In 1999, Rocky Votolato branched out from his work with Waxwing, having written a handful of songs which did not really fit in with their more aggressive, fast tempo syle. Along the way he has toured with the likes of Damien Jurado, Small Brown Bike, The Get Up Kids, The New Amsterdams, Owen and The Casket Lottery, members of the latter having provided assistance as backing musicians on occasion. His studio albums have also been littered with appearances from some of Seattle's finest musicians (including players in the bands Red Stars Theory, Sharks Keep Moving, The Blood Brothers, Death Cab for Cutie, Pedro the Lion and Sub Pop solo artist Rosie Thomas). On the production side, Votolato has worked with Matt Bayles (Pearl Jam, Botch, Murder City Devils, Hayden), along with Chris Walla (of Death Cab for Cutie). It is a creative input which has helped see Rocky progress sylistically with every release, from his low key self-titled album released in 1999 - all pretty much recorded live, right through to his recent, alt-country, folk-esque offering, 'Makers'. A video was shot for the first track of Makers, "White Daisy Passing", a song which also appears on the soundtrack of the forthcoming Seattle indie feature film Cthulu.
Rocky also starred in the film 'The Edge of Quarrel', which he worked on with Dave Larson from Excursion Records. It also includes members of the Murder City Devils and Botch, and is about a gang war between straightedgers and punk rockers.
He is married with two children, and lives in Seattle.
She Was Only in It for the Rain
Rocky Votolato Lyrics
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Only in it for the rain
She made of her bed a naive
Nativity
Just in case it became - just in case
Here's
The 1st of many songs you wanted me to write
For you I hope to god you like it
It's as pretty as it
Is cruel
It's as pretty as it is cruel
She swore out the
Lights when she dammed herself to sleep
Her thirteenth
Finger my whiskey drink
And she wept at the scene as
The ambulance drove off
Come circumference, come
Circumstance
Here's the 1st of many songs you wanted
Me to write
Just for you I hope to god you like it
And it may seem pretty cruel but mercy is not my name
And our kids I hope to god you counted them
You're as pretty as you are cruel
You're as pretty as you are cruel
You're as pretty as you are cruel
The lyrics to Rocky Votolato's song "She Was Only in It for the Rain" paints a vivid picture of a woman who lives in naive self-indulgence. The song starts with the woman swearing out the lights - a metaphor for turning off the light of truth - when she admits that she was "only in it for the rain." This points to her selfishness as her interest in a relationship is limited to the pleasure it brings her.
The woman's bed becomes a metaphor for her inexperience and naivety. She is like a young girl playing house, creating an innocent and trusting world for herself but unaware of the potential dangers that lie beyond. The callousness of the relationship is highlighted when the singer reveals that the woman wanted him to write songs for her. The song he writes is a cruel indictment of the woman's character. It's as pretty as it is cruel, mirroring the woman's character - attractive on the outside but mirroring a darker motive on the inside.
The woman is revealed to be even more callous, using her thirteenth finger to drink whisky. The thirteenth finger is a metaphor for her dishonesty and her willingness to use her body to get her way. The song concludes with a sad scene of an ambulance driving off, and the woman weeping. It's unclear what caused the ambulance to arrive, but it highlights the consequences of her actions.
Overall, "She Was Only in It for the Rain" is a stark reminder of how selfish and callous some people can be in relationships. It highlights the hurt and damage caused when people are only interested in what they can get from others.
Line by Line Meaning
She swore out the lights when she said that she was
Only in it for the rain
She turned off the lights when she declared that she was only interested in the pleasure of the moment and not in anything more meaningful.
She made of her bed a naive
Nativity
She created a false sense of innocence and purity in her actions, in the hopes of appearing harmless and free from blame.
Here's
The 1st of many songs you wanted me to write
Just
For you I hope to god you like it
This is the first of many songs she requested him to write, hoping that he likes it.
It's as pretty as it
Is cruel
It's as pretty as it is cruel
The song may be beautiful in its melody, but has dark undertones and painful truth which makes it also cruel.
She swore out the
Lights when she dammed herself to sleep
She turned off the lights when she struggled to sleep, tormented by her own inner demons.
Her thirteenth
Finger my whiskey drink
She is the cause of his pain, distracting him from his sorrows by offering him a drink. Her presence is like a thirteenth finger; an extra appendage that doesn’t quite belong.
And she wept at the scene as
The ambulance drove off
She cried at the sight of someone else’s pain, perhaps more compassionate for others than for herself.
Come circumference, come
Circumstance
She addresses the unpredictable and uncontrollable aspects of life, calling out to the natural laws and the fates that govern the world.
And it may seem pretty cruel but mercy is not my name
Her honesty and truthfulness may seem harsh or cruel, but she is not the type to offer empty and insincere compassion.
And our kids I hope to god you counted them
You're as pretty as you are cruel
You're as pretty as you are cruel
You're as pretty as you are cruel
She questions his dedication and responsibility towards their children, and reminds him that she is both attractive and heartless.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Rocky Votolato
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind