Have You Ever Seen the Rain?

"Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" is a song written by John Fogerty and released as a single in 1971 from the album Pendulum (1970) by roots rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival. The song charted highest in Canada, reaching number 1 on the RPM 100 national singles chart in March 1971.[1] In the U.S., in the same year it peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart (where it was listed as "Have You Ever Seen the Rain / Hey Tonight", together with the B-side).[2] On Cash Box pop chart, it peaked at number 3. In the UK, it reached number 36. It was the group's eighth gold-selling single.[3]

For the Stanley Turrentine album, see Have You Ever Seen the Rain (album).
"Have You Ever Seen the Rain?"
Single by Creedence Clearwater Revival
from the album Pendulum
B-side"Hey Tonight"
ReleasedJanuary 1971
Format7 in 45 rpm
Recorded1970
Genre
Length2:39
LabelFantasy
Songwriter(s)John Fogerty
Producer(s)John Fogerty
Creedence Clearwater Revival singles chronology
"Lookin' Out My Back Door"
(1970)		 "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?"
(1971)		 "Sweet Hitch-Hiker"
(1971)
Music video
"Have You Ever Seen the Rain" (lyric video) on YouTube
Music video
"Have You Ever Seen the Rain" on YouTube

Some have speculated that the song's lyrics are referencing the Vietnam War, with the "rain" being a metaphor for bombs falling from the sky.[4] In his review for Allmusic website, Mark Deming suggests that the song is about the idealism of the 1960s and about how it faded in the wake of events such as the Altamont Free Concert and the Kent State shootings, and that Fogerty is saying that the same issues of the 1960s still existed in the 1970s but that people were no longer fighting for them.[5] However, Fogerty himself has said in interviews and prior to playing the song in concert that it is about rising tension within CCR and the imminent departure of his brother Tom from the band. In an interview, Fogerty stated that the song was written about the fact that they were on the top of the charts, and had surpassed all of their wildest expectations of fame and fortune. They were rich and famous, but somehow all of the members of the band at the time were depressed and unhappy; thus the line "Have you ever seen the rain, coming down on a sunny day?". The band split up in October the following year after the release of the album Mardi Gras.

In a literal sense the song describes a sunshower such in the lyric "It'll rain a sunny day" and the chorus "have you ever seen the rain Comin' down on a sunny day?".[6] These events are particularly common in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, but less common in other parts of the country, due to localized atmospheric wind shear effects.[6] In Southern regional dialect, there is even a term for it: "the devil beating his wife".[6]

John Fogerty released a live version of the song on his The Long Road Home - In Concert DVD which was recorded at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on September 15, 2005.

Charts

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Italy (FIMI)[16]
sales since 2009		 Platinum 50,000
South Africa (RISA)[17] Gold 100,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[18] Silver 250,000
United States (RIAA)[19] 2× Platinum 2,000,000

sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Cover versions

Bonnie Tyler on her album Faster Than the Speed of Night.

Chart (1983) Rank Ref.
Ireland Irish Singles Chart 13 [20]
UK Singles Chart records and statistics 47 [21]
France Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique 25 [22]
Germany GfK Entertainment charts 63 [23]

Rod Stewart on his covers album Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time.

Chart (2006) Rank Ref.
US Adult Contemporary Billboard 6 [24]

Spanish-language versions

References
  1. "Item: 2736 - Library and Archives Canada". Retrieved 2016-03-03.
    "Item: 2795 - Library and Archives Canada". Retrieved 2016-03-03.
  2. "Creedence Clearwater Revival - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-03-04.
  3. Chronicle, Vol. 1 Linear notes
  4. "Creedence Clearwater Revival - Have You Ever Seen The Rain Lyrics". SongMeanings. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
  5. Mark Deming. "Have You Ever Seen the Rain - Creedence Clearwater Revival | Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
  6. Simon Mahan (September 2, 2016). "Did a rock band explain why wind power will work in the south, 45 years ago?". Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  7. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Retrieved 2017-04-04.
  8. http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20listener&qartistid=742#n_view_location Flavour of New Zealand, 3 May 1971
  9. "SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Songs H-I". South Africa's Rock Lists. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  10. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  11. "Cash Box Top 100 3/13/71". tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  12. "Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  13. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  14. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1971". Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  15. "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1971". tropicalglen.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  16. "Italian single certifications – Creedence Clearwater Revival – Have You Ever Seen the Rain" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved April 17, 2020. Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli online" under "Sezione".
  17. Feldman, Peter (March 18, 1972). "From The Music Capitols of the World - Johannesburg". Cash Box. p. 54. Retrieved April 19, 2020 – via Google books.
  18. "British single certifications – Creedence Clearwater Revival – Have You Ever Seen the Rain". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 29, 2018. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Have You Ever Seen the Rain in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  19. "American single certifications – Creedence Clearwater Revival – Have You Ever Seen the Rain". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 30, 2018. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  20. "IRMA". Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  21. "Official Charts". Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  22. "SNEP". Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  23. "Offizielle Deutsch Charts". Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  24. "Billboard Charts". Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  25. "Dr Victor & The Rasta Rebels - Greatest Hits". Shazam.com. Archived from the original on 2014-01-07. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
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