The Please Don't Rain Dance is a song by John Craigie

John Craigie (musician)

John Craigie is an American singer-songwriterwho currently resides in San Francisco, CA. Hailed as a "Modern-Day Troubadour" in the style of Woody Guthrie and Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Craigie has been touring the United States for the past 6 years, playing in a diverse style of venues including...

, from his second album, Second Grade Awakening

Second Grade Awakening

Second Grade Awakening is a 2004 album by folk singer John Craigie. It is his second album, and the first to feature backing band The Accidental Poets...

. It is one of his longest songs, and considered by fans to be his Desolation Row

Desolation Row

"Desolation Row" is a 1965 song written and sung by Bob Dylan. It was recorded on August 4, 1965, and was released as the closing track of Dylan's sixth studio album, Highway 61 Revisited...

. Its lyrics deal with a fictional Christmas party where the attendees are characters and groups from throughout history, some living and some not.
When the song was written, Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...

 was still alive, and Donald Rumsfeld

Donald Rumsfeld

Donald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...

was still Secretary of Defense. Their attendance at the party is perhaps more significant now that that has changed.