Chris Masterson and
Ele… Read Full Bio ↴The Dukes are Steve Earle's backing band:
Chris Masterson and
Eleanor Whitmore (aka The Mastersons),
[artists]Ricky Ray Jackson,
Jeff Hill,
Brad Pemberton
While makeup of The Dukes is fluid, SteveEarle.net lists recent members including Eric Ambel, Kelly Looney, and Will Rigby. Past members include such luminaries as Buddy Miller, Norman Blake, Mark Stuart, sister Stacey Earle, and the artist's son Justin Townes Earle.
The Rain Came Down
Steve Earle & The Dukes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a wagon and headed out west
The old woman fearlessly faced the unknown
'Cause she figured he knew what was best
And they settled down hard on a government grant
With six mouths to feed and forty acres to plant
And the rain came down
And the rain came down
It'll wash you away and there ain't never enough
Fall turned to winter another year gone
Over and over again
Some took their lives from their land and moved on
And some stayed on to plow it back in
And the good Lord he giveth and he taketh away
And the restless shall go and the faithful shall stay
Now my grandaddy died in the room he was born in
Twenty-three summers ago
But I could have sworn he was beside me this morning
When the sheriff showed up at my door
So don't you come around here with your auctioneer man
'Cause you can have the machines but you ain't taking my land
The song "The Rain Came Down" written by Steve Earle, tells the story of a family that moved out west to settle on a government grant. The lyrics illustrate the harsh realities of life for the settlers as they faced uncertainty, hard work, and natural disasters. The old man's decision to pack up and move to the west was fearless, with the old woman following him, both trusting that the move would be good for the family. They settle on a government grant, but with six mouths to feed, their situation was challenging.
The chorus of the song, "And the rain came down, like an angel come down from above" emphasizes the significance of rain, which was an essential element to grow their crops. However, there was never enough, and the rain would wash things away. The next verse describes how the family struggled through the changing seasons, some of them moving away, while others continued to stay and work hard. The powerful line "good Lord he giveth and he taketh away" conveys the uncertainty of life and the belief that hard work and faith are the keys to survival.
The final verse of the song tells the story of the singer's grandfather, who died twenty-three years ago, and echoes the same message of the importance of land and the hard work that goes into making it productive. The singer defies the auctioneer who comes to take away the land, showing his determination to keep his family's legacy alive.
Overall, "The Rain Came Down" is a powerful song that reflects on the struggles, hard work, and uncertainty that settlers face in the American West. The song highlights the importance of faith, hard work, and determination in making a life in the face of the harshest of conditions.
Line by Line Meaning
The old man loaded up everything that he owned
The elderly man gathered all of his belongings
On a wagon and headed out west
He traveled on a wagon towards the western part of the country
The old woman fearlessly faced the unknown
The elderly woman confronted the uncertain future with bravery
'Cause she figured he knew what was best
She believed that her husband knew what was best for them
And they settled down hard on a government grant
They established themselves firmly on a piece of land provided by the government
With six mouths to feed and forty acres to plant
They had six children to feed and forty acres of land to cultivate
And the rain came down
Then came the rain
Like an angel come down from above
It felt like a divine presence had arrived
And the rain came down
The rain continued to pour
It'll wash you away and there ain't never enough
The rain was strong enough to carry you away and there was never enough of it
Fall turned to winter another year gone
One year had passed from fall to winter
Over and over again
And this same cycle repeated itself numerous times
Some took their lives from their land and moved on
Some people chose to sell their land and leave
And some stayed on to plow it back in
Others stayed to cultivate the land further
And the good Lord he giveth and he taketh away
God can provide and take away
And the restless shall go and the faithful shall stay
Those who are restless may leave, while those who are faithful will remain
Now my grandaddy died in the room he was born in
My grandfather passed away in the same room where he was born
Twenty-three summers ago
Twenty-three summers have passed since his death
But I could have sworn he was beside me this morning
This morning, I felt like my grandfather was with me
When the sheriff showed up at my door
When the sheriff arrived at my door
So don't you come around here with your auctioneer man
Do not bring your auctioneer to my house
'Cause you can have the machines but you ain't taking my land
You may take my machines, but you cannot take my land
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE EARLE, MICHAEL L. WOODY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mojomarko496
Absolute Genius. Biker rock Royalty. Great drummer !!!💞
@princessofhesse
You are right, my friend. I'm seeing him in St. Paul in August. Can't wait.
@princessofhesse
just saw
SE in Minneapolis, incredible..of course.
@KeithStinerTunes
I can play this one! Great tune!
@mfcocky
He is still the man
@mariuszkopec9205
Great song
@k.d.connlan125
Guess this is a minute for y'all knew?
@MrJsavo
What language is that?
@leemagrish3432
He looks hung over.
@bvaljalo
He was purported many years sober/clean by 1999. Purportedly still is. Maybe he had a brief relapse though around this time.