Fool in the Rain

"Fool in the Rain" is a song on English rock band Led Zeppelin's 1979 album, In Through the Out Door. It was their final U.S. single released during the band's tenure, reaching number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1980.

Overview
The song exhibits a Latin feel. Drummer John Bonham plays a half-time shuffle beat along with a samba-style breakdown. A master drum track shows that the samba breakdown (2:25) was recorded separately.

Bass player John Paul Jones and vocalist Robert Plant got the idea for the samba beat from watching the 1978 FIFA World Cup tournament in Argentina. Guitarist Jimmy Page used an MXR Blue Box effect pedal during the solo to produce the octave sound.

Lyrically, the song is about a man who is supposed to meet a woman on a certain corner. When the woman doesn't appear, he is filled with grief at being stood up. By the final verse, he wonders whether he'd been waiting for her on the wrong corner, making him the eponymous "Fool in the Rain."

This song was never performed live at Led Zeppelin concerts, as the song was heavily studio-based. The piano was necessary in the song, but with John Paul Jones on piano, there could be no added bass. There is also a twelve-string guitar line at one point in the song and the guitar solo that has to be executed on top. On 5 October 2005, Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant however performed the song with Pearl Jam at a Hurricane Katrina benefit show.

Formats and tracklistings
1979 7" single edition (US/Australia/Canada/New Zealand: Swan Song SS 71003, Ecuador/Uruguay: Atlantic 45-73015, Germany/Holland: Swan Song SS 19421, Japan: Warner Pioneer P-530N, Mexico: Swan Song Gamma G-2269, Spain: Swan Song SS 45-1295)
 * A. "Fool in the Rain" (Jones, Page, Plant) 6:08
 * B. "Hot Dog" (Page, Plant) 3:15

1979 7" single radio edit (US: Swan Song SS 71003 SP, Italy: Swan Song PR 097)
 * A. "Fool in the Rain" (Jones, Page, Plant) 3:20
 * B. "Hot Dog" (Page, Plant) 3:15

Album versions

 * 1996: Maná (Hace Mucho Calor)
 * 2001: Azz Izz Band (Based on a True Story)
 * 2006: Hans Annéllsson (Return of the Son of One More Time for the World)
 * 2007: Vanilla Fudge (Out Through the in Door)
 * 2008: O.A.R. with Robert Randolph (Bluegrass Tribute)
 * 2008: Rick Wakeman (Led Box: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Tribute)
 * 2009: Michael Cavanaugh (In Color)

Live versions

 * 1999-: Umphrey's McGee
 * 2003: Dave Matthews
 * 2005: Pearl Jam with Robert Plant