Racing In the Rain (formerly It’s Hard to Fire a Starter in the Rain)

9 weeks ago by @newukenewyork

Liner Notes

“Racing in the Rain” - #fawm 50/90 2024 song 27

UPDATED NOTES:
This might be a bit hard to explain to folks who don’t know about the 23 versions (and counting — join us!) of @stephenwordsmith ‘s lyrics entitled “It’s Hard to Start a Fire in the Rain.” I recorded one with a simple melody and ukulele. Then came the morning I was awake at 4am and found myself twisting the title in my brain and writing a new song with the same rhythms (but an extra verse) called “It’s Hard to Fire a Starter in the Rain.” I quite liked the result.

THEN I googled starter pistols and…oops…couldn’t find any evidence that they don’t work in the rain. So I reluctantly said goodbye to the draft (after posting it as proof of concept). AND THEN I got some feedback from other songwriters that made me think about all the lines in there I really liked…and the message of the song that had emerged still seemed valid.

SO, I have unscrapped and rewritten it with a slightly different scansion, and it no longer has a fun referential name, but it’s still very much in the rhythm of and stylistically inspired by the original piece(s). Both versions of the lyrics are below. Originally I was going to re-use my melody, but I’ve shifted the rhythms just enough that I am not going to go there.

This also was my Day 5/Song 5 song yesterday for @sarahspencermusic ‘s #songfancy #5in5songchallenge to write 5 songs in 5 days — but I didn’t have time to record it until today.

Other things my brain has said to me:
“It’s Fire to Start a (Dodge) Charger in the Rain”
“It’s Hard to Start a Choir in the Rain”
“It’s Smart to Guard Desire in the Rain.”
“There’s Tarts Who Might Expire in the Rain”

ORIGINAL NOTES:
I’m not going to record this only because I googled around after writing it and found out that it’s probably not actually hard to fire starter pistols in the rain. So…too bad for 4am me.
#revision #fuc #acoustic #acousticonetake #ukulele #personwithukulele #onetake #girlwithukulele

Lyrics

REVISED LYRICS:

Sometimes we limp along in life, sometimes we hit our stride
There's little in our earnings to suggest much of a prize
The race is on, the course is drawn, the track a misty plain,
The starter pistol keeps on firing in the rain
The runners keep on running 'round the drain

To perpetrate a lie upon the people takes some power
Empire likes to say the sun is shining when there's showers
But there is weather and there's weather, kids, and ours is looking strange
There's not much on this course that I would claim
The sky will fall, is falling, just the same

The finish line looks like the start, contestants making loops
The winner's platform sparse, most wet survivors pant by bruised
I tried to join the pack but my ignition never came
My heart was beating out of time, against the grain
The forecast clouds and lightning in my brain

I wonder if I have to run, my thoughts are spinning webs
I wonder if a bench stands near, where I could rest instead
There's few things in my life have been improved by speed
The time I've got, I might just take it slow and let it breathe

It turns out rain's refreshing when the temperature is right
It turns out you can tap out and retire from race and fight
The jig is up, the thing is rigged, the racing stripe and flame
Just don’t jumpstart my passion to be drained
The sky will fall, is falling, just the same.
———

OLD LYRICS
Sometimes we limp along in life, sometimes we hit our stride
There’s little in our earnings to suggest much of a prize
The race is on, the course is drawn, the track a misty plain
But it’s hard to fire a starter in the rain, that’s my refrain
It’s hard to fire a starter in the rain

To perpetrate a lie upon the people takes some power
Empire likes to say the sun is shining when there’s showers,
But there’s weather and there’s weather, kids, and ours is looking strange
It’s hard to fire a starter in the rain, the climate’s changed
It’s hard to fire a starter in the rain

The finish line looks like the start, the runners making loops
The winners platform sparse, most wet survivors pant by, bruised
I tried to burst ahead but the ignition never came
It’s just too hard to fire a starter in the rain, suggests my brain
It’s hard to fire a starter in the rain

I wonder if I have to run, my thoughts are spinning webs
I wonder if a bench is near, where I could rest instead
There’s nothing in the journey that’s improved by stunning speed
The time I’ve got, I might just take it slow and try to breathe

It turns out rain’s refreshing when the temperature is right
It turns out you can tap out and retire from race and fight
The jig is up, the thing is rigged, the pistol flare’s weak flame
Agrees it’s hard to fire a starter in the rain, we’re not to blame
It’s hard to fire a starter in the rain.

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