"What Have They Done to the Rain", a song written by Malvina Reynolds:
Just a little rain falling all around
The grass lifts its head to the heavenly sound
Just a little rain, just a little rain
What have they done to the rain
Just a little boy standing in the rain
The gentle rain that falls for years
And the grass is gone, the boy disappears
And rain keeps falling like helpless tears
And what have they done to the rain
Just a little breeze out of the sky
The leaves nod their head as the breeze blows by
Just a little breeze with some smoke in its eye
What have they done to the rain
Just a little boy standing in the rain
The gentle rain that falls for years
And the grass is gone, the boy disappears
And rain keeps falling like helpless tears
And what have they done to the rain
What have they done to the rain
More about the story of this song
here
I first heard it by
Marianne Faithfull, but it was also previously, and marvellously covered by
Joan Baez, and it was also a hit for
The Searchers in 1964, a kind of Byrdsian version.
In short: what a song...