… Read Full Bio ↴Ruthie Foster is an American singer/songwriter of blues and folk music.
She is from Gause, Texas and from a family of gospel singers. She studied music at McLennan Community College and then worked in the US Navy, where she started performing. Her debut was released in 1997 and she has performed in North America, Europe and Australia. She has often been compared to Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin.
Set Fire To The Rain
Ruthie Foster Lyrics
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And as it fell you rose to claim it
It was dark and I was over
Until you kissed my lips and you saved me
My hands, they're strong
But my knees were far too weak
To stand in your arms
But there's a side to you
That I never knew, never knew.
All the things you'd say
They were never true, never true,
And the games you play
You would always win, always win.
But I set fire to the rain,
Watched it pour as I touched your face,
Well, it burned while I cried
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name!
When I lay with you
I could stay there
Close my eyes
Feel you here forever
You and me together
Nothing is better
'Cause there's a side to you
That I never knew, never knew,
All the things you'd say,
They were never true, never true,
And the games you play
You would always win, always win.
But I set fire to the rain,
Watched it pour as I touched your face,
Well, it burned while I cried
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name!
I set fire to the rain
And I threw us into the flames
Where it felt something die
'Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time!
Sometimes I wake up by the door,
That heart you caught must be waiting for you
Even now when we're already over
I can't help myself from looking for you.
I set fire to the rain,
Watched it pour as I touched your face,
Well, it burned while I cried
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name
I set fire to the rain,
And I threw us into the flames
Where it felt something die
'Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time, oh, oh!
Oh no
Let it burn
Oh oh oh
Let it burn
Oh oh oh
Let it burn
Oh oh oh
The opening lines of the song, "I let it fall, my heart," imply a heartbreak that has occurred in the past. The singer left her heart behind and saw that her partner didn't show loyalty towards her. The lyrics, "all the things you'd say, they were never true," suggest that her lover was disingenuous and played games with her heart. The singer, however, still recalls pleasant moments in the past and cannot resist the attraction that had fostered between them, "when I lay with you, I could stay there, close my eyes, feel you here forever, you and me together, nothing is better." She holds a deep bond with this person, which she doesn't want to let go of, despite the hurt they caused.
The lyrics pose a contrast between the singer's love interest's hurtful nature with her own pain and desire. She sets fire to the rain, causing it to pour. It symbolizes the turmoil they share in their relationship as they try to hold onto love, even though they both know that it has turned to ashes. Moving on from a relationship is hard, and there will always be a part of the singer waiting for her lover, "sometimes I wake up by the door, that heart you caught, must be waiting for you." The song ends with the chorus, with the singer reiterating her pain in the tragic ending, "Where it felt something die cause I knew that was the last time, the last time," bringing the song's theme full circle.
· Adele wrote this song with Fraser T Smith, the same person who co-wrote "Set Fire to the Rain," which is one of her many chart-topping singles.
· On Adele's album 21, this song looked like it was going to be another of many hits.
· Adele explained in an interview that she was influenced by a chorus of a song from the 70s and included it in the song.
· In the United Kingdom, "Set Fire to the Rain" became the third single from the album "21," released on July 4, 2011.
· Ten other artists release covers of this song on their albums.
· This song was performed live by Adele at the 2012 Grammy Awards Ceremony where it was nominated for Best Solo Performance.
· On the Hot 100, Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain" was her second #1 hit.
· Adele was a songwriter on every track on "21," including "Set Fire to the Rain," which she co-wrote with Fraser T. Smith.
· In 2015, the singer "Emblem3" performed "Set Fire to the Rain" during "The X Factor."
· "Set Fire to the Rain" was included on the "Rock Band" video game in 2012.
Chords (capo on 1st fret):
Verse:
Cm / Ab major / Bb major / Ab major
Chorus:
Cm / G minor / Bb major / Ab major
Bridge:
Ab major / Bb major / C minor / G minor
Ending:
C minor / G minor / Bb major / Ab major
Line by Line Meaning
I let it fall, my heart,
I became vulnerable and exposed my true feelings.
And as it fell you rose to claim it
You took advantage of my vulnerability and claimed my heart.
It was dark and I was over
I was in a dark place emotionally and felt like giving up.
Until you kissed my lips and you saved me
You showed me love and saved me from my darkness.
My hands, they're strong
I am physically strong.
But my knees were far too weak
I am emotionally weak around you.
To stand in your arms
I cannot be in your presence without feeling weak.
Without falling to your feet
I am powerless in your presence.
But there's a side to you
I discovered a side to you that I did not know existed.
That I never knew, never knew.
I was unaware of this side to you.
All the things you'd say
All the things you said to me.
They were never true, never true,
You were not truthful in your words to me.
And the games you play
You played games with my heart.
You would always win, always win.
You always came out on top in our games.
But I set fire to the rain,
I took control of my emotions and used them to cleanse myself.
Watched it pour as I touched your face,
I watched my tears fall as I touched your face for the last time.
Well, it burned while I cried
The pain of letting you go hurt me deeply.
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name!
My emotions were so intense that they felt like they were screaming your name.
When I lay with you
When I was with you intimately.
I could stay there
I wanted to stay in that moment forever.
Close my eyes
I wanted to close my eyes and savor the moment.
Feel you here forever
I wanted to feel your presence with me forever.
You and me together
I wanted us to be together forever.
Nothing is better
Being with you is the best thing that could happen to me.
Sometimes I wake up by the door,
Sometimes I wake up with the hope that you might return.
That heart you caught must be waiting for you
The part of me that you won over is still waiting for you.
Even now when we're already over
Even though our relationship has ended.
I can't help myself from looking for you.
I still long for you despite the pain you caused me.
And I threw us into the flames
I destroyed our relationship once and for all.
Where it felt something die
It felt like something inside of me died.
'Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time!
I knew that was the last time we would be together.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adele Adkins, Fraser T Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind