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Rod Stewart — Mandolin Wind
Album: Every Picture Tells A Story
Avg rating:
7.5

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1319









Released: 1971
Length: 5:27
Plays (last 30 days): 0
When the rain came I thought you'd leave
'Cause I knew how much you loved the sun
But you chose to stay, stay and keep me warm
Through the darkest nights I've ever known
If the mandolin wind couldn't change a thing
Then I know I love ya
Oh the snow fell without a break
Buffalo died in the frozen fields you know
Through the coldest winter in almost fourteen years
I couldn't believe you kept a smile
Now I can rest assured knowing that we've seen the worst
And I know I love ya
Oh I never was good with romantic words
So the next few lines come really hard
Don't have much but what I've got is yours
Except of course my steel guitar
Ha, 'cause I know you don't play
But I'll teach you one day
Because I love ya
I recall the night we knelt and prayed
Noticing your face was thin and pale
I found it hard to hide my tears
I felt ashamed I felt I'd let you down
No mandolin wind couldn't change a thing
Couldn't change a thing no, no
The coldest winter in almost fourteen years
Could never, never change your mind
And I love ya
Yes indeed and I love ya
And I love ya
Lord I love ya
And I love ya
And I love ya
Comments (56)add comment






What I love most is the tempo change at the end of the song.
 2and4 wrote:

Lovely song that brings back a lot of memories for me.  I hear a lot of Ronnie Lane's influence in this song.



Ah Ronnie Lane, of blessed memory..
I know a lot of people think Rod Stewart has sold out and gone all "cheesy" for the money but oh my Lord, I can forgive him anything when I think of this song and You Wear It Well and Maggie May...  
I wish this song went on a whole lot longer ..  
Excellent album start to finish
In ninth grade, I had a crush on Karen S., who had a crush on Rod Stewart. She wouldn't go out with me and I didn't understand why. Now, all these decades later, I get it.
 lizardking wrote:

Just for that I'm going 8+1=9 today....thanks for the inspiration....Long Live RP!!


Me too. Just for spite!
He really was good. What happened?!
One his best that I remember, unless Bill introduces me to something he did that I missed.
It wouldn't be the first time. Thank you B&R.
Fabulous! 
Fan-fricking-tastic 👏
For me, the records 'Every Picture Tells a Story' (1971) and 'Never a Dull Moment' (1972) are damb near about as good as it gets.

'EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY' Album inner.
(opened up) :

Alone in my small room in Geneva as a student, surviving on tea, Zwieback toast, butter, and raspberry jam, listening to Mandolin Wind, feeling both alone and connected, somehow.  He never quite scaled those heights again, in my opinion, but my...what heights!
"...coldest Winter in almost 14 years."

That line always puzzled me for some reason...
Lovely song that brings back a lot of memories for me.  I hear a lot of Ronnie Lane's influence in this song.
"Rarely has a singer had as full and unique a talent as Rod Stewart; rarely has anyone betrayed their talent so completely."  Greil Marcus

Early Rod is untouchable, I wouldn't want to touch anything Rod had to do with after 1976-ish.

This song is sublime.
Great album and cool cover design.
 backbeat wrote:
More Rod (you know which albums!)  and more Faces. :)
 

No brainer.
Saw Rod twice in '68-'69 with Jeff Beck Group and saw Faces a couple of years later. He was the Real Deal...
 ScottishWillie wrote:

I think that early 70’s Rod Steward was sublime. I also think you will find U2 are proudly Irish.


 

Yeah few do raspy like the Rod
It may be "Mandolin Wind", but whoever is doing that dobro makes the song.
The old gravedigger is the worst singer I've ever heard, yet he became famous likely on the back if his good looks and sexiness.
Meh then and meh now
 tcseeley wrote:
I think the best song he ever wrote by far and a bit of an outlier. He's made his money as a showman, but in an interview I saw one time he said he wanted to be remembered as a songwriter. Don't know how far "If Ya' Think I'm Sexy" will get him, but he composed some real gems at this stage of his career.
 
I rate it up there too, amongst Rod's catalogue.  My fav is even earlier: "Gasoline Alley".
I think the best song he ever wrote by far and a bit of an outlier. He's made his money as a showman, but in an interview I saw one time he said he wanted to be remembered as a songwriter. Don't know how far "If Ya' Think I'm Sexy" will get him, but he composed some real gems at this stage of his career.
Perfect 10!
 redmachine wrote:
Urgh. Horrible. Any chance you could take all these dreadful acts from the UK and keep them over there? U2, this chancer, Elbow, Coldplay etc. Please...
 
I guess we know who the lone up vote is from as well.
 cosmiclint wrote:

DJs had playlists even when they were spinning songs like this on 45s :)
 
Yeah, the called them "play lists".  The original OPs point was well made.
 below72 wrote:

There's no other way to say it...
You are a cracked pistachio taco ravioli shell {#Naughty}
 
I guess we know who the the lone down vote is from.
 redmachine wrote:
Urgh. Horrible. Any chance you could take all these dreadful acts from the UK and keep them over there? U2, this chancer, Elbow, Coldplay etc. Please...
 
We obviously have different tastes in music, and for that I am very proud.  Great song and album.
I'm going to suggest this for my daughter's upcoming wedding playlist. L.O.V.E. love  
Rockin' Rod's da man!
More Rod (you know which albums!)  and more Faces. :)
 redmachine wrote:
Urgh. Horrible. Any chance you could take all these dreadful acts from the UK and keep them over there? U2, this chancer, Elbow, Coldplay etc. Please...
 
Just for that I'm going 8+1=9 today....thanks for the inspiration....Long Live RP!!
 below72 wrote:

There's no other way to say it...
You are a cracked pistachio taco ravioli shell {#Naughty}
 
BURN if Ive ever seen one lolololol
Great song. Stirs up many memories. Maybe too many. ;-) 
justin, such a great tune. rip John, love it
When the rain came I thought you'd leave
'Cause I knew how much you loved the sun
But you chose to stay, stay and keep me warm
Through the darkest nights I've ever known
If the mandolin wind couldn't change a thing
Then I know I love ya
Oh the snow fell without a break
Buffalo died in the frozen fields you know
Through the coldest winter in almost fourteen years
I couldn't believe you kept a smile
Now I can rest assured knowing that we've seen the worst
And I know I love ya
Oh I never was good with romantic words
So the next few lines come really hard
Don't have much but what I've got is yours
Except of course my steel guitar
Ha, 'cause I know you don't play
But I'll teach you one day
Because I love ya
I recall the night we knelt and prayed
Noticing your face was thin and pale
I found it hard to hide my tears
I felt ashamed I felt I'd let you down
No mandolin wind couldn't change a thing
Couldn't change a thing no, no
The coldest winter in almost fourteen years
Could never, never change your mind
And I love ya
Yes indeed and I love ya
And I love ya
Lord I love ya
And I love ya
And I love ya
Send more from Rody{#Bananajam}
Damn, he was good back then.
Not enough Rod on RP...
this takes me back to those days weeding the bean patch and putting a 10W speaker out the window of the distant house and thinking how big and exciting the world is, if I could only get out of this bean patch.
 Spiderwoman wrote:

Exactly. From the time before "playlist" was even a word. It's odd listening to this without the accompaniment of needle lightly scratching on spinning vinyl. 
 
DJs had playlists even when they were spinning songs like this on 45s :)
Red machine you are hilarious.  Love this album.
 ianmoff wrote:
His best album by far.

Still in my go to playlist after 40 odd years.
 
Exactly. From the time before "playlist" was even a word. It's odd listening to this without the accompaniment of needle lightly scratching on spinning vinyl. 
His best album by far.

Still in my go to playlist after 40 odd years.
extraordinary! the fake ending often threw off stoned DJs!
{#Devil_pimp}zesty !
time to
go to
my garden
and
prepare for
the
mandolin wind
and then
the rain came
{#Daisy}

According to wikipedia, the identity of the mandolin player on "Mandolin Wind" is unclear. The liner notes state that "the mandolin was played by the mandolin player in Lindisfarne" but that Rod Stewart had forgotten his name. In 2003, Ray Jackson claimed to be the mandolin player on the album, at least for the song "Maggie May. 

The John Peel myth came about from an appearance on the TV show Top of the Pops - miming Maggie May ..  (it's all explained here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RqcL4QlAKA


 redmachine wrote:
Urgh. Horrible. Any chance you could take all these dreadful acts from the UK and keep them over there? U2, this chancer, Elbow, Coldplay etc. Please...
 

I think that early 70’s Rod Steward was sublime. I also think you will find U2 are proudly Irish.


 redmachine wrote:
Urgh. Horrible. Any chance you could take all these dreadful acts from the UK and keep them over there? U2, this chancer, Elbow, Coldplay etc. Please...

 
There's no other way to say it...
You are a cracked pistachio taco ravioli shell {#Naughty}
Urgh. Horrible. Any chance you could take all these dreadful acts from the UK and keep them over there? U2, this chancer, Elbow, Coldplay etc. Please...
signifies so much that is missing from pop music today.
yes,
I am old.
But Happy!
{#Daisy}
Good song from good album.
Ignore the rumour that the mandolin was played by the late English DJ, John Peel.