A Beautiful, Poignant Moment of Introspection, a Tender Plea for Hope and Resilience Amidst the Chaos of Life.
The year 1974 found Slade in the midst of their imperial phase. They were the undisputed champions of the UK singles chart, their raw, raucous brand of glam rock dominating the decade with joyful, deafening anthems. Their album Old New Borrowed and Blue was another commercial monster, storming the charts to hit number one on the UK Albums Chart. The band, fronted by the formidable Noddy Holder and propelled by the songwriting genius of Holder and Jim Lea, was synonymous with celebratory chaos. Yet, hidden within this album of singalongs and stompers was a profound, delicate anomaly. That song was “Find Yourself a Rainbow.” Never released as a single, and therefore never charting, its drama lies in its surprising, almost shocking, vulnerability, offering a rare glimpse behind the curtain of the band’s riotous stage persona.
The story behind “Find Yourself a Rainbow” is one of emotional necessity and creative depth. While Slade was famous for their three-minute blasts of energy, this track demonstrated the sheer breadth of Jim Lea’s musical talent and the depth of the band’s emotional range. The song was a deliberate exercise in contrast, a quiet moment of acoustic sincerity amidst the surrounding noise. The drama unfolds as a tender, almost private conversation with the listener. The lyrics are stripped of the usual gang chants and bravado, offering instead a message of solace and quiet optimism. It was a conscious effort by the band to show they were more than just glammed-up rock comedians; they were serious artists capable of crafting nuanced, emotionally resonant music that spoke to the inevitable moments of pain and darkness in their fans’ lives.
The meaning of “Find Yourself a Rainbow” is a universal call for resilience and self-belief during hardship. The “rainbow” is a metaphor for hope, for the personal wellspring of strength and color that one must seek out when the world turns grey. It is a profoundly moving message that acknowledges the difficulty of life (“if you feel low down and weary”) but insists on the power of finding internal light. Musically, the song is a stunning departure from the classic Slade sound. It is built around a gentle, folk-tinged acoustic guitar, with the tempo slowed to a thoughtful, melancholic pace. The arrangement is elegant and restrained, utilizing subtle percussion and keyboard textures to create a warm, enveloping atmosphere. Crucially, Noddy Holder’s vocal performance is uncharacteristically tender; the famous roar is replaced by a soft, melodic delivery, giving the song an immediate and deeply intimate emotional impact. This shift in voice is the core of the track’s dramatic effect—the loudest voice in rock speaking with quiet, genuine empathy.
For those who followed the dramatic arc of Slade, “Find Yourself a Rainbow” is a deeply cherished, nostalgic secret. It is a testament to the fact that beneath the greasepaint and the mirrored top hats lay a band of genuine emotional depth. The song stands as a timeless, beautifully poignant, and profoundly tender piece of musical drama, a gentle whisper of hope from the kings of noise.