The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Rain City" by the artist "Turin Brakes"

In Turin Brakes' song "Rain City", the lyrical protagonist is going through an emotionally difficult period, metaphorically compared to rain.

The dream in which the protagonist's arms are broken symbolizes his helplessness and inability to control the situation ("both my arms were broken"). The feeling of despair intensifies with the approaching sunset, marking the end of something important: "Sunset time, / So help me now or at least hold on, I feel my world is crashing down / Down the spiral".

The hero clings to love as the last ray of hope, repeating: "Oh, my love, I can't let you go... Something's wrong but I can't let you go". He feels like an object of ridicule: "The world laughs cruelly at me".

Rain in the song is a multifaceted symbol. On the one hand, it embodies pain and suffering that seem to cleanse the hero from the past, "washing away the dust to a shine" from his memories. On the other hand, rain is a vicious circle, a constant reminder of pain: "It circles around me / Again and again, / And I can't let it go".

The final lines of the song emphasize the severity of the protagonist's experiences: "Too hard on my heart, / When it rains. / Oh, it tears my soul apart". Rain becomes an integral part of his reality, his "city": "When it rains, it rains so long, / In the city where I'm from...".

As Turin Brakes have noted, the song is filled with sadness, but there is also hope. Rain, though painful but cleansing, carries the potential for renewal and rebirth.