Luckily three -fifths of a handful (literally three!) privately pressed vanity copies were manufactured in early 1970 one of which became the source material for Finders Keepers 6th LP in their expanding library of obscure, obtuse, obsolete and obsessive vintage music from the 60's and 70's. Uber legend John Hill who penned the acid-rock floor-filler 'LOVE,LOVE,LOVE,LOVE,LOVE,' for 'Wool' and 'Pacific Gas And Electric' produced the LP which featues 9 tracks including a Johnny Cash cover and a 12 minute 'drugsploitation' epic called 'Yesterday - Where's My Mind' featuring Susan flipping vocal styles between Janis Joplin and Margo Guryan (...who was in fact a close friend of Susans at the time of recording).
30 years ago, a Philly based folk singer named Susan Christie was dropped by her record company. After one novelty song, the label bosses didn’t think her melancholy take on country and solitude would ever be of any interest. Five copies of her album were pressed and faded into obscurity. Skip forward to present time, and a small label, ‘Finders Keepers’ salvages three out of these five copies and decides to release it.
Susan Christie’s album is a beautiful piece of despondent tales and folky psychedelia. The fascinating thing is that it sounds very current. The title track is reminiscent of Portishead , while other songs incorporate break heavy folk-funk, current DJ’s would die for.
Rainy Day
Susan Christie Lyrics
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Lonely nights, eight thousand sights, of times I once knew.
Go away, you rainy day, far away; out of my mind.
I should've known when times, they got hard, you'd go and steal away.
The cards broke right, you're out of sight, and so I named you rainy day.
Transparent trees, not what they seem, float by in shades of gray.
Dusty shadows dancing 'round in my brain, yeah their name is 'rainy day'.
Rainy day, go far away, I'm tired of blues...(i've gone through)
The lyrics of Susan Christie's "Rainy Day" convey a sense of weariness and melancholy. The singer is addressing the titular rainy day, imploring it to go far away and out of their mind. The song seems to be about a difficult time that the singer is going through, a time that is both lonely and filled with memories of better days. The theme of the lyrics is one of loss and the feeling of being trapped by the past.
The first verse establishes the tone of the song. The singer is tired of the blues they have gone through, implying that they have been struggling for a while. The second verse further emphasizes their plight, with the description of "eight thousand sights of times I once knew." The third verse reveals that the singer may have had some control over the situation, as they acknowledge, "I should've known when times, they got hard, you'd go and steal away."
The imagery used throughout the song is evocative of a gloomy, rainy day. "Transparent trees" that "float by in shades of gray" suggests that everything is not what it seems, that there is a sense of detachment and uncertainty. The "dusty shadows" that "dance around in my brain" add to the overall feeling of confusion and sadness.
Overall, "Rainy Day" is a poignant and atmospheric song that captures the feelings of heartache and loss that come with difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
Rainy day, go far away i'm tired of blues i've gone through.
I am sick of feeling down and blue, and I wish that the rainy day causing these feelings would go far away.
Lonely nights, eight thousand sights, of times I once knew.
During my lonely nights, I am haunted by memories of times gone by, and these memories seem endless.
Go away, you rainy day, far away; out of my mind.
I want the rainy day to be out of my mind and gone, so I can finally be at peace.
I should've known when times, they got hard, you'd go and steal away.
I realize now that when things in my life get challenging, the rainy day comes to steal my happiness away.
The cards broke right, you're out of sight, and so I named you rainy day.
When everything seems to be going smoothly, the rainy day disappears, but as soon as something goes wrong, it returns, earning the name 'rainy day'.
Transparent trees, not what they seem, float by in shades of gray.
The dreary weather makes even the trees look transparent and surreal, adding to the melancholy feeling of the rainy day.
Dusty shadows dancing 'round in my brain, yeah their name is 'rainy day'.
My mind is consumed by a feeling of emptiness and despair, aptly named 'rainy day'.
Rainy day, go far away, I'm tired of blues...(i've gone through)
Once again, I plead for the rainy day to leave and take the blues and sadness it brings with it away too.
Contributed by Nolan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.