Belinda Carlisle’s “Summer Rain” Lyrics Meaning

The titular “summer rain” is both symbolic and literal. In terms of the latter, this is because it was under such seasonal conditions that the singer parted ways with her love. 

And such parting was not intentional, or at least it was never idealized as being permanent. Rather the way the story goes is that the narrator left her lover at a train station, on his way out to join the military. Or more specifically, the implication is like he was already in the military and was on his way off to engage in active duty. 

We can postulate such under the presumption that if he were just going to a base for training for instance, the occasion probably wouldn’t call for them “dancing… in the summer rain” before his departure. So engaging in said act alludes to the notion that perhaps they both knew that there was a possibility that would be the last moment they spent together.

And unfortunately that in fact proved to be the case. The addressee never managed to return to the arms of his lover, the singer. And it’s never actually explained why he hasn’t returned, though once again in relying on presumptions, we can assume that he had every intent of doing so as soon as possible.

Heartbreak

But more to the point as far as this song is concerned is the heartbreak the narrator is dealing with as a result. So the way the situation has evolved, as illustrated in the bridge, is that “every time” that there are signs of rain during the summer, the pain she is feeling due to having an absentee lover is freshly renewed. 

She can actually ‘feel him’ during such weather conditions in the summer season. Or put into layman’s terms, let’s say that it doesn’t appear she will be getting over the addressee anytime soon, if ever.

So conclusively, this is a song of heartbreak. The singer is lamenting the fact that she once had a lover who, by the looks of things, is gone forever.

Music Video

The official clip to this track was directed by Andrew Monahan, an avid filmographer who has numerous music videos under his belt, especially from the 1980s and 1990s. And he’s also directed a few movies, perhaps most notably 1994’s “Highlander III: The Sorcerer”.

Writing Credits for “Summer Rain”

This track was composed by songwriters Mira Vidal and Robbie Seidman. Vidal is also a singer who came out with her own hit in 1984 entitled “Body Rock”, in addition to providing backup vocals to “Summer Rain”.  

And the track was produced by Rick Nowels, a long-tenured producer whom fans of Lana Del Rey should be familiar with.

When was “Summer Rain” released?

This song can be found on Belinda Carlisle’s third-solo album, “Runaway Horses”. It came out on 3 October 1989 as the fourth song on the playlist of the album in question. 

And the following year MCA Records in the US and Virgin Records in the UK re-issued the tune as the third single from that project. 

And just to note “Runaway Horses” performed pretty well, especially across the pond where it went double-platinum and reached number four on the UK Albums Chart.  Furthermore it also caught on in Australia, being one of the top-selling albums down under for the year 1989. This was thanks to singles such as “Summer Rain” and “La Luna“.

Indeed the song itself has been certified gold in Australia. And it also charted in a handful of nations, including making its presence felt in the top 30 of both the UK Singles Chart and Billboard Hot 100.

And it looks like the Land Down Under just can’t get enough of “Summer Rain”. For in 2004 it was covered by an Australian girl group called Slinkee Minx, and that time around it topped the Australian dance chart.

Supporting Vocalists

In addition to Maria Vidal, the other background vocalists to “Summer Rain” include:

• Bekka Bramlett, the daughter of the late-1960s singer/songwriting duo Delaney & Bonnie
• Donna De Lory, who has released 10 of her own studio albums
• Ellen Shipley
• N’Dea Davenport, the former lead singer of The Brand New Heavies

Belinda Carlisle

Prior to going solo Carlisle was the lead singer of a band known as The Go-Go’s. And Carlisle’s career features her experiencing notable success as both a soloist and as a member of said group. 

For instance, she has released eight albums on her own between 1986 and 2017. And the most-successful out of the lot, “Heaven on Earth” (1987), went triple-platinum in the UK. 

Then as a member of The Go-Go’s, a band that she has been with since 1978, she led a Billboard 200-topping, RIAA double-platinum certified album in 1981’s “Beauty and the Beat”.