I Can't Stand the Rain
Tina Turner Lyrics


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I can't stand the rain
Against my window
Bringing back sweet memories
I can't stand the rain
Against my window
'Cause he ain't here with me

Hey window pane
Tell me, do you remember
How sweet it used to be

When we were together
Everything was so grand
Now that we've parted
There's just one sound
That I just can't stand

I can't stand the rain
Against my window
Bringing back sweet memories
I can't stand the rain
Against my window
'Cause he ain't here with me

When we were together
Everything was so grand
Now that we've parted
There's just one thing
That I just can't stand

Can't stand the rain

I can't stand the rain
Against my window
Bringing back sweet memories
I can't stand the rain
Against my window
'Cause he ain't here with me

When we were together
Everything was so grand
Yeah now you got the sweet memories
But there's just one song
That I just can't stand

I can't stand the rain
Against my window
Bringing back sweet memories
I can't stand the rain
Against my window
That just keeps on haunting me

Hey hey rain
Get off of my window
'Cause he ain't here with me
'Cause I can't stand the rain




Against my window
Bringing back sweet memories

Overall Meaning

In Tina Turner's "I Can't Stand the Rain," the singer reveals the emotional turmoil she experiences every time it rains. Rain, instead of being a refreshing and calming element, causes her distress because it reminds her of past love and the pain of separation. She describes how the sound of rain beating against her window brings back memories of beauty and love, but the memories are hollow, since the person they were shared with is not there. She addresses the actual window and asks if it, too, remembers how things used to be when love was flourishing, displaying an intensity of her loneliness and sadness, perhaps stuck in the past.


The singer then emphasizes how, since her separation, there has been only one sound she cannot stand, and that is, of course, the sound of rain against her window. The rain is a metaphorical representation of the singer's sorrow and an emblem of her aloneness, which she cannot withstand. Finally, the last line of the song reveals how much she misses the object of her desire; the song repeats the title as the singer emphasizes how unbearable the rain is without the person she loves. In this way, the constant reminder of what she lost prevents the singer from accepting the present and embracing a new, brighter future.


Line by Line Meaning

I can't stand the rain
The rain is causing me emotional distress.


Against my window
The rain is hitting against the glass window by me.


Bringing back sweet memories
The sound of the rain is reminding me of memories I've enjoyed.


I can't stand the rain
The rain is causing me emotional distress.


Against my window
The rain is hitting against the glass window by me.


'Cause he ain't here with me
The cause of my emotional distress is that the person I love is not with me.


Hey window pane
The singer is addressing the window.


Tell me, do you remember
The artist is asking the window if it remembers something specific.


How sweet it used to be
The artist is referring to a previous fond memory.


When we were together
The artist is reflecting on a time when the person they love was with them.


Everything was so grand
The singer is using hyperbole to describe how great things were with the person they love.


Now that we've parted
The artist is acknowledging their current separation from the person they love.


There's just one sound
The singer is referring to the sound of the rain.


That I just can't stand
The sound of the rain causes them emotional distress.


I can't stand the rain
The rain is causing me emotional distress.


Against my window
The rain is hitting against the glass window by me.


Bringing back sweet memories
The sound of the rain is reminding me of memories I've enjoyed.


I can't stand the rain
The rain is causing me emotional distress.


Against my window
The rain is hitting against the glass window by me.


'Cause he ain't here with me
The cause of my emotional distress is that the person I love is not with me.


When we were together
The artist is reflecting on a time when the person they love was with them.


Everything was so grand
The artist is using hyperbole to describe how great things were with the person they love.


Yeah now you got the sweet memories
The singer now has fond memories of the past.


But there's just one song
The rain is causing emotional distress like no other stimulus.


That I just can't stand
The sound of the rain causes them emotional distress.


I can't stand the rain
The rain is causing me emotional distress.


Against my window
The rain is hitting against the glass window by me.


Bringing back sweet memories
The sound of the rain is reminding me of memories I've enjoyed.


I can't stand the rain
The rain is causing me emotional distress.


Against my window
The rain is hitting against the glass window by me.


That just keeps on haunting me
The sound of the rain is reminding the singer of the absence of the person they love.


Hey hey rain
The artist is addressing the rain directly.


Get off of my window
The artist is imploring the rain to stop hitting against the glass window by them.


'Cause he ain't here with me
The cause of my emotional distress is that the person I love is not with me.


'Cause I can't stand the rain
The rain is causing me emotional distress.


Against my window
The rain is hitting against the glass window by me.


Bringing back sweet memories
The sound of the rain is reminding me of memories I've enjoyed.




Lyrics © DistroKid, Ultra Tunes, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ann Peebles, Bernard Miller, Don Bryant

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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