And it seems that time has brought things to an end, nothing's changed "Falling of the Rain" is not one of Billy Joel's finest in my opinion, yet many Billy Joel fans consider this to be one of his better early songs. Lyrically, at times it is a bit corny and the symbolism a bit strained such as the lines: "In the forest green lived a girl who put her hair in braids/And she sang as she walked all about the wooded glades." One wonders when the unicorns and satyrs will appear. Billy said on SiriusXM in or about 2016 that the lyrics were one of his least favorites. Nonetheless, the overall sentiment and picture portrayed by the lyrics does come across clearly, and a few awkward phrases do not detract from the lyrics' overall effect.
The song seems to try to emulate some of The Beatles' mystical or episodic songs in theme and structure such as "Fool On The Hill," "Eleanor Rigby," or "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds," but is not as effective. Musically, it is pleasant enough, and Billy again displays his fantastic piano skills. 
Program from the Schaefer Music Festival in Central Park from June 15, 1972 featuring Jose Feliciano and Billy Joel. Courtesy: Robert Berger. Click to enlarge.
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Words and Music by Billy Joel Once upon a time in the land of misty satin dreams There stood a house and a man who painted nature scenes He painted trees and fields and animals and streams and he stayed And he did not hear the falling of the rain Ah, no he did not hear the falling of the rain In the forest green lived a girl who put her hair in braids And she sang as she walked all about the wooded glades She was glad when the rain came falling on her face and she sang 'Cause she did not mind the falling of the rain Ah, no she did not mind the falling of the rain Will it always be the same as we recall? Does it touch you when the rain begins to fall? Ah, but I don't want to know and I don't want to see Another rainy day without you lying next to me, ah High upon a hill far away from all the dusty crowd is a boy With his eyes on the ground; his head is bowed; he is a fool And his mind is filled with hopeless dreams and he waits But he will not see the falling of the rain Ah, no he will not see the falling of the rain Will it always be the same as we recall? Does it touch you when the rain begins to fall? Ah, but I don't want to know and I don't want to see Another rainy day without you lying next to me So now the boy becomes the man who sits and paints all day But the girl with the braids in her hair has gone away And it seems that time has brought things to an end; nothing's changed 'Cause you can't stop the falling of the rain. No, you can't stop the falling of the rain. 
Andrew Wyeth's Christina's World (1947) reminds me of "Falling of the Rain." Like the song, this iconic painting explores a person's interaction with nature and the physical world which in turn reveals the person's inner psyche. As MOMA stated: "The title Christina’s World, courtesy of Wyeth’s wife, indicates that the painting is more a psychological landscape than a portrait, a portrayal of a state of mind rather than a place." (Also, Ron Rosenbaum cringes and no one cares, instead see a better article: Let Us Now Praise Billy Joel.)
Background photo: Weebly image. |
Videos
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"Falling of the Rain" (audio only) from the 1983 version of Cold Spring Harbor. © 1971, 1983 Sony Music Entertainment.
Billy sings (and mocks) "Falling of The Rain" at the New Yorker Festival in October 2015, upon a fan's request.
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Live version (audio only) of "Falling of the Rain" from the Live on WMMR (Sigma Sound Studios) radio concert.
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