I Can’t Stand The Rain | Chords + Lyrics (key of A)
Intro
| A7 | A7 |
Verse 1
| A7 | A7 | A7 | A7 |
I can’t stand the rain, against my window, bringing back sweet memories.
| A6 | A6 | D6 | A6 |
Hey window pane, do you remember, how sweet it used to be.
Chorus 1
| G | G | A | A |
When we were together, yeah, everything was so grand.
| C | C | Bm7 | E7 |
Now that we’ve parted, there’s just one sound that I just can’t stand.
Verse 2
| A7 | A7 | D7 | A7 |
I can’t stand the rain, against my window, bringing back sweet memories.
| A6 | A6 | D7 | A6 |
I can’t stand the rain, against my window, ’cause he not here with me.
Chorus 2
| G5 | G5 | A | A |
Oh, where the pillow, where his head used to lay, yeah.
| C | C | Bm7 | E7 |
I know you’ve got some sweet memories, but like the window, you ain’t got nothing to say. Yeah.
Instrumental
| A A6 Aadd9 | G Gadd9 | A A6 Aadd9 | C |
Verse 3
| A6 | A6 | D7 | A7 |
Well, I can’t stand the rain, against my window, bringing back sweet memories.
| A6 | A6 | D7 | A7 |
I can’t stand the rain, against my window, yeah, ’cause you’re not here with me.
| A7 | A7 | D7 | A7 |
I can’t stand the rain. Yeah. I can’t stand the rain. Mm-hm.
I Can’t Stand The Rain | Chords + Lyrics (original key)
Intro
| Ab7 | Ab7 |
Verse 1
| Ab7 | Ab7 | Ab7 | Ab7 |
I can’t stand the rain, against my window, bringing back sweet memories.
| Ab7 | Ab7 | Db7 | Ab7 |
Hey window pane, do you remember, how sweet it used to be.
Chorus 1
| Gb | Gb | Ab | Ab |
When we were together, yeah, everything was so grand.
| B | B | Bbm7 | Eb7 |
Now that we’ve parted, there’s just one sound that I just can’t stand.
Verse 2
| Ab7 | Ab7 | Db7 | Ab7 |
I can’t stand the rain, against my window, bringing back sweet memories.
| Ab7 | Ab7 | Db7 | Ab7 |
I can’t stand the rain, against my window, ’cause he not here with me.
Chorus 2
| Gb | Gb | Ab | Ab |
Oh, where the pillow, where his head used to lay, yeah.
| B | B | Bbm7 | Eb7 |
I know you’ve got some sweet memories, but like the window, you ain’t got nothing to say. Yeah.
Instrumental
| Ab Ab6 Abadd9 | Gb Gbadd9 | Ab Ab6 Abadd9 | B |
Verse 3
| Ab7 | Ab7 | Db7 | Ab7 |
Well, I can’t stand the rain, against my window, bringing back sweet memories.
| Ab7 | Ab7 | Db7 | Ab7 |
I can’t stand the rain, against my window, yeah, ’cause you’re not here with me.
| Ab7 | Ab7 | Db7 | Ab7 |
I can’t stand the rain. Yeah. I can’t stand the rain. Mm-hm.
I Can’t Stand The Rain’s chords and progressions
Ann Peebles‘s I Can’t Stand The Rain is not just a blues, it’s more complicated than that. Let’s analyze this very clever tune, we’ll stick to the key of A as that’s easier.
The intro is an A7 arpeggio. For the verse, we either continue playing the arpeggio riff or play a standard A to A6 honky-tonk part. This is then moved to the D chord as well.
You could describe I Can’t Stand The Rain’s verse chords as a 12-bar Blues, but without a turnaround, like this:
| A6 | A6 | D6 | A6 |
| A6 | A6 | D6 | A6 |
| A6 | A6 | D6 | A6 |
The chorus is much more adventurous starting on a bVIIx (G) before we go back to A, then a C (bIIIx), before we resolve with a II – V. Like this:
| G | G | A | A |
| C | C | Bm7 | E7 |
You could see these chords as a modal interchange as well, borrowing the C and G chords from the key of Am.
This is the final song in the intermediate acoustic course, we learn it in just five steps by practicing with loops for each section.
Following this, we create a 2nd guitar part and play the vocal melody for both the verse and the chorus.
Here’s a link to the complete lesson series (members only): I Can’t Stand The Rain 8 step-by-step guitar lessons with TAB.
Become a member today and get unlimited access to all step-by-step guitar courses, TAB for the songbook, the Self-Eliminating Practice Routine, and the eBook Spytunes Method.
I Can’t Stan The Rain’s has many famous covers!
I Can’t Stand The Rain has been recorded by many artists. Humble Pie recorded their version in 1974, and so did Ronnie Wood in 1975.
Eruption had their biggest hit with the song in 1978, and Lowell George (of Little Feet) dropped his version in 1979.
Tina Turner released her version in 1984 on the album Private Dancer and then the following year as a single.
Bad Manners recorded their version in 1993 and Missy Elliot decided that it was enough to just sample the chorus for her track The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) in 1997.
Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave) recorded his version in 2006 and as recently as 2008, Seal decided that he should include I Can’t Stand The Rain on his album Soul.
I’ve included these cover versions of I Can’t Stand The Rain in the playlist at the top of this page.
I Can’t Stand The Rain chords | Related pages
Intermediate Acoustic
Most intermediate acoustic tunes can’t be played using just basic open-position chords. We have to move up the fretboard and play CAGED barre chords as well.
We incorporate bass lines, add licks, extend chords, and play vocal melodies. Most importantly, we’ll invent second guitar parts and play these songs together.
Intermediate Electric
The intermediate electric tunes will help you with learning the CAGED system all over the fretboard, both for chords and pentatonic scales.
Learn these Motown/Soul classics, and you’ll not just improve dramatically but also gain yourself a repertoire.
Five similar tunes with chords and lyrics
Ann Peebles
Ann Peebles is an internationally acclaimed singer and songwriter, best known for her popular Memphis soul albums of the 70s on Hi Records.
Two of her better-known tunes are I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down and I Can’t Stand The Rain.
Ann Peebles on the web
Motown & Soul
You can learn how to play these Motown & Soul tunes, and in doing so, gain yourself a repertoire so you can jam with, or even join a working band.
Study these tunes in-depth and you will map out the fretboard, master the CAGED system, and learn how to design a rhythm guitar part that works in a band.
