While on a camping holiday in northern Spain my family and I were caught in a torrential downpour, which refused to let up for several days. The unexpectedly abject weather conditions seemed more typical of Bognor Regis than the Costa Verde and after a night and a day of unrelenting rain, my wife and kids could stand it no longer, abandoned the tent and checked into a hotel. Perversely, I stayed on at the campsite in the forlorn hope that come tomorrow the sunshine might return. Throughout that long, miserable night, I lay huddled in my soggy sleeping bag, while a deluge hammered down and the walls of the tent were buffeted by the storm. Oddly inspired by the wretchedness of the circumstances, I took out my note pad and by torch light scrawled a poem, the words to which eventually became the lyrics to this song. Next morning I awoke at dawn, unzipped the waterlogged tent and peered out, only to be greeted by yet more low cloud and drizzle. I got up, packed away the tent for the very last time and joined my family for breakfast in the hotel. We haven’t been camping since.
Jon Hodgson
lyrics
CAMPING IN THE RAIN
A field in England
Where the midges fly
Far from the pressures
Of the city life
Refugee tents
Under granite skies
Row upon row of
Disappointed eyes
Angry children
and a desperate wife
Whatever happened
To Mr Right
In the distance
There’s a patch of blue
maybe later there’ll be
something to do
We’re camping in the rain
We’re camping in the rain
Kill the boredom
With a game of cards
Play Eye Spy
in the back of the car
Refugee tents
Under granite skies
Row upon row of
Disappointed eyes
We’re camping in the rain x 4
A field in England
Where the midges fly
Far from the pressures
Of the city life
Angry children
and a desperate wife
Whatever happened
To Mr Price
We’re camping in the rain x4
credits
from CAMPING IN THE RAIN EP,
released September 25, 2020
Gary Jones – lead vocals
Jon Hodgson – guitar/keyboards/backing vocals
Barney Russel – stylophone
Lee McFadden – bass/backing vocals
Stuart Hilton – drums/backing vocals
Words and music by Jon Hodgson and Gary Jones
Arranged by Cult Figures
Recorded and mixed by John Rivers
supported by 4 fans who also own “CAMPING IN THE RAIN”
A band that I would imagine playing their intense,energetic and magnetic sounding noise in a small room would literally floor you.Just wonderful Jason Rowe
The songs on the latest from Absolutely Free feel as expansive as a cloudless sky, with ringing guitars and bright-eyed melodies. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 25, 2021