The band is a strong satire of the 70s and 80s heavy metal genre and scene, and their music reflects that, with blaring guitars, high vocals, and ridiculous lyrical themes, all of which take the stereotypes of the genre and exaggerate them to comedic extremes.
The first album of the band was a collection of songs made for the film, many of which were featured in the film itself. Their second album (Break Like The Wind) followed many years later, but was greeted with less enthusiasm, partially because people simply weren't interested in the band beyond their characters in the film, and partially because the heavy metal scene had already been killed by grunge by the time of the album's release. A third album, Back from the Dead, was released in 2009.
All three members of the band have continued to pursue their separate careers in film and television.
The first album (This is Spinal Tap) has a pure black cover, in reference to the movie, in which their latest album is forced to have a pure black cover ("none more black"). However, in the movie, the album is called "Smell the Glove," not "This is Spinal Tap."
Spın̈al Tap are played by Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer. The three also play a folk group called The Folksmen in the film A Mighty Wind.
Spın̈al Tap have appeared in The Simpsons when Homer takes Bart and Milhouse to one of their gigs.
They recently made a 'comeback' appearance at LiveEarth at Wembley in 2007, and appeared on the Main Stage at Glastonbury 2009.
Rainy Day Sun
Spinal Tap Lyrics
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Peeking in and out the falling raindrops
Smiling down on everyone
In her golden, gossamer gown
And a necklace of the finest rainbows
Drying out this rainy day town
Here she comes, here she comes
To cut them down to size
And fly the tears in my eyes
Here she comes that rainy day sun
Like a moppet at a birthday party
Rainy day's not spoiling her fun
Open up the top of your mind
Catch the water in your magic paint box
Oh, the many colors you find
Goodbye, cloudy skies
Here she comes, here she comes
To cut them down to size
And dry the tears in my eyes
The lyrics of Spinal Tap’s “Rainy Day Sun” can be interpreted in different ways, but the predominant theme is about finding joy and happiness in the midst of a storm. The song describes the arrival of the “rainy day sun,” a metaphor for a bright and optimistic person who appears on a gloomy day and lifts everyone’s spirits. The singer imagines this person as a radiant figure, dressed in a golden, gossamer gown and a necklace of rainbows, who smiles down on everyone and dries out the rainy day town. The imagery suggests a fairy tale or a fantasy world where even the weather is personified.
The chorus of the song reinforces the message of hope and positivity by bidding farewell to “cloudy skies” and welcoming the arrival of the “rainy day sun.” The use of repetition and rhyme, such as “here she comes, here she comes, to cut them down to size” and “fly the tears in my eyes,” enhances the musicality and catchiness of the song, making it easy to sing along and remember. The final verse encourages the listener to embrace their creativity and imagination, represented by the metaphor of a “magic paintbox,” and to discover the beauty and variety of colors that can be found in the rain.
Overall, the song expresses a lighthearted and whimsical perspective on adversity and resilience. By portraying the rainy day sun as a person who enjoys the rain and makes the best of it, Spinal Tap encourages the listener to adopt a similar attitude of gratitude and playfulness.
Line by Line Meaning
Here she comes, that rainy day sun
The sun is hidden behind clouds and is trying to shine on a rainy day.
Peeking in and out the falling raindrops
The sun is trying to shine but it is blocked by the water droplets in the rain.
Smiling down on everyone
The sun is trying to cheer everyone up and give them hope.
In her golden, gossamer gown
The sun is shining brightly and looks like it's glowing.
And a necklace of the finest rainbows
The sun is surrounded by rainbows due to the sunlight reflecting through the water droplets in the air.
Drying out this rainy day town
The sun is trying to evaporate all the rain that has covered the town.
Goodbye cloudy skies
The sun is pushing away the clouds to make room for sunshine.
Here she comes, here she comes
The sun is making its way through the clouds to shine down on everyone.
To cut them down to size
The sun is diminishing the cloudy skies to make room for sunshine.
And fly the tears in my eyes
The sun is trying to dry up the tears in the eyes of people who have been sad or crying due to the rain.
Like a moppet at a birthday party
The sun doesn't care about the rainy day and is still shining brightly like a child at a party.
Rainy day's not spoiling her fun
The sun is still having fun despite the gloomy weather and is trying to cheer everyone else up too.
Open up the top of your mind
The sun is inspiring people to be creative and think positively.
Catch the water in your magic paint box
The sun is encouraging people to find beauty in the rain and use it as inspiration to create something beautiful.
Oh, the many colors you find
The sun is showing people the different colors that can be created when light reflects through water droplets in the rain.
And dry the tears in my eyes
The sun is still trying to comfort and dry up the tears of those who have been sad or crying due to the rain.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER GUEST, HARRY SHEARER, MICHAEL JOHN MCKEAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind