Through The Rain - Composition

Composition

"Through the Rain" is a mid-tempo ballad, which draws influence from pop and R&B music genres. The song is built around a piano melody, and features a beat that is accentuated by synthesizers. Aside from its pop-driven melody and structure, Jeff Vrabel of the Chicago Sun-Times noted an hint of gospel towards the song's crescendo, describing it as "lite-gospel". Vocally, "Through the Rain" finds Carey singing in a "restrained" style for the duration of most of the song, as the first verse and chorus are sung in breathy vocals. After the second chorus, the bridge is linked to the song's climax through a long belted note. The Daily Union's David Germain felt the song's composition, as well as Carey's vocal performance were "simple and reserved", with Carey in "complete control" of her voice. "Through the Rain" was written by Carey and Lionel Cole and produced by the former and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Universal Music Publishing Ltd., "Through the Rain" is set in common time with a tempo of 64 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of A-flat major, with Carey's vocal range spanning from the low-note of E♭₃ to the high-note of G₅.

Lyrically, the song features an inspirational message of inner strength, and finds Carey reaching out to listeners. The song uses a rainstorm as a metaphor for troubles in life, while encouraging others to "make it through the rain" through perseverance. The fist chorus begins: "When you get caught in the rain / With no where to run / When your distraught and in pain without anyone / When you keep crying out to be saved", illustrating a moment in an individual's life where they are surrounded by conflict. The chorus then serves as a guide to those still suffering, "I can make it through the rain, I can stand up once again on my own / And I know that I'm strong enough to mend / And everytime I feel afraid I hold tighter to my faith / And I live one more day and I make it through the rain". Similarly, the second verse once again revisits difficult times when "shadows grow close", before continuing into the second chorus and climax. While the song in meant for listeners to gain confidence and strength, it also allows them into Carey's personal struggles she endured throughout 2001. Lola Ogunnaike of The New York Times described the song as a "triumph over adversity", while a writer from the Sydney Morning Herald wrote "its an insight into her recent troubles." In an interview with MTV News, Carey described the song's lyrical content in depth:

I've always tried to insert positivity into my songs wherever I can, to inspire other people who go through stuff. I mean the stuff they talked about in tabloids and the things that were so overly exaggerated, that's one aspect. I also went through a lot of personal stuff, a lot of family stuff this year. Losing a parent is an intense thing for anybody. It's brought me to another place. People are going to read into it as, 'This is Mariah and her struggle'. But the way I try to word it is, 'It's OK once you say I can make it through the rain.' Not just me going, 'I can make it through the rain,' it's me telling people that if you believe you can get through whatever you're going through, you can get to the other side.