Creedence Clearwater Revival – Have You Ever Seen The Rain (Official)
Inspiration Behind Have You Seen the Rain:
Have You Seen the Rain was inspired by the internal struggles facing John Fogerty as lead singer of Creedance Clearwater Revival. Rain is used as a metaphor for an impending storm, tied to Fogerty’s desire to begin a solo career. The lyrics contain imagery of rain on a bright day suggesting that everything is fine on the surface, but conflicts exist deep inside. Have You Seen the Rain is a common tale bands undergone as fame and fortune force people apart.
Biblical Application:
What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”[b] 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died, Romans 7:7-9.
Exegesis of Have You Seen the Rain:
Someone told me long ago
There’s a calm before the storm
I know, it’s been comin’ for some time
Fogerty looks to the past to help with the impending trial he foresees in his future.
When it’s over, so they say
It’ll rain on a sunny day
I know, shining down like water
Sometimes life doesn’t make sense, like rain on a sunny day.
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain?
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
Comin’ down on a sunny day?
Is it just me or have you experienced this strange weather pattern before as well?
Yesterday and days before
Sun is cold and rain is hard
I know, been that way for all my time
‘Til forever on it goes
Through the circle, fast and slow
I know, it can’t stop, I wonder
Fogerty uses weather to compare with the emotions going on deep inside his soul, thinking about leaving the band.
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain?
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
Comin’ down on a sunny day?
This odd weather experience has stuck in Fogerty’s mind.
Yeah!
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain?
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
Comin’ down on a sunny day?
When human beings face tough decisions in life, you try to find similar comparisons in life. Before leaving Creedance Clearwater Revival, Fogerty was struggling to figure out if and when the timing would be right. In this case, only on a bright sunny day with rain.
Final Thoughts:
When I think of rain, I compare this with crying. While men are supposed to cry, sometimes healing comes from letting all of your piled up emotions come out all at once by crying. When crying becomes a habit, you might want to consider a career change to bring joy to your heart. For John Fogerty, starting a solo career led to a flourishing career in music. When you feel stuck in life, don’t be afraid to make a change.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 