A haunting melody, Here Comes That Rainbow Again, has been echoing in the mind of its creator, Kris Kristofferson, as he seeks to navigate the complexities of our times with thoughtful intention. This evocative song was sparked by a poignant lunch counter scene from John Steinbeck’s iconic Depression-era novel, The Grapes of Wrath, a story of hardship and humanity set in the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.
Kristofferson, born in Texas during this tumultuous decade, recalls first encountering Steinbeck’s grim yet compassionate narrative during his formative years in high school or college—likely Pomona College, where he graduated alongside Claire, a personal connection that deepens the song’s layers. Years after digesting Steinbeck’s words, Kristofferson was jolted by memory, compelled to translate that brief yet powerful literary moment into music. The legendary Johnny Cash, a compatriot of Kristofferson’s and fellow interpreter of the song, claimed it might just be the finest composition crafted by any songwriter of their era.
Kristofferson admitted, “I kind of wrote it with John Steinbeck…only he was dead at the time.”
Inspiration struck as Kristofferson plucked a thread from a seemingly ordinary scene—a small roadside café where kindness quietly unfolded. The narrative revolves around a truck stop waitress who, moved by generosity, undercharges two impoverished children for candy. Her spontaneous compassion is met with a ripple of unexpected reciprocity when two truck drivers at the café, witnessing her quiet deed, respond by leaving an overtip, a gesture that defies cynicism.
But why the shadowy tone that twists the tune? Why does the waltz carry a doom-laden rhythm, veiling the message in somber hues? The answer lies in the fragile nature of kindness itself, often shrouded in suspicion and doubt. When the truck drivers are questioned about their generosity, their curt response—“So what’s it to you?”—lays bare the social mistrust that even acts of goodwill must endure.
“So what’s it to you?” the benefactors ask when pressed on their motives for generosity.
The song’s lyrics paint a vivid picture:\
“The scene was a small roadside café\
The waitress was sweepin’ the floor\
Two truck drivers drinkin’ their coffee\
And two okie kids by the door\
‘How much are them candies?’ They asked her\
‘How much have you got?’ She replied\
‘We’ve only a penny between us’\
‘Them’s two for a penny,’ she lied\
And the daylight grew heavy with thunder\
With the smell of the rain on the wind\
Ain’t it just like a human?\
Here comes that rainbow again”
Each line is laden with the weight of human connection and the transient hope that shines like a rainbow amidst life’s storms. The poignant atmosphere conjured by the music mirrors the tension between generosity’s brightness and the pervasive undercurrent of hardship and doubt.
Kristofferson’s gift lies in his ability to resurrect a moment from literary history and mold it into a vivid commentary on human nature, preserving the stark reality of kindness’s precarious position in a world shadowed by skepticism.
The video accompanying the song deepens its emotional reach, presenting the story visually and compelling listeners to grapple with the ongoing relevance of this tale of empathy, suspicion, and grace. In a time fraught with division and distrust, Here Comes That Rainbow Again stands as a somber yet hopeful reminder of the enduring power and complexity of simple acts of kindness.
