Who'll Stop the Rain (song)
Encyclopedia
"Who'll Stop the Rain" is a song written by John Fogerty
and originally recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival
for their 1970 album Cosmo's Factory
. Backed with "Travelin' Band
", it was one of three double sided singles from that album to reach the top five on the Billboard Pop Singles
chart and the first of two to reach the #2 spot on the American charts, alongside "Lookin' Out My Back Door
". In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it #188 on its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.
s/wrapped in golden chains", and the Woodstock generation. The malaise is not defined, but appears to allude to a sense that man's problems have to be dealt with by those who wish to fix them, and no ancient philosophers, money promising government nor Flower Power generation can merely push them off by thought, money nor communal love. The song's universal topical appeal made it unusual in the time of its release and gives it a quality that helps it maintain its popularity 40 years later.
Musically, in contrast to the 1950s-Rock inspired "Travelin' Band", "Who'll Stop the Rain" has more of an acoustic, folk-rock
feel to it. Like many folk-rock songs, it starts off with a ringing acoustic guitar riff, though the backing throughout has more of a roots rock
sound than that heard on more standard folk-rock recordings. Interpreting the song in its time period (1970),and the resigned but somewhat angry feeling of the song, many see "Who'll Stop the Rain" as a thinly-veiled protest against the Vietnam War
, with the final verse lyrics and its references to music, large crowds, rain, and crowds trying to keep warm, being about the band's experience at the Woodstock Festival
in August 1969. There is also a line during the song's second verse about "five-year plans and new deals wrapped in golden chains" that may indicate a general cynicism altogether about politicians. For his part, when asked by Rolling Stone
about the meaning of the song's lyrics, John Fogerty was quoted as saying,
In 2007 during a concert he said the following about the song:
The half-minute long fadeout of the song, which reprises the repeating guitar pattern from the intro, seems to reinforce the song's main theme of the 'rain' continuing to go on, interminably.
during his summer stadium tour of 2003
. Springsteen and the E Street Band
opened with "who'll stop the rain" whenever it was raining.
When Creedence Clearwater Revival was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, Springsteen performed the song with John Fogerty. The song has also been covered by Rudy Rotta
, Rod Stewart
, Rise Against
, Courtney Jaye
, The Ventures
, Vince Neil
and was included on John Fogerty's 1998 live CD/DVD, Premonition
. The Stereophonics have also covered the song as a B-side to their single Local Boy in the Photograph
.
Microdisney
performed the song live, frequently in 1984 and on at least one occasion in 1985. Their version of the song was rearranged in their style, at a faster tempo with additional instrumental parts. Usually the song had guitarist Sean O' Hagan performing vocals on it, but regular singer Cathal Coughlan
sang on the 1985 version.
s as downloadable content
on July 6, as part of Creedence Clearwater Revival
Pack 01.
. The movie starred Nick Nolte
as a Vietnam veteran. It was originally going to be called Dog Soldiers after the source novel, but when the producers got the rights to use the song, they changed the title to it. The song also appeared in the 1989 film Powwow Highway
. Both the original song and a softer, slower cover version sung by Courtney Jaye
are included in the soundtrack of December Boys
. A clip of the song appears in the film The War
. The song was also included in the movie "Philadelphia."
interview:
John Fogerty
John Cameron Fogerty is an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known for his time with the swamp rock/roots rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival and as a #1 solo recording artist. Fogerty has a rare distinction of being named on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest...
and originally recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
for their 1970 album Cosmo's Factory
Cosmo's Factory
Cosmo's Factory is the fifth studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released by Fantasy Records in July 1970 and released as Fantasy 8402, the same month as the single release of "Lookin' out My Back Door" b/w "Long As I Can See the Light" .The name of the album comes from...
. Backed with "Travelin' Band
Travelin' Band
"Travelin' Band" is a song written by John Fogerty and originally recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was included on their 1970 album Cosmo's Factory. Backed with "Who'll Stop the Rain", it was one of three double sided singles from that album to reach the top five on the U.S...
", it was one of three double sided singles from that album to reach the top five on the Billboard Pop Singles
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart and the first of two to reach the #2 spot on the American charts, alongside "Lookin' Out My Back Door
Lookin' out My Back Door
"Lookin' out My Back Door" is a song recorded by the American band Creedence Clearwater Revival and written by the band's lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter, John Fogerty...
". In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it #188 on its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.
History
Lyrically, "Who'll Stop the Rain" breaks into three verses, with a historical, recent past, and present tense approach. All three verses allude to a sense of unending malaise, pondered by "good men through the ages", "Five Year Plans and New DealNew Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
s/wrapped in golden chains", and the Woodstock generation. The malaise is not defined, but appears to allude to a sense that man's problems have to be dealt with by those who wish to fix them, and no ancient philosophers, money promising government nor Flower Power generation can merely push them off by thought, money nor communal love. The song's universal topical appeal made it unusual in the time of its release and gives it a quality that helps it maintain its popularity 40 years later.
Musically, in contrast to the 1950s-Rock inspired "Travelin' Band", "Who'll Stop the Rain" has more of an acoustic, folk-rock
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
feel to it. Like many folk-rock songs, it starts off with a ringing acoustic guitar riff, though the backing throughout has more of a roots rock
Roots rock
Roots rock is a term now used to describe rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid sub-genres from the later 1960s including country rock and Southern rock, which have been seen as responses to the...
sound than that heard on more standard folk-rock recordings. Interpreting the song in its time period (1970),and the resigned but somewhat angry feeling of the song, many see "Who'll Stop the Rain" as a thinly-veiled protest against the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, with the final verse lyrics and its references to music, large crowds, rain, and crowds trying to keep warm, being about the band's experience at the Woodstock Festival
Woodstock Festival
Woodstock Music & Art Fair was a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music". It was held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969...
in August 1969. There is also a line during the song's second verse about "five-year plans and new deals wrapped in golden chains" that may indicate a general cynicism altogether about politicians. For his part, when asked by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
about the meaning of the song's lyrics, John Fogerty was quoted as saying,
In 2007 during a concert he said the following about the song:
The half-minute long fadeout of the song, which reprises the repeating guitar pattern from the intro, seems to reinforce the song's main theme of the 'rain' continuing to go on, interminably.
Other versions
The song has long been a concert staple for Bruce SpringsteenBruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
during his summer stadium tour of 2003
The Rising Tour
The Rising Tour was a lengthy, worldwide, top-grossing concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place in arenas and stadiums over 2002 and 2003...
. Springsteen and the E Street Band
E Street Band
The E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
opened with "who'll stop the rain" whenever it was raining.
When Creedence Clearwater Revival was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, Springsteen performed the song with John Fogerty. The song has also been covered by Rudy Rotta
Rudy Rotta
Rudy Rotta is an Italian blues guitarist who lives near Verona.Rotta achieved success in Italy before touring in other European countries. His reputation spread to the United States where he gained great popularity. His music combines a modern style with blues roots and a rocky funk soul...
, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
, Rise Against
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
, Courtney Jaye
Courtney Jaye
- Biography :Courtney Jaye was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and moved to Alpharetta, Georgia, when she was a freshman in high school. It was at this time she discovered The Grateful Dead and Neil Young, and also began to play the guitar. After becoming immersed in the bohemian culture, she...
, The Ventures
The Ventures
The Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
, Vince Neil
Vince Neil
Vincent Neil Wharton is an American vocalist and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.-Early life:Neil was born in Hollywood, California to Odie and Shirley Wharton...
and was included on John Fogerty's 1998 live CD/DVD, Premonition
Premonition (John Fogerty album)
Premonition is a 1998 live CD and DVD by John Fogerty. He performs both songs by his earlier band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, as well as songs composed during his period as a solo artist. It was recorded with a live audience at Warner Bros. Studios, Stage 15 on December 12 & 13th, 1997...
. The Stereophonics have also covered the song as a B-side to their single Local Boy in the Photograph
Local Boy In The Photograph
"Local Boy in the Photograph" is the first single from the rock band Stereophonics. The song is taken from their debut album, Word Gets Around and was initially released in March 1997...
.
Microdisney
Microdisney
Microdisney was an Irish musical duo, formed in 1980 by Cathal Coughlan and Sean O'Hagan .-Original line-up:*Vocals: Cathal Coughlan*Guitar: Sean O'Hagan*Keyboards: Nick Montgomery*Bass: Jon Fell...
performed the song live, frequently in 1984 and on at least one occasion in 1985. Their version of the song was rearranged in their style, at a faster tempo with additional instrumental parts. Usually the song had guitarist Sean O' Hagan performing vocals on it, but regular singer Cathal Coughlan
Cathal Coughlan
Cathal Coughlan is an Irish singer songwriter, formerly of Microdisney, and The Fatima Mansions. His work with both bands has received much critical acclaim, as has his solo material....
sang on the 1985 version.
Appearances in other media
The song will be available as a playable song for the Rock Band series of music video gameMusic video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
s as downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
on July 6, as part of Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
Pack 01.
Film
In 1978, the song was used in the film Who'll Stop the RainWho'll Stop the Rain
Who'll Stop The Rain is a 1978 psychological drama film released by United Artists. It was directed by Karel Reisz and produced by Herb Jaffe and Gabriel Katzka with Sheldon Schrager and Roger Spottiswoode as executive producers. The screenplay was by Judith Rascoe and Robert Stone from Stone's...
. The movie starred Nick Nolte
Nick Nolte
Nicholas King "Nick" Nolte is an American actor whose career has spanned over five decades, peaking in the 1990s when his commercial success made him one of the most popular celebrities of that decade.-Early life:...
as a Vietnam veteran. It was originally going to be called Dog Soldiers after the source novel, but when the producers got the rights to use the song, they changed the title to it. The song also appeared in the 1989 film Powwow Highway
Powwow Highway
Powwow Highway is a 1989 comedic road movie based on a novel by David Seals. It features A Martinez, Gary Farmer, and Amanda Wyss. Wes Studi and Graham Greene, who were relatively unknown actors at the time, have small supporting roles.-Plot:...
. Both the original song and a softer, slower cover version sung by Courtney Jaye
Courtney Jaye
- Biography :Courtney Jaye was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and moved to Alpharetta, Georgia, when she was a freshman in high school. It was at this time she discovered The Grateful Dead and Neil Young, and also began to play the guitar. After becoming immersed in the bohemian culture, she...
are included in the soundtrack of December Boys
December Boys
December Boys is a 2007 Australian film directed by Rod Hardy and written by Marc Rosenberg and adapted from the 1963 novel of the same name by Michael Noonan. It was released on 14 September 2007 in the UK and US and 20 September 2007 in Australia...
. A clip of the song appears in the film The War
The War (film)
The War is a 1994 drama film directed by Jon Avnet. Starring Elijah Wood, Kevin Costner and Mare Winningham. It is a coming of age tale set in Mississippi in the 1970s...
. The song was also included in the movie "Philadelphia."
Commercials
Creedence Clearwater Revival songs appeared in many films and commercials, in part because John Fogerty "long ago signed away legal control of his old recordings to Creedence's record label, Fantasy Records." Fogerty objected to what he regarded as a misuse of his music in an NPRNPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
interview:
Folks will remember Forrest GumpForrest GumpForrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
and that was a great movie, but they don't remember all the really poor movies that Fantasy Records stuck Creedence music into: car commercials, tire commercials. I'm remembering a paint thinner ad at one point, the song "Who'll Stop The Rain." Oh, boy. That's clever, isn't it?