Een klassieke homecoming song over een man die na een lange zwerftocht terugkeert naar zijn geboortegrond in Louisiana en zowel spiritueel als fysiek gereinigd wordt door de regen in Louisiana (Louisiana rain is falling just like tears/Running down my face, washing out the years). Onder druk van de platenmaatschappij veranderde Tom Petty de tekst van het derde couplet, waarin wat al te nadrukkelijk werd gerefereerd aan cocaïnegebruik: South Carolina put out its arms for me/Right up till everything went black/Somewhere on Lonely Street/And it was just that evil poison/That I put up my nose/Thank god for a long-neck bottle/The angels’ antidote. De oorspronkelijke tekst is te horen op een aantal live-opnames.
Well it was out in California by the San Diego sea
That was when I was taken in and it left its mark on me
Yeah she nearly drove me crazy with all those China toys
And I know she really didn’t mean a thing to any of those sailor boys
Louisiana rain is falling at my feet
Baby I’m noticing the change as I move down the street
Louisiana rain is soaking through my shoes
I may never be the same when I reach Baton Rouge
South Carolina put out its arms for me
Right up until everything went black somewhere on Lonely Street
And I still can’t quite remember who helped me to my feet
Thank God for a love that followed the angel’s remedy
Louisiana rain is falling just like tears
Running down my face, washing out the years
Louisiana rain is soaking through my shoes
I may never be the same when I reach Baton Rouge
Well I never will get over this English refugee
Singing to the jukebox in some all-night beanery
Yeah he was eating pills like candy and chasing them with tea
You should have seen him lick his lips, that old black muddied beak
Louisiana rain is falling at my feet
Baby I’m noticing the change as I move down the street
Louisian rain is soaking through my shoes
I may never be the same when I reach Baton Rouge
Louisiana rain is falling just like tears
Running down my face, washing out the years
Louisiana rain is soaking through my shoes
I may never be the same when I reach Baton Rouge
Uitgelichte afbeelding: Door jc.winkler – Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41231044
