Who'll Stop the Rain (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Who'll Stop the Rain


Artist = Creedence Clearwater Revival
from Album = Cosmo's Factory
A-side = "Travelin' Band"
Released = January, 1970
Genre = Rock
Format = 7" 45 RPM
Length = 2:29
Label = Fantasy
Writer = John Fogerty
Producer = John Fogerty

"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 U.S. Pop Singles Chart and the first of two to reach the #2 spot on the American charts, along side "Lookin' Out My Back Door". In 2004, "Rolling Stone" ranked it #188 on its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.

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. [ [http://wm10.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:dxfwxclsldte "Who'll Stop the Rain" song review] on the Allmusic website] Due to the time period in which it was made 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 of 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,cquote|Certainly, I was talking about Washington when I wrote the song, but I remember bringing the master version of the song home and playing it. My son Josh was four years old at the time, and after he heard it, he said, 'Daddy stop the rain.' And my wife and I looked at each other and said, 'Well, not quite." 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.

Cover Versions

The song has long been a concert staple for Bruce Springsteen and during his summer stadium tour of 2003, he and the E Street Band opened with it whenever it was raining. [ [http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1919 Songfacts] page for "Who'll Stop the Rain"] 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 Heaven 17, Rudy Rotta, The Ventures and was included on John Fogerty's 1998 live CD/DVD, "Premonition".

Usage in Film

In 1978, "Who'll Stop the Rain" was used in the film of the same name. The film starred Nick Nolte as a Vietnam veteran. The film was originally going to be called Dog Soldiers, but when the producers got the rights to use the song, they changed the title to "Who'll Stop The Rain". [See Ref. #2] The song also appeared in the 1989 film "Powwow Highway". Both the original song and a softer, slower cover version sung by a female are included in the soundtrack of "The December Boys."

External links

* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=BKA7n7i2m8s 1993 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Performance of "Who'll Stop the Rain"]

References