The Temptations – I Wish It Would Rain

The Temptations classic lineup released this song in 1967 and peaked at #4 in the Billboard 100, #1 in the R&B charts, and #45 in the UK.

David Ruffin sings this song and you can feel the sadness and pain in his voice. The man had a tremendous voice. Naming my favorite Temptations song would be hard but this one would be near the top.

The song has been covered by Gladys Knight and the Pips, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin and The Faces.

This song was released right before the psychedelic soul hit Cloud Nine and the bands style began to change.

It was written by Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, and Rodger Penzabene.

I Wish It Would Rain

Hmm hmm

Sunshine, blue skies, please go away
A girl has found another and gone away
With her went my future, my life is filled with gloom
So day after day I stay locked up in my room
I know to you, it might sound strange 
But I wish it would rain, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

‘Cause so badly I wanna go outside (such a lovely day)
But everyone knows that a man ain’t supposed to cry
Listen, I gotta cry ’cause crying eases the pain, oh yeah
People this hurt I feel inside
Words could never explain, 
I just wish it would rain, oh let it rain, rain, rain, rain, ooo baby

Let it rain, oh yeah, let it rain

Day in day out my tear-stained face
Pressed against the window pane
My eyes search the skies desperately for rain
‘Cause rain drops will hide my tear drops
And no one will ever know that I’m crying
Crying when I go outside
To the world outside my tears
I refuse to explain, ooo I wish it would rain, ooh, baby

Let it rain, let it rain
I need rain to disguise the tears in my eyes
Oh, let it rain
Oh yeah, yeah, listen
I’m a man and I got my pride
‘Til it rains I’m gonna stay inside, let it rain

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

14 thoughts on “The Temptations – I Wish It Would Rain”

  2. Man, these guys can sing – when it comes to harmony vocals, it really doesn’t get much better than The Temptations.

    A few days ago, I learned my Temptations/Four Tops concert, for which I had purchased tickets sometime last year, has been rescheduled until November 4. I can’t tell you how happy I am about this, hoping by then things will have sufficiently improved and it is going to be reasonably safe to see live shows.

    I’ve seen both on the same bill some 20 years ago in New York City, and it was awesome!

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    1. I really think by then we should be able to do things… I’m a baseball fan and they are going to have the Dodgers stadium open in LA really soon… we are getting there.

      But yea they can really sing. I saw them in the 80s and they were great.

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  3. well, it was no “Papa Was A Rolling Stone’ but few things are! A good song for sure, such a talented group no matter who was at the mic for them. I almost posted a piece on another Temptations song myself today.

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  5. Great band, and back catalogue. Loved David Ruffin & Eddie Kendricks vocals especially, including the solo hits Walk Away From Love and Keep On Truckin’. I caught them in the 80’s line-up version, which was still pretty awesome and with original members still around.

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      1. I like the Motown Sound, Philadelphia Sound, soul music, doo-wop, beach music…

        Temptations, the Spinners, the Drifters, the Four Tops, the Stylistics, the Miracles, Gladys Knight & the Pips…all of it.

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