What Is "Don't Let The Rain Come Down"

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Last updated: April 10, 2026

Quick Answer: "Don't Let the Rain Come Down (Crooked Little Man)" is a 1964 novelty folk-calypso single by The Serendipity Singers that reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Based on the English nursery rhyme "There Was a Crooked Man," the song features a playful arrangement by musical director Bob Bowers and became one of the group's defining hits during the height of the folk-pop era.

Key Facts

Released in April 1964, the song reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart
Based on the traditional English nursery rhyme 'There Was a Crooked Man,' adapted with calypso-style musical elements
The Serendipity Singers were a 9-member folk group with musical director Bob Bowers arranging the distinctive sound
The group released a follow-up hit 'Beans in My Ears' that reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964
The Serendipity Singers recorded approximately a dozen albums, many as live recordings, establishing themselves as touring performers

Overview

"Don't Let the Rain Come Down (Crooked Little Man)" is a novelty folk-calypso song released in 1964 by The Serendipity Singers that became a significant hit during the folk-pop era. The song reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart in April and May of 1964, establishing The Serendipity Singers as a notable vocal group of the decade. The track's appeal lay in its whimsical lyrics, infectious melody, and unique musical arrangement that blended traditional folk elements with calypso influences.

The song's foundation traces back to the classic English nursery rhyme "There Was a Crooked Man," which dates back centuries in British folklore. The Serendipity Singers' creative adaptation transformed this children's rhyme into a contemporary pop record through innovative arrangements and energetic group vocals. The production featured musical director Bob Bowers' distinctive calypso-style arrangement, which gave the traditional nursery rhyme a tropical, upbeat character that resonated with 1964 audiences experiencing both the British Invasion and a simultaneous folk-pop revival.

How It Works

The song combines several musical and lyrical elements that contributed to its commercial success and lasting appeal:

Nursery Rhyme Foundation: The lyrics adapt the traditional English nursery rhyme about a crooked man, maintaining the playful, nonsensical quality of the original while modernizing it for contemporary audiences in the 1960s.
Calypso Arrangement: Musical director Bob Bowers created a distinctive calypso-style arrangement that replaced expected folk instrumentation with tropical rhythms and percussion patterns, giving the novelty song infectious energy and danceability.
Group Vocal Performance: The Serendipity Singers' nine-member ensemble delivered the vocals with tight harmonies and call-and-response elements typical of folk groups, creating a joyful, communal sound that emphasized the song's humorous nature.
Novelty Appeal: The absurdist lyrics about the crooked man and his whimsical activities tap into the novelty song tradition popular in the early 1960s, where humorous, nonsensical narratives often achieved mainstream chart success.
Repetitive Chorus: The song's memorable hook and repetitive chorus structure made it radio-friendly and easy for audiences to sing along, contributing to its commercial appeal and chart performance.

Key Comparisons

Aspect	Don't Let the Rain Come Down	Similar 1964 Hits
Chart Performance	#6 Billboard Hot 100, #2 Adult Contemporary	Most novelty songs peaked between #5-40 on Billboard
Musical Style	Folk-calypso blend with group harmonies	Contemporary folk-pop acts used acoustic instrumentation
Lyrical Content	Whimsical adaptation of English nursery rhyme	Novelty songs often featured absurdist or humorous themes
Group Type	Nine-member folk ensemble with professional arrangements	Folk groups typically ranged from trios to large ensembles
Follow-up Success	"Beans in My Ears" reached #30 in 1964	Most novelty acts had short-lived chart careers

Why It Matters

The song holds significance in multiple contexts within music history and popular culture:

Folk-Pop Crossover: The track exemplifies how folk music was being adapted and commercialized during the early-to-mid 1960s, blending traditional sources with contemporary production techniques to achieve mainstream success.
Novelty Song Tradition: "Don't Let the Rain Come Down" represents the continuation of the novelty song tradition in pop music, demonstrating that humorous, lighthearted records could achieve significant chart success even during the British Invasion era.
Group Performance Model: The Serendipity Singers' success with ensemble vocal arrangements influenced how record producers approached group recordings, emphasizing tight harmonies and professional orchestration over simple folk aesthetics.
Cultural Adaptation: The song shows how traditional children's content and historical cultural artifacts could be repackaged as contemporary entertainment, a trend that continues in modern pop music.

The song's legacy extends beyond its original chart run, representing a moment when folk music and novelty pop intersected in 1960s popular culture. While The Serendipity Singers' overall catalog remained limited—with approximately a dozen albums, many recorded live—"Don't Let the Rain Come Down" and "Beans in My Ears" secured the group's place in the era's musical history. The track remains a charming artifact of 1960s pop sensibilities, demonstrating how traditional content could be transformed into contemporary hits through creative arrangement and energetic group performance. Today, it serves as a reminder of the diversity within 1960s pop music, which accommodated everything from psychedelic rock to novelty folk-calypso records.