“Rainy Night in Georgia” ©

I woke up this Monday morning to a beautiful sounding rain outside, and my mind went immediately to a song that I dare say is familiar to most in our generation, “Rainy Night in Georgia.” I thought that would be an interesting topic for today’s column; music just has a way of transporting me (and I suspect most of us) back in our lives to when we first heard a song. In my case, 1969, the year we were married. So here’s a little bit of history about the song from Wikipedia:

“Rainy Night in Georgia” is a song written by Tony Joe White in 1967 and popularized by R&B vocalist Brook Benton in 1970. In a January 17, 2014 interview with music journalist Ray Shasho, Tony Joe White explained the thought process behind the making of “Rainy Night in Georgia.”

“When I got out of high school, I went to Marietta, Georgia, I had a sister living there. I went down there to get a job and I was playing guitar, too, at the house and stuff. I drove a dump truck for the highway department and when it would rain, you didn’t have to go to work. You could stay home and play your guitar and hangout all night. So, those thoughts came back to me when I moved on to Texas. About three months later, I heard “Ode to Billie Joe” on the radio and I thought, man, how real, because I am Billie Joe, I know that life. I’ve been in the cotton fields. So I thought, if I ever tried to write, I’m going to write about something I know about.”

The song has also been recorded by a Who’s Who list of musicians from our generation; so many in fact, that I don’t want to take the space to list them here.

I always find it fascinating to read the history of these songs that we grew up with, especially the ones that have played such a large role in our popular culture. Think about it, a young dump truck driver out in Texas got the idea and inspiration to write this song from his own life’s experience after listening to Bobby Lee Gentry of “Ode to Billy Joe” fame. And just like that, he’s got a “Million Seller” on his hands! I thank the Lord for the good old USA where opportunities like that abound for any of us who are willing to pursue our dreams and work to fulfill them.

Now to change gears a bit from “Rainy Night in Georgia,” I am so thankful for the rainy days and nights we’ve had this summer. The pastures and crops in middle Georgia have never looked so green and healthy as they do this year.

And less we take it for granted, I want to remind you that much of the Western USA is suffering drought conditions while in Louisiana and New York, our fellow citizens are suffering from flooding caused by hurricane Ida. Not only here, but all around the globe, people are suffering from unprecedented flooding. We can never take the blessing of favorable weather for granted.

And finally, here are some words from The “Rain Maker” Himself, Jesus, from Mathew 24:37-39: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”

Keep looking up, are you ready to meet “The Rainmaker?”

Thanks for reading All About Seniors … see you next week!

Bill Milby is a Director of Visiting Angels® of Central Georgia, a non-medical, living assistance service for seniors. If you have questions or comments about this column you can reach him at william.mercylink@gmail.com or search for us at https://www.facebook.com/VisitingAngelsofCentralGA/.

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