“She’s My Kind of Rain”
Tim McGraw
Written by Tommy Lee James and Robin Lerner
Radio & Records
#1 (2 weeks)
May 9 – May 16, 2003
This song doesn’t make any sense.
Look, I’m all about a good metaphor. Inject “The River and the Highway” or “The Matador” directly into my veins, and I’ll die a happy man.
But this song doesn’t make any sense.
She’s the sunset’s shadowsShe’s like Rembrandt’s lightShe’s the history that’s made at nightShe’s my lost companionShe’s my dreamin’ treeTogether in this brief eternity
I’d be super impressed by this at a freestyle poetry jam, but as a country song, this just isn’t up to snuff.
Which is a shame because McGraw gives one of his most earnest and heartfelt performances, and I dig the arrangement and musicianship, too.
But this song doesn’t make any sense.
“She’s My Kind of Rain ” gets a C.
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This song was definitely more about the vibe rather than coherent lyrics. I remember loving the shot of Faith and the kids at the end of the video lol. I loved the Dancehall Doctors album. The performances from Tim and the band sound so warm and live and the production really highlights that – this song included.
I went into this song with fresh ears for this feature. It annoyed me to my last nerve back in 2003, especially as it nudged closer to #1 when the vastly superior predecessor “Red Ragtop” didn’t. Still, it was different…and maybe “different” would sound better to my theoretically more refined musical palate than it did when I was 25. Unfortunately, the verdict didn’t improve much.
On one hand, I have a measure of respect for Tim McGraw for recording something so avant garde to mainstream country radio, but it just comes across as artificial. It’s every bit as pretentiously artsy-smartsy as it is schmaltzy, and I don’t think any mainstream artist could pull it off.
Worse yet, it would be the first in a series of Tim McGraw hits that partially undid his halcyon era that preceded it. I should give the Dancehall Doctors in full to give it a fair hearing, but outside of the aforementioned “Red Ragtop”, I sure didn’t care for the singles.
Grade: D
Go figure, this is my favorite Tim McGraw song; no particular reason other than it just is. Grade: A
I initially thought this song was a shitpost.
I like it now for its absurdity. Ranks up there with “When the Stars Go Blue” in that regard.