rainy night in georgia

Brooke Benton on the radio just now, singing Rainy Night in Georgia. Talk about a flashback.

1969. I am at Fort Gordon, Georgia. Army AIT, our training school. I had been drafted and didn't want to be there. In general, though, it wasn't that bad. I met people and made friends and did stuff. I was in great shape, of course and it wasn't one solid misery.

However, I wanted to be home.

It was raining, a miserable night in general. I was homesick, sitting looking out the window, wishing I was home with my girlfriend and my family. Just when I didn't think it could get any worse, Brooke Benton began to sing. A rainy night in Georgia, such a rainy night in Georgia. Lord, I believe it's raining all over the world.

And, you know, I believe it could very well be. It was sure coming down in my corner of  the world, sitting in an army barracks on a lousy army base, having to wear army clothes and eat army food.

I wanted to go home so bad. And every time I hear that song I get that feeling so bad again. Even though it has been 40 years, I can still feel the pull of that song, the feeling of being alone, and, at the time, so far from home. I didn’t realize I would go even further within the year, and over life.

But I did. And I lived through the rain that night and the intense loneliness the song evoked with me.

Late at night when it's hard to rest
I hold your picture to my chest and I feel fine
But it's a rainy night in Georgia, baby,
it's a rainy night in Georgia
I feel it's rainin' all over the world, kinda lonely now
And it's rainin' all over the world
Oh, have you ever been lonely, people?
And you feel that it was rainin' all over this man's world
You're talking 'bout rainin',

What a song.