A Stroke of Luck

Back in 1969, the highly popular psychedelic music group The Incredible String Band refused to play in the rain during the Woodstock Festival. Not knowing what to do, the festival’s organizers decided to take a shot on Melanie Safka, who was still a fairly unknown singer-songwriter at that time.

Safka quickly accepted the once-in-a-lifetime challenge. Although she was extremely nervous throughout her entire performance, she was able to pull it off. Can you imagine playing unannounced in front of half a million people? The experience was so impactful to Melanie that she decided to write a song about it: Lay Down (Candles in the Rain).