Milsap was born in Robbinsville, North Carolina with a congenital disorder that left him almost completely blind. He was abandoned by his mother as an infant and raised by his grandparents until the age of five, when he was sent to the Governor Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Milsap showed musical aptitude at an early age. The school stressed classical music training but he preferred country, gospel and rhythm-and-blues. He released his first single, Total Disaster, in 1963 at the age of twenty. This was followed by several Ashford And Simpson, compositions, including the memorable "Let's Go Get Stoned", which, unfortunately for Milsap, was relegated to a b-side. A few months later it would become a million-selling single for the more popular blind pianist, Ray Charles. 1972 found him working regularly at Roger Miller's King of the Road Club in Nashville, Tennessee and he signed with RCA Records in 1973. He was at his peak of popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s with songs that made his name familiar to pop as well as country audiences, such as "It Was Almost Like A Song," "{There's) No Gettin' Over Me," "Smoky Mountain Rain," "I Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World," and a remake of Chuck Jackson's "Any Day Now" (which was named Billboard magazine's Number One Adult Contemporary hit of 1982). Milsap recorded for RCA until 1992. During that time he created five gold albums, one platinum album and one double platinum album. He also won six Grammy Awards and eight Country Music Association awards including the coveted Entertainer of the Year Award. In 2005 Milsap resigned with RCA Records and released a new country single, "Local Girls."
Milsap has recorded music with Kenny Rogers, Elvis Presley and Barry Manilow.
Ronnie and his wife Joyce currently make their home in Nashville, Tennessee.
Milsap enjoys his hobby of amateur (Ham) radio. More info on him can be found at: http://www.qrz.com/wb4kcg
Smokey Mountain Rain
Ronnie Milsap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I found out those bright lights ain't where I belong
From a phone booth in the rain I called to tell her
I've had a change of dreams I'm comin' home
But tears filled my eyes when I found out she was gone
Smokey Mountain rain keeps on fallin'
I keep on callin' her name
I can't go on hurtin' this way
She's somewhere in the Smokey Mountain rain
I waved a diesel down outside a cafe'
He said that he was goin' as far as Gatlinburg
I climbed up in the cab all wet and cold and lonely
I wiped my eyes and told him about her
I've got to find her!
Can you make these big wheels burn?
Smokey Mountain rain keeps on fallin'
I keep on callin' her name
Smokey Mountain rain I'll keep on searchin'
I can't go on hurtin' this way
She's somewhere in the Smokey Mountain rain
I can't blame her for lettin' go
A woman needs someone warm to hold
I feel the rain runnin' down my face
I'll find her no matter what it takes!
Smokey Mountain rain keeps on fallin'
I keep on callin' her name
Smokey Mountain rain I'll keep on searchin'
I can't go on hurtin' this way
She's somewhere in the Smokey Mountain rain
Ronnie Milsap's hit song "Smoky Mountain Rain" tells the story of a man who was chasing his dreams in Los Angeles, but has realized that his heart belongs back home. He hitchhiked his way back to Knoxville, Tennessee, and on his journey, he called his girlfriend to tell her about his decision to come back home. However, when he arrived, he found out that she had left him. The song expresses his desperation to find her and make things right.
The lyrics are rich in symbolism, beginning with the title of the song. The Smoky Mountains symbolize the distance between him and his home, as well as the challenges he must face to get there. The rain represents not only the weather, but also his tears and his pain. The phone booth in the rain is also a powerful symbol, representing his isolation and his longing for connection.
The song's lyrics are nostalgic and melancholic, yet hopeful. The singer accepts the fact that he was wrong to leave his girlfriend and admits that he deserves to feel the pain he's experiencing. However, he also shows determination to find her, no matter what it takes. The chorus captures the emotion of the song with the repetition of "Smokey Mountain rain keeps on fallin', I keep on callin' her name," expressing his longing and his commitment to find her.
Line by Line Meaning
I thumbed my way from LA back to Knoxville
I hitchhiked my way from Los Angeles to Knoxville
I found out those bright lights ain't where I belong
I realized that the big city is not where I'm supposed to be
From a phone booth in the rain I called to tell her
I made a call to her from a rain-soaked phone booth
I've had a change of dreams I'm comin' home
I have a new dream of coming back home
But tears filled my eyes when I found out she was gone
I cried when I learned that she was no longer there
Smokey Mountain rain keeps on fallin'
The rain keeps falling down in the Smoky Mountains
I keep on callin' her name
I continue calling out her name
Smokey Mountain rain I'll keep on searchin'
I won't give up searching in the Smoky Mountain rain
I can't go on hurtin' this way
I can't keep hurting like this
She's somewhere in the Smokey Mountain rain
She must be somewhere in the rain in the Smoky Mountains
I waved a diesel down outside a cafe'
I hailed a truck outside a café
He said that he was goin' as far as Gatlinburg
He mentioned that he was headed to Gatlinburg
I climbed up in the cab all wet and cold and lonely
I got into the cab feeling wet, cold and alone
I wiped my eyes and told him about her
I wiped my tears and confided in him about her
I've got to find her!
I must find her!
Can you make these big wheels burn?
Can you make this truck go any faster?
I can't blame her for lettin' go
I can't fault her for moving on
A woman needs someone warm to hold
A woman requires somebody warm to hold onto
I feel the rain runnin' down my face
I feel the rain flowing down my face
I'll find her no matter what it takes!
I'll locate her, regardless of the lengths I have to go to.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Dennis W. Morgan, Rhonda Kye Fleming
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind