I'll Lay Down In The Rain

This track blindsided me; writing it was a major turning point in my pursuit as a songwriter—truth be told, it wrote itself…it poured out of me, it compelled me to write it, to tear my vocals singing it, and bloody my fingers playing it.

It wasn’t a song, it wasn’t a melody—it was something that had to be released, something I had to get out of myself.

My Yamaha guitar after a live performance of "I'll Lay Down In The Rain."

Even if I were confident that I could accurately and accessibly communicate the experiences that led me to the writing of this song, I wouldn't.

The truth of it is, the situational details are unimportant, because the feelings that were produced by them are universally understood. We all speak to each other through our passions and sufferings, without any need for words or explanations; which is why art speaks so deeply to all of us.

Unfortunately, it seems that only rarely will the fuel burned by happiness, pleasure, and the state of being peaceful burn hot enough to power the kind of passionate creativity that can connect and resonate with others. It is the overwhelming energy derived from soulful suffering that has motivated the creation of the powerful works of art that have made such lasting impressions on us.

This track wasn’t recorded in a studio with isolated instrumentation, multiple takes, or hours of post-production audio engineering. I recorded this in an empty ballroom with room mics, mics below the platform I was standing on, a vocal mic, and a guitar mic—it was all recorded like a live recording in one take.

Despite the crudeness of the recording and the cavemanesque simplicity of the song itself, this track became one of my most popular songs to date. My only theory as to why that is, is that perhaps people feel an energy in it that supersedes the recording itself and subconsciously resonates with them.

It has been a long time since I have performed this song—but it's still a part of me, and is something that I feel is worth sharing with others.

I hope it has something to give to you.

“I’ll Lay Down in the Rain”

Lyrics

INTRO

I’ll lay down in the rain,
I’ll lay down in the rain.
Let the mud and the water flow through my veins,
I’ll lay down in the rain. (x3)

VERSE 1

Nothing in this world but pleasure for pain,
A nickel costs a dime and an arm costs a leg.

Everything’s changing but it all stays the same,
That’s why I seek shelter in the wind and the rain.

CHORUS

I’ll lay down in the rain,
I’ll lay down in the rain.
Let the mud and the water flow through my veins,
I’ll lay down in the rain

VERSE 2

I never set out to dirty my hands,
Life has made it hard to keep them clean.
The kindest soul can raise the black flag,
The strongest can fall to their knees.

I won’t be held under by no preachin’ man,
That’s far too cold for me.
A bar of soap and my own two hands
Is all I need to get clean.

CHORUS

I’ll lay down in the rain,
I’ll lay down in the rain.
Let the mud and the water flow through my veins,
I’ll lay down in the rain.

VERSE 3

With such great faith in answers unknown,
Are some so willing to teach.
But all the believers with their bibles in their hands,
Just remind me why I don’t believe.

It seems we look so far a search so long,
For what’s always been in our reach.
We dig so deep and turn every stone,
Just to find what’s under our feet.

CHORUS (x2)

I’ll lay down in the rain,
I’ll lay down in the rain.
Let the mud and the water flow through my veins,
I’ll lay down in the rain.

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"Balmain has emerged with an album that sounds like it could have come out of Detroit in the early-1970s or Muscle Shoals in the late-1970s. It’s a vibrant and rich mix of rock and soul that has all of the swagger of the feel-good decade...

(Brian F. Johnson, MARQUEE MAGAZINE )

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