I Wish It Would Rain
The Temptations Lyrics


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Hmm hmm

Sunshine, blue skies, please go away
A girl has found another and gone away
With her went my future, my life is filled with gloom
So day after day I stay locked up in my room
I know to you, it might sound strange
But I wish it would rain, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

'Cause so badly I wanna go outside (such a lovely day)
But everyone knows that a man ain't supposed to cry
Listen, I gotta cry 'cause crying eases the pain, oh yeah
People this hurt I feel inside
Words could never explain,
I just wish it would rain, oh let it rain, rain, rain, rain, ooo baby

Let it rain, oh yeah, let it rain

Day in day out my tear-stained face
Pressed against the window pane
My eyes search the skies desperately for rain
'Cause rain drops will hide my tear drops
And no one will ever know that I'm crying
Crying when I go outside
To the world outside my tears
I refuse to explain, ooo I wish it would rain, ooh, baby

Let it rain, let it rain
I need rain to disguise the tears in my eyes
Oh, let it rain
Oh yeah, yeah, listen




I'm a man and I got my pride
'Til it rains I'm gonna stay inside, let it rain

Overall Meaning

The Temptations' song "I Wish It Would Rain" is a soulful ballad that captures the pain of heartbreak and unrequited love. The singer of the song is going through a tough time as his girlfriend has left him for someone else, which has left him feeling gloomy and hopeless. He finds himself locked up inside his room, unable to face the world outside. He wishes it would rain, as it would allow him to hide his tears behind raindrops and no one would know that he's crying.


The chorus "I wish it would rain" is repeated throughout the song, conveying the deep desire for the rain to come and wash away his pain. The singer acknowledges that to others, it might sound strange that he wants it to rain on a beautiful day, but he can't help the way he feels. He cries because it eases his pain, and he knows that words could never truly explain the hurt he feels inside.


The second verse shows the singer's desperation as he looks out the window, searching for raindrops to hide his tears. He knows that he can't go outside because people expect men not to cry, and he doesn't want to explain why he's crying. He just wishes it would rain, so he can venture outside without worrying about others' judgments.


Overall, the song is a poignant portrayal of heartache and loneliness. The rain becomes a metaphor for the singer's tears, allowing him to grieve and heal without anyone else noticing.


Line by Line Meaning

Sunshine, blue skies, please go away
The singer is expressing their sadness and asking for the happy weather to go away.


A girl has found another and gone away
The singer's love interest has left them for someone else.


With her went my future, my life is filled with gloom
The singer's future seems bleak and hopeless now that their love interest is gone.


So day after day I stay locked up in my room
The artist spends most of their time in isolation and doesn't go out much.


I know to you, it might sound strange
The artist acknowledges that their behavior might seem unusual to others.


But I wish it would rain, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The singer wishes it would rain so that they can hide their tears with raindrops.


'Cause so badly I wanna go outside (such a lovely day)
Despite the beautiful weather, the singer is longing to go outside.


But everyone knows that a man ain't supposed to cry
The artist believes that society expects men to be tough and not show their emotions.


Listen, I gotta cry 'cause crying eases the pain, oh yeah
Crying is a way for the artist to cope with their pain and sadness.


People this hurt I feel inside
The artist's emotional pain is so intense that words can't describe it.


Words could never explain
The singer feels that their pain is too deep and complex to put into words.


I just wish it would rain, oh let it rain, rain, rain, rain, ooo baby
The artist repeats their desire for rain to cover up their tears.


Day in day out my tear-stained face
The singer cries so much that their face is always stained with tears.


Pressed against the window pane
The singer spends a lot of time looking out the window, wishing for rain.


My eyes search the skies desperately for rain
The singer is constantly looking up at the sky, hoping for rain to come.


'Cause rain drops will hide my tear drops
Raindrops falling on the artist's face will mix with their tears and make it less noticeable.


And no one will ever know that I'm crying
If it rains, no one will know that the artist is crying, which is a private emotion.


Crying when I go outside
The singer feels embarrassed to cry in public.


To the world outside my tears
The singer doesn't want the world to see their tears and vulnerability.


I refuse to explain, ooo I wish it would rain, ooh, baby
The artist doesn't want to have to explain why they're crying, and just wishes it would rain so they can hide their tears.


I need rain to disguise the tears in my eyes
The artist needs rain to hide their tears and save face.


Oh yeah, yeah, listen
The artist is emphasizing and pleading for the listener to understand their situation.


I'm a man and I got my pride
The singer feels that their gender and pride prevent them from openly expressing their emotions.


'Til it rains I'm gonna stay inside, let it rain
The artist plans to stay inside until it rains because they don't want anyone to see them cry.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Rodger Sr. Penzabene, Barrett Strong, Norman Whitefield

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@charlesbrown4311

The story behind this song is very tragic. It touches my heart, though. The lyrics to this song were written by a talented young Motown lyricist named Rodger Penzabene. He also wrote lyrics for Gladys Knight & the Pips and Marvin Gaye, as well as the Temptations. While working on this album, Rodger found out his wife was cheating on him with another man. Rodger was in a bad place. he couldn't stand the pain, but he couldn't stop loving his wife either. He literally poured his heart, soul, and pain into this song. It was released on December 21, 1967 and went on to become one of The Temptations greatest hits but Rodger never saw that. At 23, Rodger Penzabene took his own life on New Years Eve, 1967. He never got to see that so many people could relate to his pain and heart ache. Rest easy, Rodger, some of us remember you.

@rekeya

Wow!!! RIP Mr. Rodger. ❤️

@lexi02136

Wow!! Thanks for sharing..

@dianedixon3472

What a sad story hope he hears it somewhere x

@missdesi82

my nephew took his life and my sister years apart but this song was their link the pain

@dianedixon3472

@@missdesi82 I’m so sad for your loss x

320 More Replies...

@mercedejohnson783

My grandmother just died 2 hours ago and she taught me this song. I sang it for her everytime i seen her. Rip Loquita Crawford

@mikethegreat1840

My condolences peace and respect 🙏🙏🙏

@JamesR23

Mercede Johnson just don’t ever stop singing it

@sallyewing3185

I,hope you are okay.
Mercedes
Love, Sofie B.

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