The Beatles’ “Rain” is the “it will be okay” song I needed today

This post (with media) was originally published here at bloomingtondeltamusic.com.

Readers note: John Lennon had a history of domestic abuse in his first marriage. You should be aware of this fact and determine how you feel about him, the group and the song accordingly. I encourage research.

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Sometimes shit sucks.

It happens. Personal, professional, whatever — sometimes it all comes crashing down on you. I felt that today. It’s been a hard handful of days and it finally caught up with me this morning.

Quick aside: a week in the grand scheme of life is next to nothing. The ups follow the downs in the same way that the bads follow the goods. We know this. The Grateful Dead told us the news of the day at the end of “Hurts Me Too” on “Europe 72: Vol 17.”

As promised, here’s the news on the hour.
News is: everything’s gonna be alright.

The Dead are right. Everything is going to be alright. Issue is, life can make that difficult to remember.

Amidst these “hard handful of days” I had a couple of good moments and in their aftermath I sought out the Beatles (always there to elevate my highs and devastatingly tank my lows). After my morning of unloading emotional baggage, I searched for music to mellow my mind.

With the lads fresh on the brain I landed on John Lennon, the Beatles and “Rain.”

If the rain comes
They run and hide their heads
They might as well be dead
If the rain comes
If the rain comes

I was there this morning as the clouds rolled in. It felt like I used my coat and my umbrella every fucking day this week and when I heard the thunder I didn’t want to grab the jacket again. I buried my head under the blanket and, feeling like George Harrison, I might as well have been dead.

Please, don't wake me, no, don't shake me
Leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping

John paints the picture of the rainy day in verse one and in the song’s second verse we learn what happens when the sun shines. Everyone is in the shade. They sip their lemonade. Life is good when the sun shines.

Thing is, John isn’t affected by these changes. Rain? He doesn’t mind. Shine? The weather is fine. He said he wrote this song about those who get worked up over the weather, but I hear it as a metaphor for our lives.

Weather is temporary in the same way the ebbs and flows of our day-to-day being are. So many of the things that weigh on us are out of our control — the weather represents them because it acts in the same way. Despite this lack of control we are not powerless. We have a choice. John recognizes that. Rain or shine, he doesn’t mind.

I can show you
That when it starts to rain
(When the rain comes down)
Everything's the same
(When the rain comes down)
I can show you
I can show you

Everything is the same. No matter what life gives us, nothing changes. We are still here. Living, breathing, loving. You can’t control when things happen, but you can control how you respond to them.

Can you hear me?
That when it rains and shines
(When it rains and shines)
It's just a state of mind
(When it rains and shines)
Can you hear me?
Can you hear me?

Sit on that for a moment. Believe it. It’s easy to hide yourself away when you’re feeling two foot small or to go from the party for fear your disappointment will show. When you’re down, not so self assured, John steps in and opens up the door. He reminds us that we have a choice in this. We are not powerless.

Rain or shine, it’s just a state of mind. Everything is the same. Listen. They can show you.