Freddy Fender – The Rains Came

I was talking to a friend of mine named Greg, who lived in Texas for around 10 years. We were talking about Texas music, and I brought up Freddie Fender. I remember he told me that he met him in Nashville around 1987 when he was around 15.

He saw Freddy and said, “Hey Freddy, I love your music.” Fender was not only polite, but he went over to Greg and called him “little one” because he was so small, and he could not believe Greg was a fan, being that young. He said Fender was such a nice person and thanked him for being a fan. That always stuck with me about Fender.

Fender was one of the many country artists I heard growing up. Wasted Days and Wasted Nights was the song by Fender that I remember the most, and I’ve found that he is much deeper than that. If you’ve only ever dipped into Freddy Fender through the big radio hits, this is a good one to chase down.

This song rides a rail of half Tex-Mex and half Nashville. It was written by Huey Meaux and came out in 1962. A couple of weeks ago, while posting about the Sir Douglas Quintet, I heard this song, and I knew I had heard it before, and this is the version I remember. The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including Ripp Tide, Alvin Crow, Jimmie Vaughan, Doug Kershaw, and B.J. Thomas. 

This song peaked at #4 on the Billboard Country Charts and #1 in Canada in 1976. The song was on his album Rock ‘n’ Country that peaked at #3 on the Billboard Country Charts.

Freddy had three successful careers, as a pop star in the late 50’s, a country pop star in the 70’s, and a member of the Texas Tornados and Los Super 7 in the 90’s. 

The Rains Came

The rain keeps falling
Tears keep coming down
I can’t find my baby
I wonder she left town

Rain rain rain rain
I’d like to see my girl again
She broke my heart in two
And caused me so much pain

Rain rain rain rain
My pillow’s soaking wet
I can’t find her in the morning
She’s not home yet

Rain rain rain rain
My pillow’s soaking wet
I can’t find her in the morning
She’s not home yet

The rain keeps falling
Tears keep coming down
I couldn’t find my darling
I wonder she left town

Rain rain rain rain
My pillow’s soaking wet
Where is she in the morning
She’s not home yet

Rain rain rain rain
Rain rain rain rain
Rain rain rain rain

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, 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. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

30 thoughts on “Freddy Fender – The Rains Came”

  1. I like that. You’re right that he seems better known in Texas. I, like most people, knew ‘Wasted Days & Wasted Nights’ but taht was it. Dowh here he was a pretty prominent artist from what I’m told. I know my mother-in-law loved his songs back in the ’70s apparently! Good to hear that he treated fans nicely.

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    1. Yea that story was worth repeating I thought…it’s great that some artists aren’t jerks to people. This song I had forgot…and then I heard that other version and it clicked but I didn’t know why…this is why.

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  2. Freddy was a country artist that I liked growing up (yes, in Texas) a rare thing in those days. I grew up listening to him because my mother liked him and had some of his records (she favored country artist with a 50s rock background) and because you heard Wasted Days and Wasted Nights and Before the Last Teardrop Falls everywhere you went in those days. I’ve always liked the guitar in this song.

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    1. Pam, it’s like revisiting an old friend when I listen to him. He was part of the country music I heard that I liked a lot. He had some pop in there that grabbed my attention and a different sound.
      I do remember hearing him a lot.

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  5. Nice write-up! I’m a born and raised Texan and genre unbound. Freddie Fender is a fave. If you’re familiar with the Texas Tornadoes then you should know Johnny Rodriguez. Freddie and Johnny were not just great performers but fan friendly from my experience.

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    1. Thank you so much! Yes I wrote The Texas Tornadoes up a couple of weeks ago I think. I love teh fan friendly part…I love hearing those stories. Another guy, who is not a Texan but he moved there that I’ve been getting into is Doug Sahm…love his music.
      I also love the Texas singer-songwriters…Guy Clark, Townes and all of them…something in the water down there…they wrote great.

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      1. Oh, Max! Doug Sahm would turn over in his grave if he read that! He was born in San Antonio in 1941 – same year as the fictional narrator of “Born in Chicago” (“I was born in Chicago in 1941”). Neither Nick Gravenites nor anyone else in the Paul Butterfield Blues Band was born in 1941. While Gravenites, Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield, and Jerome Arnold were all born in Chicago, none were born that year. But 1941 rhymes with gun so it fit for the first verse.

        But anyway, Doug Sahm is a real Texan. I forgive you. Whether he does or not, who knows? 😉

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      2. I feel terrible. I am so sorry. Why in the hell did I think that for? You know who I was probably thinking about? Jeff Walker. Oh, forgive me, Doug!
        That is who I had to be thinking of because I should’ve known better. Help look at the name of his band and for some reason, I was thinking Arkansas. Well I hope Doug forgives me. Thank you for setting me straight. I won’t make that mistake again.

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    2. CapnHollis….I’m so sorry…I messed up…I’m an idiot…Doug Sahm IS a Texan through and through…I was thinking of Jeff Walker…and I don’t know why I said that. halffastcyclingclub set me straight.

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  6. It’s a pretty straightforward song, the recording sounds like it could be early 60s. His voice really is so warm and clear. And a guy who’ll shake a fans hand rather than give ’em the finger is one good guy in my book. A guy who’ll stop and chat is even better.

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  10. I definitely had heard the name Freddie Fender before, though neither “The Rains Came” nor “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” rang a bell – until I pulled up your post about the latter from February 2024 and saw my cheerful comment!🤣

    At the time I said, “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” reminded me of “Send Me Some Lovin'”. Now that I listened to it again, I could hear a Fats Domino vibe. In any case, it’s a great song as is “The Rains Came.”

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