He regularly does solo work, and returns again and again to bands he has formed like The Soft Boys and The Egyptians. Hitchcock is an avid and able collaborator with people like director Jonathan Demme, actor Alan Rickman, country/folk duo (and longtime Hitchcock fans) Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, The Venus 3, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, Young Fresh Fellows' frontman Scott McCaughey, Andy Partridge of XTC, Nick Lowe, former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, Jon Brion, and Grant-Lee Phillips, as well as Ministry's Bill Rieflin.
Hitchcock's musical and lyrical styles have been influenced by his appreciation of Bob Dylan, Gregory Corso, The Byrds, Country Joe & The Fish, and Syd Barrett.
Hitchcock's lyrics are an essential component of his work, and tend to include surrealism, comedic songs, characterisations of English eccentrics, plant roots, insects, trains, dreams, and melancholy depictions of everyday life. His themes include what many psychologists view as the roots of modern neurosis - namely, death, sex, and eating. (As if in recognition of these themes, he released an EP in 2007 called "Sex, Food, Death and Tarantulas".)
The Rain
Robyn Hitchcock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now it's coming on again
My only friend the rain
It seems I'm well and truly stuck
All I noticed was a stain
You, you took me by surprise
My only friend the rain
But you went through me like a wall
My only friend the rain
I, I watched big chimneys fall
My only friend the rain
My only friend the rain
My only friend the rainAre you sure you're not insane?
My only friend the rain
My only friend the rain
In Robyn Hitchcock's song The Rain, the singer is expressing their disbelief at their luck in the return of the rain, which is personified as their only friend. The singer is stuck and has only noticed a stain, which is ambiguous but could be interpreted as a metaphor for the singer's state of mind or their current circumstances.
The singer then addresses the rain directly, stating that it took them by surprise and opened their eyes, but also went through them like a wall. This could suggest that the rain brought about a moment of clarity for the singer but also uncovered deeper emotional wounds that they are unable to confront. The singer then watches as big chimneys fall, perhaps suggesting their own life falling apart, and repeats that the rain is their only friend.
Overall, the song explores themes of isolation, loneliness, and emotional turmoil, using the rain as a metaphorical symbol to represent the singer's feelings. The lyrics are open to interpretation and the song leaves the listener with a sense of unease and a feeling that something important has been left unspoken.
Line by Line Meaning
I, I can't believe my luck
I'm feeling lucky just because the rain is coming again
Now it's coming on again
The rain is starting to fall once more
My only friend the rain
The rain is the only thing that makes me feel good
It seems I'm well and truly stuck
I feel stuck in life and only the rain can comfort me
All I noticed was a stain
I'm so lost that I couldn't even notice a stain on my clothes
You, you took me by surprise
Someone unexpectedly brought me back to reality
When you opened up my eyes
This person made me see things more clearly
But you went through me like a wall
This person didn't really connect with me emotionally
I, I watched big chimneys fall
I'm so disconnected that I'm just watching things happen without any emotion
My only friend the rain
The rain continues to be my only comfort
My only friend the rain
The rain is the only constant thing in my life
My only friend the rain
The rain is the only thing that understands me
Are you sure you're not insane?
I'm questioning my sanity and emotional state
My only friend the rain
The rain remains the only constant and comforting presence in my life
My only friend the rain
There's no one else I can count on but the rain
Contributed by Colton E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.