The pair first achieved fame with two hit songs in 1965, "Baby Don't Go" and "I Got You Babe". "I Got You Babe" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became, according to AllMusic's Bruce Eder, "one of the biggest-selling and most beloved pop/rock hits of the mid-'60s"; Rolling Stone magazine listed it among "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2003.
Signing with Atco/Atlantic Records, they released three studio albums in the late 1960s, as well as the soundtrack recordings for two unsuccessful movies, Good Times and Chastity, with Cher contributing vocals to one cut, "Chastity's Song (Band of Thieves)". In 1972, after three years of silence, the couple returned to the studio and released two other albums under the MCA/Kapp Records label.
In the 1970s, they also positioned themselves as media personalities with two top ten TV shows in the US, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and The Sonny and Cher Show. The couple's career as a duo ended in 1975 following their divorce. In the decade they spent together, Sonny and Cher were nominated for two Grammy Awards and sold over 40 million records worldwide.
Author Joseph Murrells described Sonny & Cher as "part of the leading exponents of the rock-folk-message type of song, a hybrid combining the best and instrumentation of rock music with folk lyric and often lyrics of protest." Rolling Stone magazine ranked them No. 18 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.
Performing under her first name, Cher went on to a highly successful career as a solo singer and actress, while Sonny Bono was eventually elected to Congress as a Republican U.S. Representative from California. The two performers were inducted to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998, following Sonny's death in a skiing accident.
Cher Official Website: https://www.cherfanclub.com
It's Gonna Rain
Sonny & Cher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can tell by the clouds
In the sky whoa, whoa
Uh-uh oh uh-uh
You used to come
And see me baby all the time
People see you walking down the street
We use to love each other baby
Ah that's all
Well I can still remember
Your skin so soft
It's gonna rain outside
I can tell by the clouds
In the sky whoa, whoa
Uh-uh oh uh-uh
You would come and see me
Baby gave you all I had to give
Sometimes when you left me
I didn't know if I was gonna live
Used to watch the suns come up
And the moons go down
We used to take off our shoes
And stamp our feet in the ground
Oh yeah
The lyrics in Sonny & Cher's song It's Gonna Rain convey a sense of foreboding and nostalgia. The singer observes the clouds in the sky and predicts that it's going to rain outside. The rain acts as a symbol for the sadness and heartbreak that the singer anticipates. The singer then reflects on a past relationship with a lover who used to come see them all the time. The singer reminisces about the intense love they used to share, but acknowledges that it has all come to an end. The line "People see you walking down the street, They say you were mine" suggests that the relationship was once something to aspire to or desire for others, but it has since turned sour.
The second stanza of the song appears to be a reflection on the romantic relationship that had been shared in the past. The singer recalls how they had given the lover all they had and the intensity of their love. However, they also recall how difficult it was to deal with the breakup, with the line "Sometimes when you left me, I didn't know if I was gonna live" suggesting that the loss was almost unbearable. The singer then reflects on simpler and more carefree times when they used to watch the sun rise and set while stamping their feet on the ground, perhaps in joy or celebration.
Overall, the song can be read as a reflection on lost love and the difficulties that come with it. The imagery of the rain and the clouds adds a sense of melancholy and resignation, while the memories of good times hint at a sense of longing and nostalgia.
Line by Line Meaning
It's gonna rain outside
The singer predicts that it will rain based on observing the clouds in the sky
I can tell by the clouds
The singer is able to discern the weather conditions by analyzing the appearance of the clouds
In the sky whoa, whoa
The singer emphasizes the location of the clouds that indicate the upcoming rainfall
Uh-uh oh uh-uh
A vocalization that suggests a sense of impending doom or sadness
You used to come
The subject of the song used to visit the artist on a regular basis in the past
And see me baby all the time
The subject of the song was a frequent visitor and a romantic partner of the singer
People see you walking down the street
The general public is aware of the subject's presence and activity
They say you were mine
Others attribute the subject as belonging to the artist in a romantic sense
We use to love each other baby
The artist and the subject share a past romantic relationship
Ah that's all
The artist suggests that the romantic relationship is no more, and that is the extent to which it ever existed
Well I can still remember
The singer still has vivid memories of the past when the subject used to visit and love them
Your skin so soft
The artist reminisces about the physical sensations of being intimate with the subject
You would come and see me
The subject used to visit the singer regularly in the past
Baby gave you all I had to give
The singer was deeply committed to the subject and gave their all in the romantic relationship
Sometimes when you left me
The subject would leave the singer at times, causing them distress and uncertainty
I didn't know if I was gonna live
The artist felt extreme emotional distress and felt like they couldn't go on without the subject
Used to watch the suns come up
The artist and the subject used to spend time together from night till daybreak
And the moons go down
The singer and the subject used to spend time together from dusk till dawn
We used to take off our shoes
The singer and the subject would take off their shoes in order to feel more connected to the earth
And stamp our feet in the ground
The artist and the subject would be carefree and express their affection by dancing and making noise with their feet
Oh yeah
An exclamation of enthusiasm or agreement with the preceding statements
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DARRYL CARTER, BOBBY WOMACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@plungerrecords1270
Hal Blaine on drums and percussion. Had the pleasure of meeting him in 2009.
@carriesutton6482
My mama played for me.
@rainerkraus7239
"It's Gonna Rain">>>> in Bavarian language >>>>>"Draußen schifft´s". Brings back Memories of 1965 at Traubenkeller in Günzburg
@henrywilloughby8333
B side to I got you babe
@jonnyrocker7919
Song just popped into my head, so I typed in the only words I can remember "it's gonna rain outside, ....I can tell by the clouds in the sky, and then sonny and Cher pop up! That's it! I was 7 years old when that came out! I still dig it!
@eblackadder3
I just thought of this song, I never knew the actual title, my sister had this album. I haven't heard this song since about 1968!
@myyoutube887
Matter and Factorialing
@DinoSlaughter
Just found out that Amazon has the first-ever download of the 45 version which is way better, trust me. It's on a digital download called Where The Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets 1965 to 1968.
@belisarioguerra1279
Cover: Los Rockin Devils ( México ) - Gorda a go go ( 1966 ).
@DinoSlaughter
The lp version. The b-side of I Got You Babe was far better, with grungy overdubs.