The threat I’m going to cloud up and rain all over you goes back to at least 1911. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Ima Cloud Up and Rain”
We heard from Keith Johnston in Rosemead, California, and he writes,
A phrase my father used to use with us kids when we were acting up, usually said in a lighthearted way, but certainly got the message across, was, I’m going to cloud up and rain all over you.
Do you know this one, Grant?
No, I’ve never heard it, but I get the message.
Yeah, it doesn’t take much, right? I’m going to straighten up.
Right.
Keith said he did some research and found that there was a song by that name, and he was wondering if the song came first because his father wasn’t a particular fan of country music.
And I did a little digging. I’m going to cloud up and rain all over you goes back at least to 1911, and it was popularized by a rockabilly singer named Danny Denver in the 1960s.
And there are different variations of this, like, I’m going to cloud up and rain all over you, and you’ll be walking home in the mud.
That’s good. Similar maybe to rain on your parade.
Yeah, but just you specifically.
Right, just you.
Thanks, Keith.
