It was written in 1952 by Johnny Bragg and Robert Riley,[1] two prisoners at Tennessee State Prison in Nashville, after a comment made by Bragg as the pair crossed the courtyard while it was raining.
Bragg allegedly said, "Here we are just walking in the rain, and wondering what the girls are doing."
Riley suggested that this would make a good basis for a song, and within a few minutes, Bragg had composed two verses.
[citation needed] Bragg and his band, the Prisonaires, later recorded the song for Sun Records and it became a hit on the US Billboard R&B chart in 1953.
Ray initially disliked the song, but sang it based on the recommendation of Mitch Miller.