Tuning:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IT'S RAINING - Irma Thomas ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please RATE this TAB - Thank you!!! Tabbed by: Travis_Morgan E-mail: Guitarguru@rockandrollmusicschool.com Tuning: Standard I've played this with and without a piano player in my cover band (see No Alibi) so depending on how many musicians are involved you may want to play this more 'strummy' than the arrangement I have constructed here - which is pretty tight to allow room for other musicians to have space in the music. Since there are several versions of this song out there, from her early Album version, to the many live versions this arrangement stays pretty faithful to the Original Album version recording in regards to the arrangement, song structure, etc. but also draws on some of the variations of some live versions allowing for stylistic flexibility. The Lyrics and Chords version of this song are are written below the TAB for easy viewing, so you can choose whichever you prefer! General tone tips: very CLEAN sounding electric guitar with no distortion, and minimal effects (if any at all!). LESS IS MORE when it comes to this song. If you use any effects at all I'd recommend a compressor primarily, maybe a very light chorus, and if you use reverb probably only use a minimal amount so when you go to mute the strings you will truly have a nice muted silence instead of a reverb trail. . . . . . Intro A: This is the most practical, EASY, and straight ahead way to play the intro for this song! G Major ~Sustain~ e|---------3-----|---------3-----|---------3-----|---------3-------------------|| B|-----------3---|-----------3---|-----------3---|---------3-------------------|| G|-------------0-|-------------0-|-------------0-|---------0-------------------|| D|------0--------|------0--------|------0--------|------0----------------------|| A|----2----------|----2----------|----2----------|----2------------------------|| E|--3------------|--3------------|--3------------|--3--------------------------|| Intro B: *This G Major triad pattern is the Guitar Adaptation of a Piano Intro on the early Album version* G Major G Major e|--10--------12--------10--------12--------15-|--10-----------12-------10------12------15-|| B|----12--------12--------12--------12---------|-----12----------12-------12------12-------|| G|------12--------12--------12--------12-------|--------12---------12-------12------12-----|| D|---------------------------------------------|-----------12------------------------------|| A|---------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|| E|---------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|| REPEAT Intro C: Cascading "raining notes" picking pattern on a G barre chord, and a G open chord G Major barre chord G Major barre chord (same idea) G Major open chord version e|--3------------------|--3----------------3---|| ||--3--------------------------------|| B|---3---3-------------|---3---3---------------|| ||----3-----3------------------------|| G|----4---4---4--------|----4---4---4----------|| ||------0-----0-----0----------------|| D|---------5---5---5---|---------5---5-----5---|| ||--------------0-----0------0-------|| A|--------------5---5--|--------------5--------|| ||----------------------2------2-----|| E|-------------------3-|-----------------------|| REPEAT ||-------------------------------3---|| REPEAT If your band has a keyboard player, see if they have a "rain sound" or a thunder sound in their keyboard to play during whichever Intro version you play. ________________________________________________________________________________________ Verse: G Major D Major G Major D Major e|--------3---x----------10---x---------3---x-----------3---x---|| B|--------3---x----------10---x---------3---x-----------3---x---|| G|--4-----4---x---11-----11---x---4-----4---x---11------4---x---|| D|--5-----5---x---12-----12---x---5-----5---x---12------5---x---|| A|--5---------x---12----------x---5---------x---12----------x---|| E|--3---------x---10----------x---3---------x---10----------x---|| Pre Chorus: C Major C Major C Minor C Minor e|--------6--------------6-------------6--------------6-------|| B|------6---6----------6---6---------6---6----------6---------|| G|----7-------7------7-------7-----6-------6------6-----------|| D|--8--------------8-------------8--------------8-------------|| A|------------------------------------------------------------|| E|--8--------------8-------------8--------------8-----6-------|| Chorus: G Major D Major G Major C Major e|--------3---x----------10---x---------3---x-----------8----x---|| B|--------3---x----------10---x---------3---x-----------8----x---|| G|--4-----4---x---11-----11---x---4-----4---x---19------9----x---|| D|--5-----5---x---12-----12---x---5-----5---x---10------10---x---|| A|--5---------x---12----------x---5---------x---10-----------x---|| E|--3---------x---10----------x---3---------x---8------------x---|| Ending version 1: Basically two bars of A Major, two bars of D. A Major A Major D Major D Major or e|-----------5-|-----------5-|-----------5--|-----------5----------------x----| B|-----------5-|-----------5-|-----------7--|-----------7----------------x----| G|-----------5-|-----------5-|--7---7-7--7--|--7-7---7--7--------7\------x----| D|--7---7-7----|--7-7---7----|--7---7-7-----|--7-7---7-----------7\------x----| A|--7---7-7----|--7-7---7----|--5---5-5-----|--5-5---5-----------5\------x----| E|--5---5-5----|--5-5---5----|--------------|----------------------------x----| _________________________________________________________________________________ Next time around is exactly the same except the very last bit which is called Ending version 2... Verse: G Major D Major G Major D Major e|--------3---x----------10---x---------3---x-----------3---x---|| B|--------3---x----------10---x---------3---x-----------3---x---|| G|--4-----4---x---11-----11---x---4-----4---x---11------4---x---|| D|--5-----5---x---12-----12---x---5-----5---x---12------5---x---|| A|--5---------x---12----------x---5---------x---12----------x---|| E|--3---------x---10----------x---3---------x---10----------x---|| Pre Chorus: C Major C Major C Minor C Minor e|--------6--------------6-------------6--------------6-------|| B|------6---6----------6---6---------6---6----------6---------|| G|----7-------7------7-------7-----6-------6------6-----------|| D|--8--------------8-------------8--------------8-------------|| A|------------------------------------------------------------|| E|--8--------------8-------------8--------------8-----6-------|| Chorus: G Major D Major G Major C Major e|--------3---x----------10---x---------3---x-----------8----x---|| B|--------3---x----------10---x---------3---x-----------8----x---|| G|--4-----4---x---11-----11---x---4-----4---x---19------9----x---|| D|--5-----5---x---12-----12---x---5-----5---x---10------10---x---|| A|--5---------x---12----------x---5---------x---10-----------x---|| E|--3---------x---10----------x---3---------x---8------------x---|| Ending version 2: A little faster cycle through the chords for some variety! A Major D Major G Major e|-----------5--|-----------5---|----------------------|| B|-----------5--|-----------7---|----------------------|| G|-----------5--|--7---7-7--7---|----------------------|| D|--7---7-7-----|--7---7-7------|---5------------------|| A|--7---7-7-----|--5---5-5------|---5----3~~--2~~--0---|| E|--5---5-5-----|---------------|---3------------------|| _________________________________________________________________________________ The very end of the song repeats Ending version 2, so that plays twice, then you could use this Optional Outro 1a OR + + + + + + + + e|--3-----3------3-----3------|----------------------------------------------|| B|----3-----3------3-----3----|---12---------12--------12---------12------12-|| G|----------------------------|-------12---------12--------12---------12-----|| D|----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|| A|----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|| E|----------------------------|----------------------------------------------|| Harmonics give this OUTRO a catchy melodic hook Outro version 2a Outro version 2b e|--3------------------------------|-----------------3------------|| B|----3-----3----------------------|---3---------------3----------|| G|------4-----4-----4--------------|------4--------------4--------|| D|--------------5-----5------5-----|---------5-------------5------|| A|----------------------5------5---|------------------------------|| E|-------------------------------3-|------------------------------|| _________________________________________________________________________________ Here are the lyrics to the song with the chords written above to indicate when to switch.

It's r^Gaining so h^Dard, looks ^Glike it's going to ^Drain all night And th^Cis is the t^Cime, I'd l^Cmove to be holding you^Cm tight

I gue^Gss I'll have to ^Daccept the f^Gact that you are^C not here I wish ton^Aight would hurry up and e^Dnd, my dear

It's rai^Gning so h^Dard, it's re^Gally coming d^Down Si^Cttin' by my ^Cwindow, ^Cmwatchin' the ^Cmrain fall to the ground

Thi^Gs is the t^Dime, I'd lo^Gve to be ho^Clding you tight I g^Auess I'll just go ^Dcrazy t^Gonight^C ^G ^D

It's r^Gaining so h^Dard, br^Gings back m^Demories Of^C the t^Cimes when ^Cmyou were ^Cmhere with me

Co^Gunting e^Dvery drop, a^Gbout to blow my ^Ctop I w^Aish this rain would hurry up and ^Dstop

^GI've got the b^Dlues, so bad, ^GI could hardly catch my ^Dbreath The ^Charder it ^Crains, ^Cmthe worst it^Cm gets

T^Ghis is the t^Dime, I'd ^Glove to be holding you ^Ctight I ^Aguess I'll just go ^Dcrazy ^Gtonight

It's r^Gaining so h^Dard, br^Gings back me^Dmories ^COf the time^Cs when ^Cmyou were here with^Cm me

^GThis is the ^Dtime, I'd lo^Gve to be holding you ^Ctight ^AI guess I'll just go cra^Dzy ton^Gight

Irma Thomas - Its raining