[Wikimedia Commons.]
Almanac Music: ‘Here Comes the…’ – Songs Involving the Sun
Hi, Almanackers. This week’s piece in my ongoing series about key popular song themes concerns songs that in some way involve the sun.
So, dear readers, please put your relevant songs in the ‘Comments’ section. Below, as usual, are some examples from me to get things going.
‘Sunshine Superman’, written and performed by Donovan (1966)
Big hit for Donovan in the mid-sixties – an innovative, important song of its era, but to me, these days it sounds annoyingly repetitive.
‘Good Day Sunshine’, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, performed by The Beatles (1966)
Bright, uplifting number, with some great vocal harmonies – mainly written by McCartney, from the classic Revolver album.
‘Here Comes the Sun’, written by George Harrison, performed by The Beatles (1969)
Sui generis. One of the greatest songs of the twentieth century. What else needs to be said?
‘Sun King’ written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, performed by The Beatles (1969)
Lovely, drifty ballad from the Abbey Road album. Some of the lyrics are in a language invented by mainly Lennon, with a touch of McCartney.
‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’, written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, performed by Elton John (1974)
Big Elton hit of its time – later, he had another even bigger popular success with it in the company of George Michael.
‘Sunshine’, written by Paul Hewson, performed by Dragon (1977)
A favourite rock ballad from one of my favourite Australasian bands.
‘April Sun in Cuba’, written by Marc Hunter and Paul Hewson, performed by Dragon (1977)
Catchy rocker and iconic Australasian song in general.
‘I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’, written and performed by Nik Kershaw (1983)
Though a hit for Kershaw in the early eighties, he has done less pedantic, more interesting work, I feel, such as ‘Wouldn’t It Be Good’ and ‘Wide Boy’.
…………………………………..
Now, dear readers / listeners – it’s over to you. Your responses to this topic are warmly welcomed. In the ‘Comments’ section, please add your own choice of a song (or songs) involving the sun, along with any other relevant material you wish to include.
[Note: as usual, Wikipedia has been a good general reference for this piece, particularly in relation to checking dates and other details.]
Read more from Kevin Densley HERE
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About
Kevin Densley is a graduate of both Deakin University and The University of Melbourne. He has taught writing and literature in numerous Victorian universities and TAFES. He is a poet and writer-in-general. His fifth book-length poetry collection, Please Feed the Macaws ... I'm Feeling Too Indolent, was published in late 2023 by Ginninderra Press. He is also the co-author of ten play collections for young people, as well as a multi Green Room Award nominated play, Last Chance Gas, published by Currency Press. Other writing includes screenplays for educational films.
Blinded by the Light, Springsteen and special shout out out to Manfred Mann making it a hit as well as killing the core meaning ?
Great start, Rick. Thanks for opening the batting.
Plenty of tracks on this topic, KD.
So I will have a swing at these:
Blister in the Sun: Violent Femmes
Walking on Sunshine: Katrina and the Waves
Sunshine Superman: Donovan
Looking at the Sun: Matthew Sweet (from the great Girlfriend album)
Black Hole Sun: Soundgarden
Ain’t No Sunshine: Bill Withers
House of the Rising Sun: Animals
Celtic punk:
Sunny Side of the Street: Pogues
Sunshine Highway: Dropkick Murphys
Sorry, doubled up on Donovan!!
Thanks, Smokie, for being a co-opener! Good stuff! To pick out one for comment: ‘Blister in the Sun’ is definitely an old favourite – used to play it repeatedly on my guitar back in the day.
A few that come to my Covid fuddled mind.
Sunny Afternoon – The Kinks
Summer in the City – The Lovin’ Spoonful
Let the Sun Shine In – Fifth Dimension
The Sun Aint Gonna Shine Anymore – Walker Brothers
Sunshine and I Feel Fine – Ram Jam Big Band
It’s Late – Ricky Nelson
I got the Sun in the Morning – Doris Day
I Don’t care if the Sun Don’t Shine – Patti Page
Because of You – Tony Bennett
You Belong to Me – Jo Stafford
Fever – Peggy Lee
A couple of oldies (surprise) from the memory bank.
“Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying” – Gerry and the Pacemakers (1964). Gerry Marsden mixed up bright Merseybeat (“How do You Do It”) with weepy ballads like this one and famously “You’ll Never Walk Alone” that Reds fans sing from the Kop every match.
“The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore” was a hit for the Walker Brothers in 1966. Originally recorded by Franki Valli (Four Seasons) but didn’t chart. A staple of soundtracks – most famously for Truly, Madly, Deeply movie in 1990 (remade by Hollywood as “Ghost”). The lonely bass intro done on a cello by the late, great Alan Rickman in the movie. The song has been remade as an R&B classic by many artists – Bruce Springsteen, Cher, Keane, Neil Diamond, and in Australia by Doug Parkinson and Broderick Smith.
Thanks, Col – certainly some classics among your selections. To choose one for comment: ‘Let the Sunshine In’ is definitely one of those iconic sixties songs, isn’t it?
Thank you, Fisho – interesting songs and artists, as usual. ‘Fever’ initially stands out to me.
“Sundown” – Gordon Lightfoot
And from my dope smoking days “Two Suns in the Sunset” – Pink Floyd
Thanks, PB – highly interesting mixture of songs and additional detail, as is your typical style.
Gerry Marsden died not so long ago (at least it feels that way), didn’t he? Fine musician in a very good band. Now you’ve made me think of ‘The Swinging Blue Jeans’ … a band I haven’t thought about for some time.
Gotta get rid of these earworms (thanks KD).
“House of the Rising Sun” (Trad) – most famously Eric Burdon and the Animals
“Waterloo Sunset” – The Kinks – “I am in paradise…….”
“Tequila Sunrise” – The Eagles – premiership hangovers are a bitch.
I guess, as the lyrics are in my FA ‘About’ box, I should submit Lucky Old Sun, and I’ll choose the Louis Armstrong version as it has been recorded by everyone.
Hello Sunshine by Bruce from Western Stars, which is a corker of a record, and this is an incredibly sensitive toon.
We’ll Sing in the Sunshine, by Dolly, it’s a cover but Dolly makes everything hers!
I Am the Black Gold of the Sun, by Rotary Connection, an out there soul band from the late 60s, wroth checking out
So Long London, by Taylor Swift, from her latest album, another ripper, you have to wait for the last chorus re sun.
Born to Run, Bruce
Sunshine Guitar – Guy Mitchell
Third Rock From the Sun – Joe Diffie
May I present The Clash:
London Calling
I Fought the Law
The Magnificent Seven
White Man in Hammersmith Palais (their best song)
Super Trooper – ABBA
East of the Sun – Frank Sinatra
What makes the Sunset – Frank Sinatra
Meet the Sun Halfway – Bing Crosby
That Lucky Old Sun – Bing Crosby
New Sun in the Sky – Bing Crosby
Here is a mixed bunch from different genres.
Traditional (first heard in a folk club, can’t remember the singer) – Down in the coalmine. (“Down in the coal mine underneath the ground. Where a gleam of sunshine never can be found.”)
Every third rate would-be country singer in rural pubs – You are My Sunshine (I have commented on this song in the previous thread)
Kirsty McColl – He’s on the Beach (And he says it’s brilliant there There’s something in the air And sunshine everywhere He’s on the beach)
Axiom- A Little Ray of Sunshine
Gary Shearston – The Sandy Hollow Line (“The sun was blazing in the sky and waves of shimmering heat,
Glared down on the railway cutting, we were half dead on our feet And the ganger stood on the bank of the cut and he snarled at the men below, “You’d better keep them shovels full or all you cows ‘ll go.”)
This was written by Duke Tritton (1937) and set to music and performed by John Dengate. It tells the story of the building of the Sandy Hollow railway line by workers on the “Susso” (work for the dole) during the Great Depression. “
Thanks, Peter B, for your latest three – a trio of fine songs there.
Thanks, Rick, for your most recent selections.
And, of course, you may present The Clash any time!
Thank you, Fisho, for your latest batches – good ‘sun’ material for the overall list.
Fine material and evocative quotation – thank you, Dave N.
Here’s 3 from Perry Como
Please Mr Sun
You are the Sunshine of my Life
Sun Rise, Sunset
The Sun is Shinin’ – Dean Martin
Black Hole Sun – Paul Anka
Hey KD – love the theme and your intro videos.
There’s plenty of other ‘sun’ songs by Donovan to add to Sunshine Superman:
To Try For The Sun
Sunny Goodge Street (both these off his debut 1965 ‘Fairytales’ album)
Sun (off 1967 ‘Wear Your Love Like Heaven’ album)
Writer In The Sun {one of my faves} (off 1967 Mellow Yellow’ album)
A Sunny Day
The Sun Is A Very Magic Fellow (both these off 1968 ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man’ album)
Here’s 3 from Neil Diamond
Play Me
Sunday Sun
Sunflower
“Seasons In The Sun”, by Terry Jacks
“Gold Coast Suns Football Club theme song”, (“We are the suns of the Gold Coast sky.”)
A couple more that spring to mind:
Sunshine On My Shoulder – John Denver
Sunny Skies – James Taylor (off his excellent Sweet Baby James album)
Thank you for your very latest stuff, Fisho – you tend to choose material sung by very fine singers, which is of course a commendable thing!
Hi Karl – glad you feel the way you do about the sun theme and my intro videos.
You’ve selected some excellent sun songs – didn’t occur to me that Donovan had sung so many connected to this theme.
Many thanks!
Jeannie Lewis – You Like The Sun, Jeannie Lewis – It’ll Rise Again, are both from Jeannie Lewis’ 1973 album Free Fall Through Featherless Flight which was an amazing piece of genre defying progressive music. Fifty years later it is still one of the most interesting Australian records ever released.
Al Stewart – Year of the Cat (“She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running Like a watercolor in the rain”)
Jimmy Buffett – Margaritaville (“Nibbling on sponge cake Watching the sun bake All of those tourists covered with oil”)
Paul Kelly – Our Sunshine. Which isn’t about the sun at all. It’s about Ned Kelly.
And now a different sort of Australian classic……..
Lynne Hamilton – On the Inside (Theme from Prisoner) (“On the inside the sun still shines, And the rain falls down; But the sun and rain are prisoners too, When morning comes around.”)
“It’s Just The Sun”, by Don McLean
“Seasons In the Sun”, by Terry Jacks
“The Gold Coast Suns Football Theme Song” (“We are the Suns of the Gold Coast Sky.”)
Within Your Reach, The Replacements from the album Hootenanny
I’ll Buy, The Replacements, from the album, Tim
Hold My Life, The Replacements, also from Tim
Nightclub Jitters, The Replacements, from the album, Pleased to Meet Me
First Glimmer, Paul Westerberg (who was The Replacements lead singer and songwriter), from his first album after the band split, 14 Songs
Sunshine of Your Love by Cream . The riff everyone learns.
Hi Dave. Thanks for your latest material.
In relation to ‘Our Sunshine’, Kelly and Thomas’s song title utilizes the title of Robert Drewe’s novel about Ned Kelly and gang – when I read this novel some years ago, I felt it was the best piece of written work about Kelly ever done. I still feel the same way.
Welcome, Anon, to the sun theme – thank you for your contributions.
Thank you, Rick, for your Replacements-related material. I know how much you care about the band’s work (as well as Westerberg himself) from past comments.
“Blame It on the Boogie”, by The Jacksons (“Don’t blame it on the sunshine.”)
Green Fields – The Brothers Four
Sun Arise – Rolf Harris
The Sun Died – Tom Jones
“Top of the World”, by Carpenters (“Not a cloud in the sky, got the sun in my eyes.”)
Sunrise Highway – Bobby Vee
Nothing Like a Sunny Day – Bobby Vee
Walking in the Sun – Gene Pitney
Follow the Sun – Gene Pitney
“Summer Nights”, by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta (“Summer sun, something’s begun.”)
Sun: Belinda Carlisle
The sun will shine on you: Jeff Lynne’s ELO
It’s over: Electric Light Orchestra
From the sun to the world: Electric Light Orchestra
Mr Blue Sky: Electric Light Orchestra
Do Ya: Electric Light Orchestra (original by The Move)
Summer and Lightning: Electric Light Orchestra
Melting in the sun: Electric Light Orchestra
Bluebird is dead: Electric Light Orchestra
Loser gone wild: Electric Light Orchestra
Instant karma: John Lennon
Earth and sun and moon: Midnight Oil
Man crazy: Australian Crawl
Chinese eyes: Australian Crawl
Day in the sun: James Reyne
Harvest moon: James Reyne
Primitive love rites: Mondo Rock
The sun is burning: Simon and Garfunkel
The sunset/twilight time: Moody Blues
Carry on: Crosby Stills Nash and Young
Sunrise: The Who
It’s raining again: Supertramp
Even in the quietest moments: Supertramp
You’re so vain: Carly Simon
Look through my window: The Mamas and the Papas
“Summer Night City”, by Abba (“Waiting for the sunrise, soul dancing in the dark.”)
“Summer Love”, by Sherbet (“And when that sun shines.”)
Hey KD
A final Friday night contribution – Dylan: Tombstone Blues (1965)
‘….and, dropping a barbell, he points to the sky
Saying, “The sun’s not yellow, it’s chicken”‘
“Let it Shine”, by Olivia Newton-John (“A woman needs attention like the flowers need the sun.”) and (“Hoping Lord and praying that the sun will shine again.”)
“I’ll Follow the Sun”, by The Beatles
“Winter in America”, by Doug Ashdown (“Sharing our morning sun”)
“Love is in the Air”, by John Paul Young (“Love is in the air, in the rising of the sun.”)
Congratulations on the Almanac Music Readers for reaching another 50!
Many thanks, Anon – you’ve certainly been busy in connection with this sun theme. There are some classic songs in your latest choices, that’s for sure. One of my personal favourites among these is the beautiful ballad ‘I’ll Follow the Sun’, an early example of McCartney’s songwriting genius, as it was basically written by him, even if credited to Lennon-McCartney as was the general case in that era.
Nice that you were at the crease, so to speak, when we reached our fifty, too!
Thank you, Fisho, for your latest choices.
Thanks so much, Liam, for your extensive list.
I didn’t realise ELO has so many songs connected to the sun.
Thanks, Karl, for ‘Tombstone Blues’ – nice quote from it, too!
Thanks KD.
I thought I’d kick off Saturday with another classic Dylan song & sun-related lyric:
Isis – 1976
‘I came in from the East with the sun in my eyes
I cursed her one time then I rode on ahead’
Sun, Son (Shining on the Water) – Kate and Anna McGarrigle
Red Dirt Girl – Emmylou Harris (“Sittin’ on the front porch coolin’ in the shade Singin’ every song the radio played Waitin’ for the Alabama sun to go down Two red dirt girls in a red dirt town”)
Galveston – Glen Campbell (“Galveston, oh Galveston I am so afraid of dying Before I dry the tears she’s crying Before I watch your sea birds flying in the sun”)
Wichita Lineman – Glen Campbell (“Searchin’ in the sun for another overload”)
Thank you, Poatina, for the Cream song. (Apologies for the belated response.)
Thanks, Karl, for Dylan’s ‘Isis’..
Thank you, Dave, for your latest choices, all performed by wonderful artists!
How about a little Tangled Up In Blue?
Early one morning the sun was shining
I was laying in bed
Wondering if she’d changed at all
If her hair was still red
Early One Morning – Pernell Roberts (I remember him singing it in an episode of Bonanza)
Old Rivers – Walter Brennan
Hello Sunshine – Bobby Darin
You Can’t See the Sun when You’re Crying – Gene Autry
On the Sunset Trail – Gene Autry
Ridin’ Down the Canyon – Gene Autry
“We’ll Meet Again”, by Vera Lynn (“But I know we’ll meet again some sunny day.”)
“Slip, Slop, Slap” TV advertisement jingle (“In the sun this summer say Slip, Slop, Slap.”)
“Have You Ever Seen the Rain?”, by Credence Clearwater Revival (“When it’s over, so they say. It’ll rain a sunny day.”), (“I wanna know, how you ever seen the rain? Comin’ down on a sunny day.”) and (“Sun is cold and rain is hard.”)
Thanks for ‘Tangled Up in Blue’, Karl – it’s one of my favourite Dylan songs.
Thanks for your most recent choices, Fisho – there’s a decidedly country flavour in most of them, which is, of course, very welcome..
Two classic songs and a classic jingle – thank you, Anon.
“You Are”, by Lionel Ritchie (“You are the sun. You are the rain.”) This song qualifies because his girlfriend is being compared to the sun and the rain.
Does “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life”, by Stevie Wonder qualify? I guess it does get a guernsey because sunshine is in the lyrics, even though it’s referring to someone making him feel happy.
“Sunny”, by Boney M
Bus Stop – The Hollies
Song of the Sun – The Hollies
Twilight Time – The Platters
Red Sails in the Sunset – The Platters
Stormy Weather – The Platters
I’ll bid farewell to Saturday with another Dylan classic:
Mr Tambourine Man
Though you might hear laughing, spinning, swinging madly across the sun
Thank you, Anon – all good ones for our list. ‘You Are The Sunshine Of My Life’ certainly qualifies, as the basic criterion is simply that the sun must involve the sun in some way.
Thanks, Fisho, for the Hollies and Platters material.
Oh, and Anon – immediately above I meant to write ‘ …the basic criterion is simply that the song must involve the sun in some way’.
Thanks, Karl. ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ is a fine song to round off almost any day.
“Sesame Street” television theme, by The Kids (“Sunny Day, Sweepin’ the clouds away.”)
When you’re Cool (The Sun Shines All the Time) – Conway Twitty
Wonder if You Told Her About Me – Conway Twitty
It All Falls Down – Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
Thanks, Anon and Fisho, for your very latest song choices.
Some Jimmy Buffett:
Brahma Fear
Railroad Lady
Manana
Bama Breeze
One Particular Harbour
Three from Brenda Lee
As Usual
Hallelujah, I Love Him So
End of the World
Hi KD
In The Evening (When The Sun Goes Down) – written by Le Roy Carr in 1931
In 1961, Dylan (before he had released his debut album and was a total unknown) was captured doing the song on a home recording – known as ‘The Minnesota Hotel Tape’ amongst bootleg collectors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_G9bdFugzs
More Dylan lyrics:
Highlands
The sun is beginnin’ to shine on me
But it’s not like the sun that used to be
The party’s over and there’s less and less to say
I got new eyes, everything looks far away
BTW – Bob turns 83 on 24 May. He’s scheduled to play the Outlaw Music Festival between Jun-Sept 2024 – the festival is headlined by Willie Nelson – who turned 91 late last month!
“Can’t Fight the Moonlight”, by LeeAnn Rimes (“Well just wait until the sun goes down.”)
“A Little Ray of Sunshine”, by Axiom
“Keep Your Sunny Side Up”, by Judy Garland
“Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In”, by The 5th Dimension
Thanks, Rick, for your Jimmy Buffett collection – a buffet of Buffett, so to speak!
Thanks, Fisho, for your Brenda Lee material.
Thank you, Karl – more Dylan is always welcome.
Regarding ageing musicians – these days, so many are getting past eighty and still performing live. Good on ’em!
Thanks, Anon, for your latest bunch – a range of good songs there!
It’s Such a Pretty World Today – Nancy Sinatra
Another Gay Sunset Day – Nancy Sinatra
Summer Wine – Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood
Some Velvet Morning – Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood
Evert Night When the Sun Comes In – Connie Francis
No Sun Today – Connie Francis
Vacation – Connie Francis
My turn for a Dylan song
It’s all over now Baby Blue (“Yonder stands your orphan with his gun Crying like a fire in the Sun”)
The Springhill Mining Disaster – Peggy Seeger and Ewan McColl (“In the town of Springhill, Nova Scotia,
Late in the year of fifty-eight, The day still comes and the sun still shines But it’s dark as the grave in the Cumberland mine,”)
2-4-6-8 Motorway – Tom Robinson Band (“And it’s 2-4-6-8, ain’t never too late Me and my radio truckin’ on through the night 3-5-7-9 on a double white line Motorway sun coming up with the morning light”)
Johnny Horton – North to Alaska (“With the northern lights a-runnin’ wild In the land of the midnight sun”)
This last song is not in the same league as Tom Robinson and even less in the league of Ewan McColl and Bob Dylan but I wanted a mention of the midnight sun.
“The Rose”, by Bette Midler (“Far beneath the bitter snows lies the seed that with the sun’s love, in the spring becomes the rose.”)
“When You’re Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)” by Louis Armstrong (“Yes when you laughin’, when you laughin’, yes the sun comes shinin’ through.”)
“Summer Holiday”, by Cliff Richard (“We’re goin’ where the sun shines brightly.”)
“Beach Baby”, by The Beach Boys (“Surfin’ is fun, we’d be out in the sun everyday.”)
“Under the Boardwalk”, by The Drifters (“Oh, when the sun beats down and burns the tar up on the roof.”) and “Out of the sun (Under the boardwalk).”
“Pushbike Song”, by The Mixtures (“But I got to get across to the other side of town before the sun goes down.”)
“The Way I Want to Touch You”, by Captain & Tenille “You are sunshine, you are shadow (you are shadow)”
“Any Time at All”, by The Beatles (“If the sun has faded way, I’ll try to make it shine.”)
“Good Night”, by The Beatles (“Now the sun turns out his light.”)
“Dear Prudence”, by The Beatles (“The sun is up, the sky is blue.”) and (“Dear Prudence, see the sunny skies.”)
“I Am the Walrus”, by The Beatles (“Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun. If the sun don’t come, you don’t get a tan.”)
“Yellow Submarine”, by The Beatles (“So we sailed on to the sun.”)
“Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”, by The Beatles. (“Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes and she’s gone.”)
Congratulations to the Almanac Music Readers for reaching another well deserved century!
Thanks, Fisho, for your latest material. I have a particular fondness for the Nancy Sinatra/Lee Hazlewood collaborations.
Good on you for your major role in us reaching our century, too!
Thank you, Dave N – interesting material, as usual. Glad you got in a mention of the midnight sun, too – it serves as a reminder that the sun appears in popular song in all sorts of ways.
Fine work, Anon, in relation to your latest song choices – fitting you were at the crease when we arrived at the ton. Many thanks.
Willow – Steve Lawrence
Look at the Sun – Steve Lawrence and Edie Gorme
Side By Side – Steve Lawrence and Edie Gorme
The Big Rock Candy Mountain – Tex Morton
Let Me Be Your Sun – roger Whittaker
Why? – Roger Whittaker
It’s Impossible – Roger Whittaker
Thanks, Fisho, for your latest selections. Our overall sun song list is shaping up very nicely!
With the Sun In My Face – Tommy Steele
Princess – Tommy Steele
Sittin’ In the Sun (Countin’ My Money) Frankie Lane
Ain’t No Sun Since you’ve Been Gone – Dusty Springfield
Wherever Would I Be – Dusty Springfield
Here are a few more …
Who Loves the Sun – Velvet Underground
Red Pony – Triffids
(“Sand in your eye /Sun upon your back”)
Too Close to the Sun – Mutton Birds
Holiday in the Sun – Sex Pistols
California Sun – Ramones
Heil Der Sonne – Richard Wagner (from ‘Siegfried’)
Lyin’ in the Sand – Hello Sailor
(“Oh, that sun is wonderful”)
Black Hole Sun – Soundgarden
Jane Air – 3Ds
(“I can’t see the sun / With shadows all around”)
Jesus Don’t Want Me for a Sunbeam – Vaselines
Burning Sky – The Jam (well, sort of)
Always the Sun – Stranglers
Fly Into the Sun – Lou Reed
That Striped Sunlight Sound – Go-Betweens (yeah, it’s an album; kill me)
Sunscreen Song – Baz Luhrmann
A rich set of toons from some of the best in the biz. Best song of this lot is the Merle track.
A Place in the Sun, Stevie
Cortez the Killer, Neil
Seven Spanish Angels, Ray and Willie
Silver Wings, Merle
All The Tired Horses, Bob
Thanks, Fisho, for your latest stuff.
Interesting and varied selection there – many thanks, Peter C.
Thanks so much for your latest lot, Rick.
I’ve indicated this in connection with quite a few of the other, previous song themes, but we’re certainly coming up with a fine overall list here, aren’t we?
Some of Perth’s best:
Lookin’ Down at You, Innocent Bystanders
Wide Open Road, The Triffids
Million Miles from Home, Dave Warner’s from the Suburbs
Caffeine in the Morning Sun, The Sleepy Jackson
Underwater, Stella Donnelly
A Place In The Sun- Hoodoo Gurus
Such a great song at their live gigs.
Love this line-
“Didn’t you hear the war had been won,
good people died to provide you a place in the sun”
Thanks, Rick, for the Perth-related ‘sun songs’. The geographical context is interesting, as well as the songs themselves. When I saw ‘Wide Open Road’ among the choices, something inside me cried out ‘Oh yes!’
Thank you, Luke, for the Gurus’ song – they’re one of my favourite Australian bands.
Here’s one out of left field from Gilbert and Sullivan’s light opera, The Mikado –
The Sun whose Rays are all Abalaze.
Australian Sun- Catherine Traicos & The Starry Night
Wasted In The Sun- Hunters & Collectors
Thanks, Fisho, for your song from G&S.
Thank you, Luke, for your latest two.
Some greats of rocknroll:
Centrefield, John Fogerty
Hundred and Ten in the Shade, John Fogerty
Minutes to Memories, John Mellencamp
Longest Days, John Mellencamp
It’s Hard to be a Saint in the City, Bruce
Thunder Road, Bruce
Thanks again, Rick.
Amid all the genres involved in our excellent song list, it’s a fine thing to get a solid dose of rocknroll.
And here’s a few more great and kinda good songs, with a note that I’ve Got a Plan is a great song!
I’ve Got a Plan, My Friend the Chocolate Cake
Indian Lake, The Cowsills
California Sun, The Rivierias
Meltdown, Slobberbone
All I Want to Do, Sheryl Crow
Thank you, Rick.
And I just thought of ‘In the Sun’ by Blondie, on their eponymous first album.
Waiting for the Sun-The Doors
At first flash of Eden we race down to the sea
Standing there on Freedoms Shores
Waiting for the Sun
Thanks, Richard. Good one!
“Today bright Phoebus she smiled down on me for the very first time;
For the very first time she smiled on me.”
Aficionados (or even casual acquaintances) of the golden revival era of English folk will remember Bright Phoebus, the mysterious and storied 1972 album from the Watersons. Visiting folk royalty from Fairport Convention, the Albion/Morris On crew, Steeleye Span and others were on hand for various tracks. The now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t story of its re-re-release is on Wikipedia, and the album itself is finally on S*****y. Its name, cover and title track qualify for this discussion, but much of the rest is black as pitch. Check out “The Scarecrow” as an example.
Many thanks, Andrew, for this interesting material.
“I Love The Flower Girl”, by The Cowsills “Suddenly the sun broke through (see the sun).” and (“Our love shall lead the way to find a sunny day.”)
Thanks for this latest choice, Anon.
“I Am… I Said”, by Neil Diamond (“L.A.’s fine, the sun shines most of the time.”)
“Viva Forever”, by Spice Girls (“Both of us were dreamers, young love in the sun.”) and (“Viva forever, I’ll be waiting everlasting like the sun.”)
“Something About the Way You Look Tonight”, by Elton John (“I was feelin’ like a cloud across the sun.”)
Thank you, Ann and Anon, for the most recent song choices in connection with our sun theme.
“I Did What I Did for Maria”, by Tony Christie (“Sun rise this is the last day that I”ll ever see out in the court-yard.”) and (“As a I rode into town with the sun going down”)
“Blue Bayou”, by Linda Ronstadt (“Working til the sun don’t shine”) and (“That familiar sunrise through sleepy eyes”)
Thanks, Anon, for your most recent two songs, ones in which the sun is certainly an important feature.
Hi KD
Mentioning John(ny) Farnham in the other topic, reminded me of his cover of ‘Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head’ (written by Burt & Hal). The song may have been mentioned earlier in this thread – I had a quick squizz but couldn’t see it. It contains these classic lines:
‘So I just did me some talkin’ to the sun
And I said I didn’t like
The way he got things done
Sleepin’ on the job’
Have a happy weekend – with lots of sun!
Thanks, Karl, for your latest input here.
Happy weekend to you, too!
“Bat Out of Hell”, by Meat Loaf (“But when the day is done and the sun goes down”) and “Then I’m dying at the bottom of the pit in the blazing sun (ooh)”
“Ventura Highway”, by America (“Ventura Highway, in the sunshine”)
“A Horse With No Name”, by America (“After two days in the desert sun, my skin began to turn red.”)
Thanks, Anon, for your latest three ‘sun songs’. Personally, I particularly like the America choices best.
“(Sitting On) The Dock of the Bay”, by Otis Redding (“Sittin’ in the morning’ sun”)
Hey KD
Can it really be 9 months since we had fun with this theme?
I’ve done a quick ‘squizz’ back over the 143 comments so far and couldn’t find this one – so here it is……
Neil Young – Needle & The Damage Done (1972)
‘But every junkie’s like a settin’ sun’
Thanks, Karl, for this latest addition. Late additions to these themed songlists are always most welcome.
And yes, time passes by (too) quickly.