Kip Kirby, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that the band "delivers a slow, melancholy descant on the strengthening power of adversity." He goes on to call it a "change of pace from their whimsical, 'Partners, Brothers and Friends'.[2]
In popular culture
During April 1992, the song was referenced by George H. W. Bush at a country music awards ceremony in Nashville:
"I said to them, you know, there's another one that the Nitty Ditty, Nitty City Great -- [laughter] -- that they did, and it says, "If you want to see a rainbow, you've got to stand a little rain." We've had a little rain. New Hampshire has had too much rain. A lot of families are hurting."[3]
This mangling of the band's name was repeatedly used as an example of Bush's garbled syntax and frequent malapropisms (notably, in Dave Barry's book Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway), which in turn helped publicize the band.
Chart performance
"Stand a Little Rain" debuted at number 61 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of June 21, 1986.
