From the recording It USed to Rain
This is a song about a song, and it's a little bit nostalgic for my own childhood growing up in south Seattle. 'Rain Rain Go Away" is one of the oldest traditional children's songs in the English language, and millions of kids have sung it on a rainy day. "It Used to Rain" imagines a future after all those prayers came true, and how much we would regret it.
Lyrics
It Used to Rain
I remember puddles, we'd stomp them with our feet
laugh and walk on tiny stilts tin cans on our feet
The world was lush and green back then and everything was wet
now it's dry and dusty, and ain't that what we get
It used to rain, Seemed like most days
We didn't care, We'd go out and play
It used to Rain, Through summer days
and I recall the children's prayer we sang
Rain Rain Go Away
When I was five and went to school
Half a mile walk
The rain would soak right through my shoes and
Soak my cotton socks
The trees back then had leaves that fell
and clogged the gutters up
We'd walk right through those tiny ponds
and hold our pant legs up
But now it's always dry and dusty
why did we sing that song
We wished away the rain
so many times and now it's gone
rain come back and play
Rain Rain you went away and we miss you every day
Rain Rain we're sorry that we sent you on your way
Rain Rain won't you come on back won't you come on back and play
We'll sing a song of our love for rain and we'll sing it every day
It used to rain, Seemed like most days
We didn't care, We'd go out and play
It used to Rain, Through summer days
and I recall the children's prayer we sang
Rain Rain Go Away
Rain Rain you went away and we miss you every day
Rain Rain we're sorry that we sent you on your way
Rain Rain won't you come on back won't you come on back and play
We'll sing a song of our love for rain and we'll sing it every day
We'll sing a song of our love for rain and we'll sing it every day