Rain Dance - Guess Who (1971 (3/26/23

Today, we're heading up to the Great White North for an almost forgotten "Great Song" from Winnipeg's own Guess Who.

1971's "Rain Dance" was half rock & roll and half First nation rhythms, and was a big hit all across Canada (#3) and the Northern US, reaching #19 overall on Billboard's Hot 100. The song was written by group members Burton Cummings and Kurt Winter, and to this day, people have wanted to know about Christopher, the Astronomer, and John with the gun. According to Burton, Christopher and the astronomer only existed to help with the rhyme scheme. John, however, was was Burton's actual next door neighbor, and he had a gun. As to what it all means, that's up to you. According to Burton, "The song was finished in about 25 minutes. We just put the pieces together, had a cold beer, put it on a reel, then went to Chicago and made a record." I guess you'll have to give it a listen and come up with your own theory. "Rain Dance" by The Guess Who: a "Great Canadian Song" from 1971! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn_i-8BZy8Q Coming Soon: Great Songs of the '80s!