocals) was added to the line-up. The band signed to Island Records, and a live album (Beyond The Sunset) recorded in Japan, and a third album, Crashing Dream, came out in 1985.
The band split in 1986, with Piucci going on to release the LP Gone Fishin' with Tim Lee, and later joining Crazy Horse. The band reformed in 1988 to finish off a double album they had started, but it was never released. The rest of the band formed Viva Saturn. After making the album Rainy Day featuring cover versions performed by various leading lights of the Paisley Underground, David Roback formed Opal, and later Mazzy Star.
1 Hour 1/2 Ago
Rain Parade Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All you see is an empty track
Of lives you've lived
And things you tried to love
What's the use of anything
That brings you down?
You can't believe it for an hour
Half an hour from an hour ago
From a half an hour from an hour ago
Call me early on Saturday
It's my favorite day
I'll come out to play
That is only, I go to bed
So that I can rest
I can leave my head behind
Disappointing everyone
I'm so much fun
Until I'm lost
Things we do are the way we choose to live
The song "1 Hour 1/2 Ago" by Rain Parade speaks to the futility of nostalgia and the human struggle to stay present in the moment. The singer questions the point of looking back when all that can be seen is an empty track of past lives and failed attempts at love. The lyrics suggest that dwelling on the past only brings us down and prevents us from enjoying the present moment.
The chorus alludes to the passage of time and the fleeting nature of life. The singer reminds us that we can't hold onto anything for very long, and that everything is constantly changing. The passage of time is further emphasized by the repeated mention of one hour and a half ago, highlighting how quickly time passes and how easily we lose track of it.
The second half of the song is a bit more optimistic, with the singer looking forward to a favorite day of the week - Saturday - and the hope of leaving behind the worries of the mind. However, even here there is a sense of disappointment in the inevitability of being "lost" despite our best efforts to enjoy life and make the most of our choices.
Overall, "1 Hour 1/2 Ago" speaks to the human condition of trying to navigate the past, present, and future, and finding the balance between them. It reminds us that we can only control the present moment, and that nostalgia and regret only hold us back.
Line by Line Meaning
What's the point of looking back?
Why bother reflecting on the past?
All you see is an empty track
When you do look back, all you see is a lack of accomplishment.
Of lives you've lived
The memories of experiences you've had.
And things you tried to love
Memories of things you attempted to enjoy.
What's the use of anything
What is the point of the things we do?
That brings you down?
If something causes sadness or disappointment, why do it?
You can't believe it for an hour
Joy is fleeting and difficult to maintain.
You're in here just a while
Life is brief and we only have a limited time to experience it.
Half an hour from an hour ago
30 minutes after the passage of an hour.
From a half an hour from an hour ago
30 minutes after the aforementioned half hour.
Call me early on Saturday
Contact me early on Saturday.
It's my favorite day
Saturday is my favorite day of the week.
I'll come out to play
I'll be available to spend time with others.
That is only, I go to bed
However, I will still retire early to get enough rest.
So that I can rest
To facilitate rejuvenation.
I can leave my head behind
To detach from thoughts and relax.
Disappointing everyone
Failing to meet the expectations of others.
I'm so much fun
Despite the disappointment, I am a generally enjoyable person to be around.
Until I'm lost
However, I become disoriented and lose my sense of self.
Things we do are the way we choose to live
All of our actions dictate the way we experience life.
Contributed by Sarah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Murph 61
I always loved this record.
Nj Singh
Thinglostinfire - thanks for your effort in putting all these Rain Parade trks up. Really giving me a chance to chk. them out for the first time. Appreciate your efforts - cheers!
Axe Hound
Love this band!
This one sounds exactly like Big Star
Giuseppe Iacobaci
Un disco immenso.
Mariana
Buenísimo
s.v.
C'hai ragione
David Dorrity
Totally perfect- this should have been huge.. instead it's all mine (ours)
Chris Flynn
Memories Can't Wait by Talking Heads - same chord structure
Thomas capato
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