silver lining

n.
A hopeful or comforting prospect in the midst of difficulty.

[From the proverb "Every cloud has a silver lining".]

A poetic sentiment that even the gloomiest outlook contains some hopeful or consoling aspect. Cf. [1634 Milton Comus I. 93] Was I deceiv'd, or did a sable cloud Turn forth her silver lining on the night?

Ther is a silver linin to evry cloud.
[1863 D. R. Locke Struggles of P. V. Nasby (1872) xxiii.]

‘Every cloud’, says the proverb, ‘has a silver lining.’
[1869 P. T. Barnum Struggles & Triumphs 406]

This misfortune of hers had done wonders for our up and down relationship—all clouds have a silver lining, don't they say.
[1991 T. Mo Redundancy of Courage xxii. 283]

Still, every cloud has a silver lining, and he was quiet for the rest of the meal, which is something of a delightful first.
[2002 Spectator 13 Apr. 74]

Related to: optimism

Bibliography of major proverb collections and works cited from modern editions is available here.

An element of hope or a redeeming quality in an otherwise bad situation, as in The rally had a disappointing turnout, but the silver lining was that those who came pledged a great deal of money. This metaphoric term is a shortening of Every cloud has a silver lining, in turn derived from John Milton's Comus (1634): "A sable cloud turns forth its silver lining on the night."

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• Artist: Bonnie Raitt
• Rating:
• Release Date: April 09, 2002
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Rock

Review

With her road band laying the groundwork and with production responsibilities reverted primarily to her own hands, Raitt delivers varied and vivid performances throughout Silver Lining. Jon Cleary, an addition to the lineup, plays the pivotal role; his piano drives the steaming New Orleans groove on "Fool's Game," the posturing street funk of "Monkey Business," and the dusty blues tread on the acoustic-textured "No Gettin' Over You." The material, culled from American and African songwriters, along with a few Raitt originals, lends itself more to vocal interpretation than to straight-ahead blowing. Raitt's singing has never been more finely tuned, especially on the introspective title cut and on the final track, "Wounded Heart," a breathtaking duet recorded in one take with keyboardist Benmont Tench; after nailing it, Raitt reportedly fled the studio, moved to tears; any second attempt proved both undoable and unnecessary. On these performances Raitt exceeds her own standards for interpreting a lyric without compromise to her full-throated timbre. To balance these reflective moments, there are plenty of hotter ones; these also focus on the vocal, but with some exceptional guitar accompaniment as well, including Steve Cropper's licks on the low-key, Memphis-flavored "Time of Our Lives" and the greasy rhythms that push the band throughout "Gnawin' on It." Incendiary slide guitar work heats up parts of that track and several others, with another slide legend, Roy Rogers, joining in on the lascivious "Gnawin' on It." Still, Silver Lining is ultimately a showcase for exceptional singing and riveting backup work. It is also a likely milestone in Raitt's ongoing transition from blues guitar whiz to an artist of wider focus. The fires of her youth still blaze, though now they illuminate a more complex weave of techniques and a much greater depth of emotion. ~ Robert L. Doerschuk, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Fools Game	Jon Cleary	Bonnie Raitt	(4:08)
I Can't Help You Now (Lyrics)	Tommy Sims, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Gordon Kennedy	Bonnie Raitt	(3:13)
Silver Lining (Lyrics)	David Gray	Bonnie Raitt	(6:19)
Time of Our Lives	Teron Beal, Tommy Sims	Bonnie Raitt	(4:00)
Gnawin' on It (Lyrics)	Roy Rogers, Bonnie Raitt	Bonnie Raitt	(4:44)
Monkey Business	Jon Cleary	Bonnie Raitt	(3:36)
Wherever You May Be (Lyrics)	Alan Darby, Gavin Hodgson	Bonnie Raitt	(5:31)
Valley of Pain (Lyrics)	Allen Shamblin, Rob Mathes	Bonnie Raitt	(4:27)
Hear Me Lord	Oliver Mtukudzi	Bonnie Raitt	(5:09)
No Gettin' Over You (Lyrics)	Bonnie Raitt	Bonnie Raitt	(4:45)
Back Around	Bonnie Raitt, Habib Koité	Bonnie Raitt	(5:15)
Wounded Heart (Lyrics)	Jude Johnstone	Bonnie Raitt	(4:13)

Credits

Jon Cleary (Wurlitzer), Mitchell Froom (Marxophone), Jon Cleary (Moog Synthesizer), George Marinelli (Guitar), Tommy Sims (Guitar (Electric)), Bob Ludwig (Mastering), Gary Gold (Drum Loop), Steve Nider (Keyboards), John Paterno (Engineer), Tchad Blake (Producer), Kate Lindsay (Stylist), Tchad Blake (Photography), Mitchell Froom (Wurlitzer), Benmont Tench (Piano), Kélétigui Diabaté (Balafon), Tommy Sims (Vocals (Background)), Pat Johnson (Photography), Bernard Fowler (Vocals (Background)), Mitchell Froom (Synthesizer), Ricky Fataar (Percussion), John Cregar (Drums), Mitchell Froom (Producer), Andy Abad (Guitar), Jon Cleary (Duet), Craig Conrad (Overdubs), Roy Rogers (Slide Guitar), Tom Corwin (Pre-Production Assistant), Tchad Blake (Mixing), Mitchell Froom (Reed Organ), Jon Cleary (Vocals), Claire Lewis (Assistant), James "Hutch" Hutchinson (Bass), Adam Samuels (Assistant Engineer), Jon Cleary (Keyboards), James "Hutch" Hutchinson (Bass (Acoustic)), Tchad Blake (Engineer), Freebo (Tuba), Norman Moore (Art Direction), Arnold McCuller (Vocals (Background)), Alex Acuña (Conga), George Marinelli (Guitar (Acoustic)), Bonnie Raitt (Producer), Paul Middleton (Mixing), George Marinelli (Vocal Harmony), Ricky Fataar (Drums), Henry Diltz (Photography), Mitchell Froom (Clavinet), Jon Cleary (Vocals (Background)), Tom Corwin (Pre-Production), Habib Koité (Gut String Guitar), Alex Acuña (Talking Drum), Ricky Fataar (Vocals (Background)), Jon Cleary (Clavinet), Jacqui Blake (Assistant), Mike Dean (Keyboards), Jon Cleary (Organ (Hammond)), Jacqui Blake (Pro-Tools), Lucienne Zammit (Make-Up), George Marinelli (Mandolin), John Paterno (Overdubs), Mitchell Froom (Moog Synthesizer), Fred White (Vocals (Background)), Steve Berlin (Sax (Baritone)), Norman Moore (Design), Bonnie Raitt (Vocals), Jon Cleary (Piano), George Marinelli (Guitar (Electric)), Bonnie Raitt (Slide Guitar), Bonnie Raitt (Organ Arrangement), Ann Cutting (Photography), Bonnie Raitt (Vocals (Background)), Bonnie Raitt (Horn Arrangements), Andrew Scheps (Drum Loop), Mike Dean (Guitar), Pete Thomas (Percussion), Mitchell Froom (Organ), Mitchell Froom (Piano), Steve Raitt (Vocals (Background)), George Marinelli (Vocals (Background))

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