Rain did fall

Lyrics

[OPENING — SOLO VOICE, SPOKEN SOFTLY] well, the greatest drought that had ever been, it was so dry that year. the birds could not find water, the trees weren’t deep enough. and man, well man just hoped Mother Nature would come to the rescue. when it finally did,….. we hoped for more…. at least… the rain did fall [SUNG / CHOIR JOINS] the rain did fall. on the cracked ol’ ground, through the dry air, across the dusty stone — the rain did fall. [REFRAIN] oh, the rain did fall, an’ we heard un on the roof, rain did fall, an’ the thirsty earth knew truth. weren’t enough to end it, weren’t enough at all — but bless what little come to us, the rain did fall. [VERSE] down by the Ooze, there’s a change in the land, wet chalk, wet grass, black earth in yer hand. Uck’s got a trickle where dust used to lie, an’ every old ditch got a watery cry. some crops be ruined, some gone brown, some never made it out the ground — but what can be gathered, we’ll gather yet, what can be saved, we wunt forget. [TURNAROUND — CALL AND RESPONSE] [LEAD:] what come down then? [ALL:] rain come down! [LEAD:] where did un fall? [ALL:] over us all! on the cracked ol’ ground, through the dry air, across the dusty stone — the rain did fall. [INSTRUMENTAL — 8 BARS] [fiddle, hand drum, acoustic guitar, foot-stomp — lively, a bit of a dance now] [SECOND REFRAIN] oh, the rain did fall, hear the gutters sing, rain did fall, put a bit o’ green in everything. drought aaint over, there’s a way to go — but every journey starts somewhere, an’ now the streams do flow. [BREAKDOWN — QUIETER, INTIMATE] old Mister Lunn looked up an’ grinned, “don’t count yer blessings till it’s soaked right in.” but even he stood out a while, rain on his coat — an’ a proper little smile. [FINAL REFRAIN — FULL COMPANY] the rain did fall! the rain did fall! on the cracked ol’ ground, through the dry air, across the dusty stone — the rain did fall! not enough yet, but enough to start, a drop for the field, an’ a lift for the heart. what can be gathered, we’ll gather it all — Sussex stood thirsty… an’ the rain did fall. [OUTRO — VOICES AND FIDDLE] rain did fall… rain did fall… not the end — just a start. rain did fall.