R.E.M. Project Blog: REVEAL: I'LL TAKE THE RAIN

Upon reflection, there is an earnestness in this song that comes across as forceful philosophizing. However, I'm no longer sure I'll Take The Rain actually wants to push us in any direction and the character here is simply trying to make a point a la: if I were given the choice between a beautiful day with you and a rainy day alone, I'll take the rain. Sort of a punch line, like in Grease where summer ends and Danny and Sandy miss each other, except in the case of this song it didn't end well. Here interpretations are beside the point, what is the point is why I didn't care for the song one way or the other for a long time--this is where the album fell flat for me and summed up everything about why I wasn't infatuated with REVEAL as a whole. I'm not really given a reason why such a drastic choice is made in this song, plus at the time it felt like the song was trying too hard to be musically anthemic when it's actually rather personal in nature. As I've combed through the song for this post I've come to appreciate it in a different context, but I can't put it up there with the other re-discovered gems on this album. Some key lines: 'In summer's yawn now hopeless' and my favorite 'summer schemes and stretches out to stay.' This song makes me think the summer of the album is over, but the Beachball of the next song helps us remember the wistful times.

I'LL TAKE THE RAIN
The rain came down

The rain came down
The rain came down on me
The wind blew strong and summer's song

Fades to memory

I knew you when
I loved you then
In summer's yawn now hopeless
You laid me bare and marked me there
The promises we made

I used to think as birds take wing
They sing through life so why can't we?
We cling to this and claim the best
If this is what you're offering
I'll take the rain

I'll take the rain

The nighttime creases
Summer schemes and stretches out to stay
The sun shines down you came around
You love the easy days

But now the sun the winter's come
I wanted just to say
That if I hold
I’d hoped you'd fold and open up inside

Inside of me

I used to think as birds take wing
They sing through life so why can't we?
We cling to this and claim the best
If this is what you're offering
I'll take the rain, I'll take the rain

I'll take the rain

This winter song I'll sing along
I've searched it’s still refrain
I'll walk alone if given this take wing and celebrate the rain

I used to think as birds take wing
They sing through life so why can't we?
We cling to this and claim the best
If this is what you're offering
I'll take the rain, I'll take the rain

I'll take the rain

I'll take the rain, I'll take the rain, I'll take the rain

I'll take the rain

I'll take the rain

A fairly basic strum here, but I love the F7 into a G with the same shape. The picking is fun as well, it's hard for me to play notes above my 12th fret, so I play it at the 3rd in the same shapes and it still sounds cool.

I'LL TAKE THE RAIN

Intro : Am (Lift finger for Am7 at end of measure)

Verse

e|-0---0---0---0-0----|

B|-1---1---1---3-1----|

G|-2---2---2---4-2----|

D|-2---3---2---5-3----|

A|-0---0---0---0-0----|

E|-0---0---0---0-0----|

Chorus

e|-0---0---0---0----|

B|-1---1---0---1----|

G|-0---2---0---2----|

D|-2---2---2---3----|

A|-3---0---2---0----|

E|-0---0---0---0----|

Chorus Pick (Chords above 12^th fret)

e|-----15------15------17------17------15------15------17------17---|

B|---17--17--17--17--17--17--17--17--17--17--17--17--18--18--18--18-|

G|-17------17------17------17------16------16------17------17-------|

D|------------------------------------------------------------------|

A|------------------------------------------------------------------|

E|------------------------------------------------------------------|

End Chorus Lead

e|-12-10--------10-12-10--------10---------------------10-----------10---|

B|------13-12-13--------13-12-13--12-12-13h-12-10-13-10--13-10-13-10--13-|

G|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|-12-10--------10-12-10--------10------------------13-------------------|

B|------13-12-13--------13-12-13--12-12-13h-12-10-13--13-13>15-13-10-13--|