Linda Perhacs: Chimacum Rain (1970)

Linda Perhacs' 1970 song Chimacum Rain comes from her debut album Parallelograms. The song, like much of the album, is an ethereal and psychedelic folk piece, heavily inspired by nature and Perhacs' personal experiences.

Perhacs was working as a dental hygienist in Los Angeles when she recorded Parallelograms. She was deeply influenced by the landscapes of California and the Pacific Northwest, where she often traveled. Chimacum Rain was inspired by Chimacum, a rural area in Washington State, known for its lush greenery and frequent rainfall. The song evokes the tranquility and mysticism of the natural world, reflecting Perhacs' fascination with synesthetic experiences—where sounds, colors, and emotions blend together.

Musically, Chimacum Rain features Perhacs' delicate, breathy vocals, layered harmonies, and a dreamy, reverb-laden guitar, creating an almost otherworldly effect. The lyrics and sound aim to capture the feeling of rain falling gently in a peaceful, forested setting.

Although Parallelograms was not commercially successful upon release, it later gained a cult following, particularly among psychedelic folk and experimental music fans. The album was rediscovered in the late 1990s and early 2000s, leading to Perhacs' resurgence in the music world.

These lyrics are known for their poetic and minimalist nature, fitting the song’s dreamy and ethereal mood. The way Perhacs sings them, with layered harmonies and an airy, flowing delivery, adds to the song’s hypnotic quality:

And it rains here
Everyday since I came
And the lichen covers rocks
And the green finds everything

Chimacum rain (and the rain, the rain, the rain)
Rain (and the rain, and the rain, the rain, down, around you)
Chimacum rain

In the soak of leaves
And the needle tufts and forms
In the grasses and the reeds
And the spilling over stones

Chimacum rain (and the rain, the rain, the rain)
Rain (and the rain, and the rain, the rain, down, around you)
Chimacum rain

I'm spacing out (spacing out, spacing out, spacing out)
I'm seeing silences between leaves
I'm seeing down (seeing down, seeing down, and down)
I'm seeing silences that are his

He belongs here
Can't have him
He belongs here
Can't know him
He belongs here

It kinda gets inside you
The silences, I mean
They kinda wrap around you
And loosen everything

Chimacum rain (and the rain, the rain, the rain, the rain)
Rain (and the rain, and the rain, the rain, down, around you)
Chimacum rain

By South Utsire