Hold Back the Rain

'Hold Back The Rain' appeared on Duran Duran's second album, Rio. Written while Duran Duran were on tour, the music was written by the band, and lyrics by Simon Le Bon.

The date given for the song's completion was March 19th, 1982.

The story behind the lyrics was told by both John and Simon in an episode of VH1's Behind The Music. Simon felt that John was "going off of the rails a little bit at that time...........John was staying out too late, taking too many drugs, drinking too much, and going home with the wrong kind of people.".

John's recollection was that no-one had warned him "about the pitfalls. It seemed like...'Drugs? That's what The Beatles did, that's what The Rolling Stones do, that's what The Clash do, why wouldn't you wanna take 'em?'.".

Instead of confronting John with his concerns, Simon wrote the lyrics to 'Hold Back The Rain'. However, it would be another twelve years before John faced up to his addictions and get clean and sober. As John said about his habits; "Sometimes you really need to take yourself to the edge in order to realise that this isn't the right place.".

To this day, Simon has no idea of what John thinks of the lyrics.

"The night I wrote it, I just slipped a copy of it under his door, and he's never even mentioned it to me, never. Never.".