The birth of a bohemian piece
At a certain point in his life, Albert Hammond earned his living playing music in the streets, living a bohemian and free life as a starving artist. Apparently, this was not a situation of dire need for him, but rather a lifestyle choice. However, his parents disapproved of his career and he had to hide from them that he was playing musician on the street. It was from this difficult experience that his biggest hit, “It Never Rains in Southern California” was born.
A metaphorical context
Initially, it would seem that rain is rare in Southern California. However, in this context, this statement is used as a metaphor. Albert Hammond composed this song based on his experiences on the street in Spain, even before he traveled to Los Angeles. The metaphor of the rain points to the artist sadness, or the feeling of being professionally repressed without a glimpse of a solution to his situation.
Verses
In the first verse, we can observe that he begins his journey with the intention of becoming a celebrity, thus marking the beginning of his journey. In the second verse, the singer appears angry, discouraged and wanting to give it all up. However, in the third verse, he asks his interlocutor, a collaborator who also knows his people at home, to let them know that he is on the verge of collapse.
Nevertheless, if we analyze all the lyrics, it seems that he is actually begging for a misleading report to be sent, in order to make them believe that he is doing better than he really is. In the refrain, Albert confirms to the recipient that, as he was warned, striking out on your own can be unfavorable, and indeed it is.
A difficult life
Ultimately, it would not be fair to call this a song of suffering or regret per se. This is because, although the central theme of the song revolves around the narrator admitting that life is difficult in his struggle to achieve a dream, the implied conclusion is that he has no intention of abandoning his quest.
A little history of this song
Albert Hammond is a singer originally from London, whose family arrived there from the nation of Gibraltar, located on the southern tip of Spain. It was with the release of this song, on October 21, 1972, that Hammond experienced his greatest success, after having been involved in the music industry for nearly a decade. The song was written by Albert Hammond with his regular songwriting collaborator, Mike Hazlewood (1941-2001). Hammond also served as producer of the track, working in conjunction with Don Altfeld.
Awards
This song reached the fifth position on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as topping the international Oricon chart in Japan and doing well in other countries such as Canada and New Zealand.
In 1972, Albert Hammond’s first studio album, titled “It Never Rains in Southern California,” was officially released. This 10-song album included his hit eponymous track, “It Never Rains in Southern California,” which had great impact. Hammond, who also worked as a record producer, collaborated with Don Altfeld in the production of the album, which was released through the U.S. record label Mums Records. In the U.S., the album peaked at number 77 on the Billboard 200.