Is she ready to know my frustration?
What she slippin’ inside, slow castration
I’m a riddle so strong, you can’t break me
Did she come here to try, try to take me
Did she call my name?
I think it’s gonna rain
Oh, when I die
Was it something I said, held against me?
Ain’t no life on the run, slowly climbing
Caught in ice so she stares, stares at nothing
I can help her but won’t, now she hates me
Did she call my name?
I think it’s gonna rain
Oh, When I die
She won’t let me hide
She don’t want me to cry
Will she keep on the ground, trying to ground me
Slowly forgive my lie, lying to save me
Could she love me again, or will she hate me
Prob’ly not, I know why, can’t explain me
Did she call my name?
I think it’s gonna rain
When I die
Exploring Pain and Redemption
“Rain When I Die” by Alice In Chains delves deep into themes of emotional turmoil, estrangement, and the search for understanding within fractured relationships. The lyrics evoke a sense of isolation, as the narrator grapples with feelings of frustration and resignation. Lines like “I’m a riddle so strong, you can’t break me” highlight a stubborn self-preservation, while the repeated refrain, “I think it’s gonna rain when I die,” powerfully suggests an impending emotional release or reckoning. The song captures the complex push and pull between longing for forgiveness and accepting inevitable loss, all wrapped in the band’s signature haunting grunge style.
Song Credits
- Artist: Alice In Chains
- Songwriters: Jerry Cantrell, Layne Staley, Sean Kinney, Mike Starr
- Release Year: 1992
- Label: Columbia Records