A nostalgic, yet heartbreaking, look at the failed pursuit of stardom.
When you think of the band Smokie, your mind likely goes straight to their boisterous 1976 hit, “Living Next Door to Alice,” a song that’s practically synonymous with sing-alongs and a certain kind of pub-rock cheer. Yet, a decade earlier, they delivered a far more poignant and introspective tune that holds a special place in the hearts of many: “It Never Rains in Southern California.” While the song itself was written and originally performed by the prolific songwriter Albert Hammond, who co-wrote the track with lyricist Mike Hazlewood, Smokie‘s rendition from their 2000 album Uncovered brought a new life to its reflective and melancholic message.
The story behind this song is as rich as its melodies. Albert Hammond himself has said that the song is, in a way, the story of his own life. The lyrics, “Got on board a westbound 747 / Didn’t think before deciding what to do,” were born from the real-life struggles Hammond faced while trying to make it in the music world, long before he found fame as a songwriter for other artists. He recalls a particularly low point while in Spain, where he was so broke he had to ask for money on the streets. In a moment of sheer irony and dismay, he found himself unknowingly asking his own cousin for money, who was on his honeymoon. The humiliation and desperation he felt in that moment became the emotional core of the song. However, for the purposes of the song, the location was shifted to Hollywood—the ultimate symbol of the American dream—to make the narrative more relatable to a wider audience. This simple change transformed a personal anecdote into a universal lament for all who have chased a dream in a distant, seemingly golden place, only to find the reality is far more brutal than the fantasy.
The song’s title, “It Never Rains in Southern California,” serves as a masterful piece of irony. It refers to the idealized, sun-drenched image of the West Coast—a place where everything is perfect, and nothing can go wrong. But the song’s famous refrain, “It never rains in California, but girl, don’t they warn ya? It pours, man, it pours,” reveals the bitter truth. The “pouring” isn’t rain, but rather the deluge of failures, disappointments, and heartbreaks that come with chasing a dream in a place that has no mercy for those who fall. The song is a gut-wrenching admission of failure from a narrator who is too proud to tell the “folks back home” he didn’t make it. He’s “out of work,” “out of my head,” “out of self respect,” and “underfed.” It’s a powerful and relatable message about the painful reality of ambition, and the deep-seated human need to save face.
While the Smokie version is a cover, it’s a testament to the song’s enduring power. The original by Albert Hammond was released in 1972 and was a significant hit, peaking at #5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. It’s a song that speaks to a feeling we all know—the quiet desperation of not wanting to disappoint the people who believe in us, and the painful recognition that the road to success is often paved with failure. It’s a classic for a reason, a bittersweet melody that reminds us that even in the sunniest of places, a storm can be brewing right under the surface.