Rain In The Rearview

Album: Rebel (The Beginning) (2023)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • June 7, 2017 was a heart-wrenching day in Anne Wilson's life story. On that day, her big brother, Jacob, met a tragic end in a fateful car crash aged 23.

    In this moody, skyward-bound anthem, Anne Wilson pours her heart out. She barrels through pain and heartache, leaving the wreckage of the past in her rearview mirror as she journeys toward a new beginning.

    "This is a song about moving forward; moving forward from grief; moving forward from heartbreak and from pain in our lives," said Wilson. "There's a bible verse that I love that talks about how 'weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning.' I think sometimes we get so stuck in the storms we are in, and it can look so hopeless like it's never going to end. I've been there. I felt that way when I lost my brother six years ago. I've shed my share of tears, and I still cry sometimes. I've had days when I wondered if I'd ever know joy again, but I'm learning how to keep moving forward; taking God's hand and letting him take the wheel, and I'm learning there's always a reason to wake up and face another day knowing that no matter what storm I'm facing this too shall pass. And someday when the rain from that storm I've faced is in my rearview, I'll look back and smile because I'm stronger for it and because I know who got me through it."
  • Wilson co-wrote "Rain in the Rearview" with Gabby Barrett producer Zach Kale, The Cadillac Three frontman Jaren Johnston, and CCM singer-songwriter Matthew West (also a co-writer on her breakthrough single "My Jesus").

    Zach Kale also co-produced the track with two of Wilson's go-to producers, Jeff Pardo and Jonathan Smith.
  • While Wilson initially made her mark in Contemporary Christian Music, her country-infused songwriting shone through on her debut album, My Jesus. The record even featured Lady A's Hillary Scott on the track "Mamas." This song, recorded for her three-track project Rebel (The Beginning), is her first single released to country radio.
  • Directed by TK McKamy (Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett), the song's music video is a visual allegory for Wilson's journey. It kicks off with the singer cruising in her car under the rain, and then the visuals shift, portraying her standing tall in the downpour - a symbol of discovering resilience in the face of adversity. The video wraps up with Wilson driving into the unknown, taking a courageous leap toward sunnier days ahead.

    "The three versions of me and the perspectives of all three were so accurate to how my life has been," Wilson shared with CMT. "We all go through different seasons and sometimes need the reminder that we can leave our past behind us."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

16 Songs With a Heartbeat

16 Songs With a HeartbeatSong Writing

We've heard of artists putting their hearts into their music, but some take it literally.

Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins

Tom Bailey of Thompson TwinsSongwriter Interviews

Tom stopped performing Thompson Twins songs in 1987, in part because of their personal nature: "Hold Me Now" came after an argument with his bandmate/girlfriend Alannah Currie.

Judas Priest

Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford, Richie Faulkner and Glenn Tipton talk twin guitar harmonies and explain how they create songs in Judas Priest.

Butch Vig

Butch VigSongwriter Interviews

The Garbage drummer/songwriter produced the Nirvana album Nevermind, and Smashing Pumpkins' Gish and Siamese Dream.

Loudon Wainwright III

Loudon Wainwright IIISongwriter Interviews

"Dead Skunk" became a stinker for Loudon when he felt pressure to make another hit - his latest songs deal with mortality, his son Rufus, and picking up poop.

David Bowie Lyrics Quiz

David Bowie Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

How well do you know your David Bowie lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.