Hippies, much like punk-rockers, have a habit of reappearing every couple of generations. And that’s very much what it seemed like fate had in store when it provided Blind Melon with “No Rain,” one of the biggest hits of the 1990s, and one of the greatest alternative songs of the 1990s.
Was there a follow-up? Not exactly. But why is that? And what do the lyrics of the song have to do with the iconic Bee Girl shown in the famous music video? Here’s something worth my time, and let me try to answer that for you.
Blind Melon’s Road to Making “No Rain
Hippies? Sure! Blind Melon’s band members wouldn’t mind if you described them that way. They certainly didn’t opt for the style once they made it to Hollywood as a way to boost the band’s nascent fame.
Blind Melon was formed, in fact, in Los Angeles. However, most of them had travelled here in search of fame and fortune. Singer Shannon Hoon was, for example, for Indiana, just as was Axl Rose of Guns n’ Roses. That little tidbit will play a part in just a couple of paragraphs.
Unlike their contemporaries, Blind Melon really did like old hippie music and classic rock. Theirs was the musical world of Lynyrd Skynyrd and CSN&Y.
In 1991, the group secured a deal with Capitol Records, which saw potential in the group. But before the album was even out, old pal Axl Rose had hooked up Hoon with a vocal feature on “Don’t Cry”, one of the biggest singles of the early ‘90s.
It wasn’t until late 1992 that the band’s self-titled debut, the one featuring the Bee Girl on the cover, and “No Rain,” was finally released. It was a quick rise to the top. But the good times couldn’t last too long.
Meaning of the Lyrics to “No Rain”
Like the best singer of the 1990s, people like Jeff Buckley, there’s something that sounds vaguely spiritual in Shannon Hoon’s vocals. Whereas Layne Staley or Eddie Vedder had great weight and distortion in their vocals, Hoon relied on soft, melancholy singing to get his words across.
What do the lyrics to “No Rain” actually mean? “No Rain” is bassist Brad Smith’s plea for understanding those who aren’t go-getters, aren’t doing things in hopes of great success and learn to get by with the little joys of life.
Smith said: “The song is about not being able to get out of bed and find excuses to face the day when you have really, in a way, nothing.”
The track was written years before Blind Melon was actually formed. It was brought by Smith to the band, which was signed in 1991 on the strength of a meagre four-song repertoire.
Ironically, one of the first places where the song was actually performed live was Venice Beach, California, where Smith had written the song and performed it in exchange for the audience’s spare dimes and nickels. He said, “That’s where the lyric and the song were inspired from, just having to write a song. Then, being in the state of mind I was in and having to come up with material to go play down on the beach for a change. I played that song on the beach for change for over a year before Shannon Hoon actually joined the band and really made that song a hit.“
Blind Melon’s Music Video for “No Rain”
“No Rain” was certainly aided in its success by being promoted through one of the most memorable music videos of the 1990s.
Samuel Bayer, famed for working on “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” also directed the video, taking inspiration from the album’s artwork featuring drummer Glen Graham’s sister. The Bee Girl in the video, Heather DeLoach, was 10 years old at the time and submitted a video of her tap dancing.
In the video, The Bee Girl is first seen dejected and lost, before finally finding her tribe.
The particular promo was featured on a lot of lists praising the top music videos of the decade, and I think rightfully so. I’m even thrilled to say that Heather DeLoach, for a while, managed to reprise her role of Bee Girl on several television productions.
The Legacy of Blind Melon and of “No Rain”
The future, as Tom Petty, a fellow native of Indiana, might’ve said, seemed wide open for Blind Melon. The band released its sophomore album, “Soup” in 1994. However, tragedy struck early when, in 1995, while on the road promoting the album, Hoon died of a cocaine overdose.
The band tried to carry on. Frankly, this was a band of fantastic potential, and I can’t blame them for attempting to keep going. 2008’s “For My Friends” is a strong album.
However, by and large, most rock listeners remember Blind Melon and Shannon Hoon for the wonderful, bittersweet “No Rain.” It’s a great song, and not the worst song to be famous for if you ask me. And, I’d like to think that the Bee Girl is still roaming free as Hoon would’ve been.
