music.wikisort.org - Composition

"Early Morning Rain," sometimes styled as "Early Mornin' Rain," is a song written, composed, and recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. The song appears on his 1966 debut album Lightfoot! and, in a re-recorded version, on the 1975 compilation Gord's Gold.

"Early Morning Rain"
Song by Gordon Lightfoot
from the album Lightfoot!
Released	1966
Songwriter(s)	Gordon Lightfoot

Background

Lightfoot wrote and composed the song in 1964, but its genesis took root during his 1960 sojourn in Westlake, Los Angeles. Throughout this time, Lightfoot sometimes became homesick and would go out to the Los Angeles International Airport on rainy days to watch the approaching aircraft.[1] The imagery of the flights taking off into the overcast sky was still with him when, in 1964, he was caring for his 5-month-old baby son and he thought, "I’ll put him over here in his crib, and I’ll write myself a tune."[2] "Early Morning Rain" was the result.

The lyrics suggest someone down on his luck, standing at an airport fence and observing the thunderous takeoff of a Boeing 707 jet airliner. The general narrative of the song can be taken as a jet-age musical allegory to a hobo of yesteryear lurking around a railroad yard attempting to surreptitiously board and ride a freight train to get home. Lightfoot reflects that being able to capture this narrative was due to his steady improvement as a songwriter.^{[citation needed]}

Notable recordings and performances

"Early Morning Rain"
Single by George Hamilton IV
from the album Steel Rail Blues
B-side	"Slightly Used"
Released	August 1966
Genre	Folk
Length	2:45
Label	RCA
Songwriter(s)	Gordon Lightfoot
Producer(s)	Chet Atkins
George Hamilton IV singles chronology
"Steel Rail Blues" (1966) "Early Morning Rain" (1966) "Urge for Going" (1967)

In 1965, the Canadian husband and wife duo Ian & Sylvia were the first artists to release this song. There was over a year's time lag between their recording and Lightfoot's release in 1966. Peter Paul and Mary's version of the song was also recorded in 1965, reaching No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 in that year. The Grateful Dead also recorded the song in 1965, and We Five released a version on their 1970 album, Catch the Wind.[3]

Hit singles

• 1965 – Peter, Paul and Mary – No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100[4]
• 1966 – George Hamilton IV – No. 9 on the country chart[5]
• 1971 – Oliver, Prism – No. 38 on the adult contemporary chart and No. 124 on the Billboard Hot 100[6]
• 2005 – Paul Weller – No. 40 in the United Kingdom

Appearances on hit albums

• 1965 – Ian & Sylvia, Early Morning Rain – No. 77 on the Billboard 200[7]
• 1965 – Judy Collins, Fifth Album – No. 69 on the Billboard 200[8]
• 1965 – Peter, Paul and Mary, See What Tomorrow Brings – No. 11 on the Billboard 200[9]
• 1966 – Chad & Jeremy, Distant Shores – No. 61 on the Billboard 200[10]
• 1966 – George Hamilton IV, Steel Rail Blues – No. 3 on the Country Albums chart[11]
• 1967 – Roy Drusky, Now is a Lonely Time – No. 31 on the USA Country.
• 1970 – Rank Strangers "Country Our Way" – No. 2 on the Swedish chart list
• 1970 – Bob Dylan, Self Portrait – No. 4 on the Billboard 200[12]
• 1971 – Jerry Reed, Ko-Ko Joe – No. 153 on the Billboard 200, No. 7 on Country Albums[13]
• 1972 – Elvis Presley, Elvis Now – No. 43 on the Billboard 200[14]
• 1973 – Jerry Lee Lewis, The Session – No. 37 on the Billboard 200[15]
• 1975 – Gordon Lightfoot, Gord's Gold – No. 34 on the Billboard 200[16]
• 1977 – Elvis Presley, Elvis in Concert – No. 5 on the Billboard 200[14]
• 2002 – Eva Cassidy, Imagine – No. 1 on UK album charts
• 2004 – Wendy Matthews, Café Naturale – No. 42 on the Australian Album Charts
• 2004 – Paul Weller, Studio 150 – No. 2 on the UK album charts
• 2014 – Neil Young, A Letter Home – No. 13 on the Billboard 200
• 2016 – Billy Bragg and Joe Henry, "Shine a Light: Field Recordings from the Great American Railroad" – No. 28 on the UK Album Charts

See also

• List of train songs

References

---