Gone Like Rain
Tom Morello The Nightwatchman Lyrics


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With downcast eyes the multitudes set
As the cattle cars pulled along the rusty tracks
One raised his hand in the fading light
Said excuse me sir this doesn't seem right

and now he's gone like whispers gone like rain
Gone like the faithful while the faithless remain
Gone like the stone the builder refused
Gone and overdue

There's a river in Texas with a strong undertow
No one crosses it to freedom, no one pans for gold
Its waters are clear but its waters are cold
Its current is swift and no one knows where it goes

it's just gone like whispers gone like rain
Gone like the faithful while the faithless remain
Gone like the stone the builder refused
Gone and overdue
Gone and overdue

[harmonica solo]

When a cool desert don't appear on no map
Coyote's scream rips the night in half
He hears the devil coming
Footsteps on the path
So he chews off his own leg to get out of the trap

and he's gone like whispers gone like rain
Gone like the faithful while the faithless remain
Gone like the stone the builder refused




Gone and overdue
Gone and overdue

Overall Meaning

The Nightwatchman's song "Gone Like Rain" tells the story of people who have disappeared or have been taken away from their communities. The first verse describes a group of people whom the singer calls "multitudes" watching as cattle cars pass by on "rusty tracks." One person raises their hand and asks, "excuse me sir this doesn't seem right." This person's fate is left unclear, but the next line tells us that they too are "gone like whispers gone like rain," suggesting that they too have been taken away or have disappeared.


The second verse takes us to a river in Texas with a strong undertow that no one crosses to find freedom or pan for gold, despite its clear but cold waters. The current is "swift and no one knows where it goes." The final verse tells the story of someone who finds themselves caught in a trap and hears the devil coming. They chew off their own leg to escape and end up "gone like whispers gone like rain." The song's chorus repeats the phrase "gone like the faithful, while the faithless remain" reminding us of the arbitrary nature of who disappears and who is left behind.


The song speaks to the powerlessness of people in the face of forces beyond their control, both natural and man-made. The imagery of the cattle cars, the river with a strong undertow, the desert with no map, and the devil coming on the footsteps all evoke a sense of danger and uncertainty, but they are also ambiguous enough to allow for different interpretations. "Gone like the stone the builder refused," a reference to the biblical story of the rejected cornerstone becoming the foundation of a new building, adds a layer of metaphorical meaning, suggesting that those who are marginalized or overlooked may have a hidden strength that will eventually be revealed.


Line by Line Meaning

With downcast eyes the multitudes set
The people are sad and are looking at the ground.


As the cattle cars pulled along the rusty tracks
The trains with people on them are moving along the old tracks.


One raised his hand in the fading light
A person raised their hand when it was becoming dark outside.


Said excuse me sir this doesn't seem right
Someone spoke up and said that what was happening was wrong.


and now he's gone like whispers gone like rain
That person disappeared quietly and quickly.


Gone like the faithful while the faithless remain
Good people have disappeared while the bad ones remain.


Gone like the stone the builder refused
Someone who was rejected has disappeared.


Gone and overdue
That person needed to disappear a long time ago.


There's a river in Texas with a strong undertow
In Texas, there is a river that has a dangerous current.


No one crosses it to freedom, no one pans for gold
People don't cross the river to find a better life, and they don't try to get rich from it either.


Its waters are clear but its waters are cold
The river looks nice, but it's not comfortable to be in.


Its current is swift and no one knows where it goes
The river is moving quickly, and nobody knows where it leads.


it's just gone like whispers gone like rain
Things disappear quickly and quietly.


Gone like the faithful while the faithless remain
Good people have disappeared while the bad ones remain.


Gone like the stone the builder refused
Someone who was rejected has disappeared.


Gone and overdue
That person needed to disappear a long time ago.


[harmonica solo]


When a cool desert don't appear on no map
There is a place in the desert that is not shown on any maps.


Coyote's scream rips the night in half
A coyote makes a loud noise that takes over the entire night.


He hears the devil coming
The person hears something really scary approaching.


Footsteps on the path
Someone is walking towards him.


So he chews off his own leg to get out of the trap
The person does whatever they can to escape the danger, even if it means hurting themselves.


and he's gone like whispers gone like rain
That person disappeared quietly and quickly.


Gone like the faithful while the faithless remain
Good people have disappeared while the bad ones remain.


Gone like the stone the builder refused
Someone who was rejected has disappeared.


Gone and overdue
That person needed to disappear a long time ago.




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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