“It’s Raining”: A Soulful Lament of Heartbreak, Drenched in the Echoes of Doo-Wop.
In the vibrant and often frenetic musical landscape of the late 1970s, where punk was a raw roar and disco was a shimmering beat, a nine-piece doo-wop revival band from London offered a welcome, nostalgic embrace of rock & roll’s soulful past. Darts, with their slick harmonies and irresistible stage presence, carved out a unique niche for themselves, delighting audiences with their energetic takes on classic R&B and rockabilly tunes. However, their 1978 single, “It’s Raining,” stands as a poignant departure from their typical high-octane covers. It’s a melancholic, original ballad that serves as a powerful testament to the timeless pain of a broken heart, using the simple metaphor of a downpour to capture the torrent of tears and the deluge of loneliness that follows a lost love. For older readers, it’s a song that speaks to a universal, yet deeply personal, experience, evoking the quiet sorrow of a rainy day and a love that has gone cold.
Upon its release as a single in August 1978, “It’s Raining” quickly proved to be a massive hit for Darts in their home country, the UK. It was part of an incredible run of chart success for the band, and it soared to number 2 on the Official UK Singles Chart, a position it held for two consecutive weeks. This was the third of a remarkable three consecutive number two hits for the band, a feat that, while denying them a coveted number one spot, solidified their status as a major force in the UK music scene. The single’s popularity was so immense that it became one of their best-selling tracks. The song was also featured on their second studio album, Everyone Plays Darts, which was released in the same year and performed well on the album charts. The success of “It’s Raining” showcased that audiences were just as receptive to the band’s softer, more emotionally resonant material as they were to their high-energy revivalist tracks, proving that their appeal was rooted in more than just nostalgia.
The story behind “It’s Raining” is particularly notable because, unlike many of their earlier hits, this was not a cover version. The song was an original composition written by Griff Fender (real name Ian Collier), one of the band’s vocalists. This demonstrated the band’s creative chops and their ability to craft new songs that were perfectly in keeping with their doo-wop and soul-influenced style. The lyrics were a simple, direct expression of heartbreak, using the classic motif of rain as a backdrop for sadness. The emotional weight of the song was further amplified by the powerful vocal performance of Rita Ray, whose voice carried the anguish and loneliness of the lyrics with a raw, soulful authenticity. The song’s arrangement, with its tender piano intro, lush harmonies, and swelling orchestration, perfectly complemented the heartfelt lyrics, creating a rich and emotionally charged atmosphere that set it apart from much of the music on the charts at the time.
The meaning of “It’s Raining” is a direct and unvarnished lament for a love that has ended, casting the protagonist into a state of profound sadness and isolation. The rain outside is not just a meteorological event; it is a mirror for the narrator’s inner turmoil and tears. The lyrics “It’s raining, raining down on me / I’m drowning, I’m drowning in misery” beautifully capture this dual-layered despair. The song speaks to the feeling of being utterly alone after a breakup, when the world outside seems to be weeping along with you. The protagonist is left with only the memories of their lost love, and the hope that they might one day return. It’s a timeless ballad of heartache, one that forgoes lyrical complexity for emotional sincerity. For older readers, this song might evoke a rush of memories of their own youthful heartbreaks, of listening to music on a rainy day, and finding a voice for their own silent tears. It stands as a beautiful, moving example of Darts’ artistic depth, proving that even a band known for its retro energy could deliver a powerful and enduring ballad of timeless sorrow and genuine feeling.