"make it through the rain" through perseverance. The first 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 every time 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 "it's 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. Critical reception "Through the Rain" received positive reviews from music critics; many complimented Carey's restrained vocal performance, as well as the song's simple instrumental accompaniment, while others criticized it for being overly-dramatic. Jon Pareles of The New York Times described it as "inspirational", and felt that due to its vagueness, the