The Dave Brubeck Quartet was an American modern jazz group formed in San Fr… Read Full Bio ↴The Dave Brubeck Quartet was an American modern jazz group formed in San Francisco in 1951 by jazz pianist Dave Brubeck (1920-2012). In what became known as the band's classic line-up, the band featured Joe Morello (1928–2011) on drums, Eugene Wright (1923-2020) on bass, and Paul Desmond (1924-1977) on saxophone. The band remains best-known for their use of odd time signatures, and were a premier group in the cool jazz movement. They produced several standards, including Take Five and Blue Rondo à la Turk.

Throughout the years, and changing line-ups, the group maintained a strong fan-base among jazz fans of all ages.

Pennies from Heaven
The Dave Brubeck Quartet Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Every time it rains, it rains pennies from heaven
Don't you know each cloud contains pennies from heaven?
You'll find your fortune's fallin' all over the town
Be sure that your umbrella is upside down

Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers
If you want the things you love, you must have showers
So, when you hear it thunder, don't run under a tree

There'll be pennies from heaven for you and me

Every time, every time it rains, it's gonna rain pennies from heaven
Don't you know every cloud contains lots of pennies from heaven
You'll find your fortune's fallin', baby, all over the town
Be sure, be sure that your umbrella is upside down

Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers
If you want the things you love, you've got to have showers

So, when you hear it thunder, don't run under a tree
There'll be pennies from heaven for you and me

Overall Meaning

The Dave Brubeck Quartet's "Pennies from Heaven" is a classic song about the power of positive thinking. The song suggests that good things come to those who are optimistic and see the silver lining in even the darkest clouds. The lyrics begin with the metaphor that when it rains, pennies from heaven fall from the clouds. The chorus emphasizes the recurring idea that every cloud contains pennies from heaven, and that we can find our fortune falling all over town.

The song encourages us to be prepared for good things to come our way, and the metaphorical upside-down umbrella is used to symbolize an openness and willingness to receive the blessings that come our way. Additionally, the idea that one must go through rainy days to appreciate sunshine and flowers is emphasized in the lyrics. The song suggests that without the experience of rain and difficult times, one cannot fully appreciate the joy and beauty that comes with sunny days.

Line by Line Meaning

Every time it rains, it rains pennies from heaven
Whenever it rains, there is always some sort of good fortune that comes along with it.

Don't you know each cloud contains pennies from heaven?
Each and every cloud that is present in the sky contains a certain amount of wealth.

You'll find your fortune's fallin' all over the town
You can see signs of prosperity and good luck everywhere you go.

Be sure that your umbrella is upside down
Make sure that you are always prepared to receive the blessings that life has to offer.

Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers
Take your newfound wealth and use it to bring joy and happiness into your life.

If you want the things you love, you must have showers
In order to obtain the things you desire, you must be willing to face difficulties and challenges along the way.

So, when you hear it thunder, don't run under a tree
Do not be afraid to face adversity head-on. Stay strong and keep moving forward.

There'll be pennies from heaven for you and me
Good fortune and prosperity will come to those who believe in themselves and work hard to achieve their goals.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Arthur Johnston, Johnny Burke

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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