About the song
“Have You Ever Seen the Rain” is a timeless classic by the legendary American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, written by John Fogerty and released in 1971 as a single from the album Pendulum. The song quickly gained popularity, reaching number one on the RPM 100 national singles chart in Canada and peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the United States. The song’s success continued to grow over the years, surpassing one billion streams on Spotify in March 2023.
The song’s lyrics have been interpreted in various ways, with some suggesting it reflects the decline of the countercultural political idealism of the 1960s during the Nixon administration. However, John Fogerty has revealed that the song was actually inspired by tensions within the band and the impending departure of his brother Tom Fogerty. The song’s iconic line, “Have you ever seen the rain, coming down on a sunny day?” was inspired by the band’s feelings of unease and depression at the height of their fame.
In a literal sense, the song describes a sunshower, a phenomenon that is particularly common in the Deep South due to localized atmospheric wind shear effects. The song’s music video, released in 2018 for the band’s 50th anniversary, stars up-and-coming actors Jack Quaid, Sasha Frolova, and Erin Moriarty, and tells a coming-of-age story of three best friends hanging out in Montana until one of them moves away. The video was shot in Montana by director Laurence Jacobs and has been praised for its distinct realism and encapsulation of identity.
Video
Lyrics
Someone told me long ago there’s a calm before the storm,
I know; it’s been comin’ for some time.
When it’s over, so they say, it’ll rain a sunny day,
I know; shinin’ down like water.I want to know, have you ever seen the rain?
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain
Comin’ down on a sunny day?Yesterday, and days before, sun is cold and rain is hard,
I know; been that way for all my time.
’til forever, on it goes through the circle, fast and slow,
I know; it can’t stop, i wonder.Yeah!