englishRock

Mandolin Rain Lyrics

by Bruce Hornsby

20 views • Published on Oct 2, 2026

Mandolin Rain Lyrics

The song came and went Like the times that we spent Hiding out from the rain under the carnival tent I laughed and she'd smile It would last for awhile You don't know what you got Till you lose it all again Listen to the mandolin rain Listen to the music on the lake Listen to my heart break every time she runs away Listen to the banjo wind a sad song drifting low Listen to the tears flow Down my face as she turns to go A cool evening wind Lstening the blue grass band takes the chill From the air till they play the last song I'll do my time Keeping you off my mind But there's moments that I find I'm not feeling so strong Listen to the mandolin rain Listen to the music on the lake Listen to my heart break every time she runs away Listen to the banjo wind a sad song drifting low Listen to the tears flow Down my face as she turns to go Running down by the lakeshore She did love the sound of a summer storm It played on the lake like a mandolin Now it's washing her away once again Listen to the mandolin rain Listen to the music on the lake Listen to my heart break every time she runs away Listen to the banjo wind a sad song drifting low Listen to the tears flow Down my face as she turns to go The boat's steaming in I watched the sidewheel spin and I think about her when I hear that whistle blow I can't change my mind I knew all the time she'd go But that's a choice I made long ago Listen to the mandolin rain Listen to the music on the lake Listen to my heart break every time she runs away Listen to the banjo wind a sad song drifting low Listen to the tears flow Down my face as she turns to go Listen to the tears roll down my face as she turns to go Listen to the tears roll down my face as she turns to go Listen to the mandolin rain...

Meaning of Mandolin Rain

“Mandolin Rain” is a poignant reflection on lost love and the bittersweet acceptance of inevitable departure. The song evokes a deep sense of melancholy, using evocative imagery – a carnival tent, a lakeside mandolin, a drifting banjo wind – to paint a picture of fleeting joy now tainted by sorrow. Bruce Hornsby’s music acts as a soundtrack to heartbreak, mirroring the cyclical nature of pain with each repetition of “Listen to the mandolin rain,” emphasizing the persistent ache within the narrator’s heart. He acknowledges his own complicity in her leaving, recognizing that he knew this outcome was likely and accepting it with a quiet resignation. Despite attempts to move on, the music itself – particularly the lake’s echoing melody – continually triggers memories and reinforces the emotional devastation, illustrating how some wounds never truly heal, only linger like a mournful tune.

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