Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)

Melanie Safka. Lay Down. Candles In The Rain. 1970.

Lay down, lay down, lay it all down
Let your white birds smile up
At the ones who stand and frown
Lay down, lay it down, lay it all down
Let your white birds smile up
At the ones who stand and frown

We were so close, there was no room
We bled inside each others wounds
We all had caught the same disease
And we all sang the songs of peace

So raise the candles high, 'cause if you don't
We could stay black against the night
Oh raise them higher again and if you do
We could stay dry against the rain

We were so close, there was no room...

Some came to sing, some came to pray
Some came to keep the dark away

So raise the candles high...black against the sky...

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oh, this song brought back memories from my high school days, when I and my friends explored sexual relationships along with interracial ones…. and when you got beat up, threatened to be kicked out of your high school and home for who you date…. well, you really do bleed inside each others wounds.

We also dealt with a death – a younger sister of one of our friends died of sickle cell. That event actually did help open the eyes of some of our parents and teachers…. made then rethink what was really important. We were just trying to survive and grow up.

My boyfriend and some of my circle of friends were also singers and musicians, and this was one of the songs they did. It was an intense time – we laid it on down ….. AND we stood our ground.