Day 15: She's in the Rain - The Rose

Song: She's in the Rain
Artist: The Rose
Jan 15

I spent the better part of the day a complete slave to my emotions. For no reason whatsoever I found myself on the verge of tears and my shuffle was not helping. Some days it is just really difficult  for me to plaster on a smile despite how hard I try. 

The stutter of the guitar as our intro is an interesting choice musically. Heavily accented and staccato it's almost percussive. I've literally repeated this four second intro about ten times trying to grasp what it reminds me of but I keep coming up with a feeling of isolation. As if someone is trapped and trying to break through whatever barrier is caging them. The guitar stops as Woosung enters singing acapella the guitar rejoining with the same melody except this time it's movement is fluid and somewhat lyrical. The contrast here is stunning. The guitar post vocal is like the sun shining through a summer shower, so very warm and bright. My mental picture is a world entirely in black and white until our vocalist looks down at the person he is singing to and suddenly burst of colors begin to bloom. Just small patches until we reach the post chorus break and the world is entirely, brilliantly in full color. I also want to spend a moment to discuss the contrast between Dojoon and Woosung's vocal. Woosung has this salty kind of edge to his voice where as Dojoon is smooth and viscous, like caramel. There's a stark difference but together they make for a truly delectable duo. One moment that sticks out in particular is the transition from Dojoon's first phrase into Woosung again. There is so much warmth in the tone Dojoon establishes that dissipates into an airy staccato from Woosung punching his consonants in a way that feels like a jab to the heart. I've talked in the past about the "yodel vibrato" Woosung uses and in the case of "She's in the Rain" it feels so pleading and desperate that it literally takes my breath away.  The addition of the orchestral strings creates a new layer of emotion, somber and raw. I find myself entirely in awe of how the "sunny guitar" plays throughout but gets lost to the ear under the sadness of the strings playing in the front. Just like in life, the negative overshadows the good.  It's such a clever yet subtle touch but I love it all the same. There is a grandness to the sweeping musical interludes. They are powerful, compelling, and so full of emotion that it's completely overwhelming. The most striking moment, however, happens in the final verse before the outro. The music before the verse seems to be building steadily but instead of the satisfaction of an illustrious interlude we are rewarded with the pained vocal of Woosung, that is almost a wail, echoing over the soft strums of Sunshine, the guitar. The entire verse feels like the embrace you see on dramas, strong, desperate, and clingy; it refuses to let go and full of "lean on me" energy. And then it happens. The swirling and larger than life build we had been anticipating washes over us like a sweet release.

I remember when I first heard this song on the day of its release. I was sitting in my sister's apartment excited about a new release and had to blindly assess the meaning of the song without the lyric translation (both an exciting but frustrating aspect to listening to music in another language). One thing that I was sure of though is that the song was about first the feelings of depression but also someone reaching out to the person battling the depression. It helped that there were key phrases in English but ultimately the song just does a fantastic job of encapsulating these emotions.

"I've lost interest in everything
Do you hear me
As I walked down the street, I saw a different way
I turned around and found no one
The dreams I've been after, I follow them"

The first bit is pretty cut and dry but as we move through the verse we see that the singer is alone. I interpret his "seeing a different way but turning around and finding no one" as not having a support system. There is no one backing him in his journey towards his dreams or even, it appears, through life. 

"I'm dying inside
I wanna think that it's a lie why why
Even if I shout there is no answer
A flood of loneliness
In the rain rain rain" 

It's important for me to note here that I think that this portion of the lyrics and the verse previous are told from a different perspective. The "she" as it were. This person is our sufferer. Consumed by feelings of loneliness.

"She's in the rain
When I look at how beautiful you are
Time Stops
It's hard to even open my eyes now"

We've shifted perspectives here to the person who bears witness to her depression and loneliness and for the duration of the song we stay in this POV.

"She's in the rain
You wanna hurt yourself I'll stay with you
You wanna make yourself go through the pain
It's better to be held than holding on"

Not only does this verse give me goosebumps every time I hear it but I feel consumed with emotion. Being there for someone that is fighting with the kind of severe depression "she" is dealing with can be a lot for people to handle. And a lot of times people pull away, I'm sure there are a variety of reasons people give but if we're being honest it is the "easy" way to deal with it. Our singer is not choosing the easy way. This verse always reminds me of a friend I had through middle and high school. We gradually grew apart as adulthood took us on separate paths but I remember the scars on her arms and witnessing her make shallow cuts during class. I have never been one to walk away, so maybe that's why this verse hits me so hard, and told her that any time she had the urge to just squeeze my hand. And I'm not going to lie, she would squeeze the shit out of my hand to the point that I would have deep marks from her finger nails but you know what, I would happily live with those claw marks than have just watched in silence, leaving her entirely alone. 

"We're in the rain
In this falling rain
I fill the scattered you
So I could see how beautiful you are"

Tears. I really don't have anything further to say. Just so many tears.

Lyric that attacked me:
"It's better to be held than holding on"

Song Color: Misty Ashy Lavender 

Mood: Emotional Wreck