Miss Pat Benatar has an awesome song for every sentiment, and hard times is no different. I discovered this song of hers on her Seven the Hard Way album, and it’s stuck with me ever since. This power ballad has kept me going through all of the nasty, rough patches of the last year. And oh boy, has it helped me cope with my depression. Her gentle, encouraging lyrics here have helped me keep my chin up.

I found some fun fanmade montages for this song on YouTube!

Here’s this one, made from clips from “The Stepfather” (1987) movie:

Here’s a real fun montage using a live version of her song from a 1986 concert:

(Lyrics from AZLyrics.) 

It's always one thing or another, seems like we never get ahead
Reaching out for the brass ring, and landing in the dirt instead
We can't get past yesterday, we're only counting down from ten
It seems like every move we make, brings us back where we began

You've gotta run between the raindrops
If you wanna see the sun
Run, run, run, between the raindrops
Run between the raindrops, if you wanna see the sun
Run, run, run, - run Baby run

Somewhere there's a sun that's shining
Somewhere we'll find a life that's good
Some way I'm gonna make it happen
Just like you always knew I could

We're treading water on a river of tears
And I don't know what to do
I can take a beating, but I ain't gonna let it happen to you, you

You've gotta run between the raindrops
If you wanna see the sun
Run, run, run, between the raindrops
Run between the raindrops, if you wanna see the sun
You gotta run, run, run, - run Baby run

We're treading water on a river of tears
And I don't know what to do

You've gotta run between the raindrops
If you wanna see the sun
Run, run, run, between the raindrops
Run between the raindrops, if you wanna see the sun
Run, run, run, - run Baby run

Run between the raindrops, if you wanna see the sun
You gotta run, run, run, - run Baby run

You gotta run, run, run, - run Baby run

I love this song, so much. I especially love this bit right here:

“We’re treading water on a river of tears,

And I don’t know what to do…

I can take a beating, but I ain’t gonna let it happen to you, you…”

“Run Between the Raindrops” by Pat Benatar

Talk about empathy! And what a sentiment, after the nightmare we’ve all endured since the pandemic began. Some of us are still wading through a river of tears, and it’s important to remember that we’re all carrying some form of grief after the last year. We need compassion, perhaps more than ever, as we try to push through this last round.

We’ll Run Together

This song took on a special new meaning for me, after I had what can only be described as a “waking vision” in the middle of the night last week. About 5 minutes after waking up, I suddenly saw me standing with my Scottish big brother, who suffered a horrific personal loss alongside his wife at the start of this year. They’ve both been on my mind ever since, and I wish so badly that we could all be with them in person to comfort them.

In the vision I had, his sadness was written all over his face as we stood together. I saw myself sing “Run Between the Raindrops” to him, to offer him what comfort I could. This was hands-down one of the most ephemeral moments of my life thus far, and I’m still in awe over it. I know it wasn’t a daydream, because this wasn’t something even I could concoct out of nowhere.

I long for the next time we can all be together again, so that we can uplift them both in person. Our hearts are with them, always, and I know that we’ll help them make it through this, no matter how hard the downpour might be.