☝️ Key Points
- The song is about experiencing a breakup or unrequited love and the resulting heartache
- The protagonist decides not to show his sadness publicly; his pride prevents him from displaying his pain
- He uses the metaphor of 'rain' to hide his tears and not appear weak
- Despite the sadness, the protagonist remains optimistic and hopes for a happier future, as the lyrics 'Someday when my crying's done / I'm gonna wear a smile and / Walk in the sun' suggest
- 'Crying in the Rain' is thus a narrative about hiding pain, preserving dignity, and hoping for happiness after a period of suffering
Interpretation
The lyrics of 'Crying in the Rain' by
A-Ha are about heartbreak and how to deal with it. The protagonist of the song is going through a breakup or unrequited love, which is expressed in the lines 'The way my broken heart / Is hurting me'. He feels a deep pain, but chooses not to show his sadness publicly. This is evident in the lines 'I've got my pride and / I know how to hide / All the sorrow and pain'. He decides to hide his pain in the rain, which is metaphorical for the tears he cries when no one is looking. The lines 'If I wait for stormy skies / You won't know the rain / From the tears in my eyes' further illustrate this. He hopes that his heartache will remain hidden in the rain so that the person he still loves doesn't see him as weak. Despite his deep sadness, the protagonist displays a positive attitude and hope for better times in the future. This is reflected in the lines 'Someday when my crying's done / I'm gonna wear a smile and / Walk in the sun'. Overall, 'Crying in the Rain' is a song about hiding pain, pride, and hope for happiness after heartbreak.