When It Rains

Album: Born Free (2010)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Kid Rock explained the meaning of this melancholic ballad to Billboard magazine: "It's about losing your best friend, somebody really important in your life. I was channeling Joe C. [a member of Rock's Twisted Brown Trucker band who died in 2000] a little bit, which I've never really addressed a lot in songs. It's a weird feeling to get into, very dark, very sad. I just tried to take that and flip it around a little bit. When it rains, when you cry and you can't stop, you really start thinking about some of those things."
  • Rock told Billboard magazine how producer Rick Rubin helped channel the passionate vocal with which he closes this song. Said Kid: "Rick had me singing up there, I was like 'I can't get that high,' he said 'yes you can, I've heard you do it when you're sitting around drunk at your house screamin'. I've heard you do it, right in key, many nights. Now just do it here on the mike.' I'm like, 'can I get drunk first?' He was really building that confidence in me with my singing, 'you're a great singer.' I wouldn't say great. I get by, I do alright, but that's never been my thing. I've gotten very powerful over the years from singing so much, so I know I'm better than I've ever been, but doing stuff like that, in those type of keys, I don't know."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Does Jimmy Page Worship The Devil? A Look at Satanism in Rock

Does Jimmy Page Worship The Devil? A Look at Satanism in RockSong Writing

We ring the Hell's Bells to see what songs and rockers are sincere in their Satanism, and how much of it is an act.

Trucking Songs That Were #1 Hits

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.

Cheerleaders In Music Videos

Cheerleaders In Music VideosSong Writing

It started with a bouncy MTV classic. Nirvana and MCR made them scary, then Gwen, Avril and Madonna put on the pom poms.

Little Richard

Little RichardFact or Fiction

Was Long Tall Sally a cross-dresser? Did he really set his piano on fire? See if you know the real stories about one of rock's greatest innovators.

George Clinton

George ClintonSongwriter Interviews

When you free your mind, your ass may follow, but you have to make sure someone else doesn't program it while it's wide open.

Real or Spinal Tap

Real or Spinal TapMusic Quiz

They sang about pink torpedoes and rocking you tonight tonight, but some real lyrics are just as ridiculous. See if you can tell which lyrics are real and which are Spinal Tap in this lyrics quiz.