Candles in the Rain

and the influence of Woodstock

Hi all,

Thank you for joining me for today’s song, “Candles in the Rain”, by Melanie Safka. If you’d like to hear the song before you read the background, I’ve included a YouTube video below the article.

Below, you’ll find my interpretation of the lyrics (written in italics). Comments and questions are welcome. For Japanese students, vocabulary words in bold are provided in Japanese below. TOEFL (PBT) 450+, Eiken 2, CEFR B1.

(568 words)

A few days ago, another writer here on Substack, Stephen Nikkola, wrote an article about someone who was very important to him when he was growing up. Her name was Melanie. She was a singer/songwriter in the 1960s and 1970s. Her most famous song was probably the song for today, (Lay Down) Candles in the Rain.

I knew the song, but I didn’t know the history behind it.

To begin with, for those of you who aren’t very familiar with music history in the U.S., Woodstock was a music festival that happened in 1969, a giant outdoor concert where many famous bands and singers played their music. More than 400,000 people from all over the U.S. went to a farm in the state of New York to enjoy the music, peace, and love.

Woodstock poster (Wikimedia Commons, public domain)

Woodstock is famous for its friendly atmosphere and the music of artists like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. Even though there were challenges, like rain and not enough food, everyone helped each other out and had a great time. People shared blankets, food, and the friendly feeling of camaraderie.

In his article, Stephen Nikkola writes:

I found out that Melanie and her guitar were a sensation at Woodstock, becoming an overnight success. Unknown (not famous) when she took the stage late at night, it started to rain, and in response, people lit candles as she performed her set.

A “set” is the songs that a performer has planned to sing while they are on stage.

It was the inspiration for her words “some came to sing, some came to pray, some came to keep the dark away.” Having heard Candles in the Rain hundreds, if not thousands of times since then, I still feel that same sense of awe, peace, love, and hope every time I listen.

The lyrics of the song are quite simple. If we know that Melanie wrote the song with the audience at Woodstock in mind, the lyrics have a deeper meaning:

Lay down, lay down

Lay it all down

Let your white birds smile up

At the ones who stand and frown

The young people who went to the concert were not always welcomed by older generations of Americans, the ones who stand and frown. Many of the people at Woodstock wanted to stop the war in Vietnam, to take better care of the environment, and to make the world a better place. Many also used drugs. However, they had come to the concert to experience the music in a peaceful manner. White birds are doves, a symbol of peace.

AI-generated image

We were so close, there was no room

We bled inside each other's wounds

We all had caught the same disease

And we all sang the songs of peace

Some came to sing, some came to pray

Some came to keep the dark away

So raise the candles high

Cause if you don't we could stay black against the sky

Oh, raise them higher again

And if you do we could stay dry against the rain

The Woodstock Festival. Photo by Derek Redmond and Paul Campbell, Wikimedia Commons

The Woodstock festival is remembered as a symbol of the 1960s counterculture, when young people believed in peace and harmony. Woodstock brought people together, and it's still talked about today as a magical moment when the power of music and friendship made a huge impact on the people who experienced it.

Melanie passed away on January 23, 2024 at the age of 76.

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Question

Was there a singer who was very important to you when you were growing up? What songs helped you deal with life?

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Vocabulary

camaraderie 仲間意識

sensation 素晴らしい

awe 感激

frown 眉をひそめる

wound 傷

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For more advanced learners, and for native speakers in particular, I encourage you to read

Stephen Nikkola

’s tribute to Melanie.

Afraid of the Dark

Rest in Peace, My Beautiful Melanie

By Stephen Nikkola

Afraid of the Dark