How many times have you woken up and prayed for the rain?
How many times have you seen the papers apportion the blame?
Who gets to say?
Who gets to work and who gets to play?
I was always told at school, everybody should get the same

How many times have you been told if you don't ask you don't get?
How many lads have taken your money, your mother said you shouldnt bet
And who has the fun?
Is it always a man with a gun?
Someone must have told you, if you work too hard you can sweat

There's always the sun
Mm-hmm, there's always the sun
Always, always (always the sun)

How many times has the weatherman told you stories that made you laugh?
You know it's not unlike the Politicians and leaders, when they do things by half
Who gets the job
Of pushing the knob?
That sort of responsibility, you draw straws for it if you're mad enough

There's always the sun (always the sun)
Mm-hmm, there's always the sun
Always, always (always the sun)

There's always the sun (always the sun)
Mm-hmm, there's always the sun
Always, always (always the sun)

There's always the sun (always the sun)
There's always the sun
Always, always (always the sun)

(Always the sun)
(Always the sun)
There's always the sun (always the sun)
There's always the sun
Always, always (always the sun)

There's always the sun (always the sun)
There's always the sun
Always, always (always the sun)


Lyrics submitted by Zealot, edited by Singingasonginthemorning, james10420

Always the Sun Lyrics as written by Brian John Duffy David Greenfield

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Always The Sun song meanings
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17 Comments

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  • +3
    Song Meaning

    There's always the sun.

    "Who gets to say? Who gets to work and who gets to play?" "And who has the fun? Is it always the man with the gun?" "Who gets the job of pushing the knob?"

    It doesn't matter, on the scale of things all is insignificant. Because in the end, there will always be the great leveller. The sun.

    JeffTanneron July 15, 2016   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    look up to the sun, keep your head up and theres always something else when things get dark

    MrRobinsonon March 27, 2010   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    It's amusing but unsurprising that so many people find optimism in this song. The Stranglers' whole career is based on snark, after all, and I don't think this song is an exception, though perhaps exceptionally there some truly genuine warmth in it that almost eclipses the cynicism.

    I'll make three points:

    1) The sun is so far away from all the social ills mentioned in the lyrics. The fact that there is a sun out there everyday has absolutely no consequence on our very real problems down here.

    2) This is a Cold War song (1986). Many of us had the feeling at the time that nuclear holocaust could happen in our lifetimes. We really thought the sun might not shine through Earth's fragile atmosphere much longer. "Always the sun" is ironic.

    3) And of course "always the sun" is simply not true. We know that the sun will fade and die some day, long after we're gone.

    If anything, the lyrics mock people who are optimistic about the future despite there not being any grounding in reality for that optimism. Looking at how the world turned out after this song was written, I have to agree -- which is why I love the Stranglers so much.

    ghostwheelon February 05, 2017   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Is this a comment on there being one thing that is consistent and that thing is the sun?

    funfriendon December 10, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think this song means that there is always good in everything in the world.

    Or it could mean there is always something else worse like The Sun newspaper.

    Cricklewoodon January 30, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Memory

    I've heard this song many times, but today as I heard it on the radio I noticed that I was singing "it's always the same" and the song suddenly got a totally different feeling.

    lemonyminton January 04, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Somethings never change. And, that can be a good thing when see bickering politicians, kids being treated unfairly in school, lose your money gambling, passed up on a good job....when all else fails, there is always the sun.

    MattBiancoon April 03, 2016   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    It's about neuclear warfare. Who gets the job of pushing the knob? That's a responsibility you can sign up for, if you're mad enough. There's always the sun. This relates to the brightness of a neuclear explosion.

    Amtz12345on January 09, 2018   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation

    This song is actually about Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, who, at the time of this song's release was Premier of Queensland in Australia's north east.

    He was known for turning Queensland into a police state and for changing the boundaries of the electorates to help him win elections. He also played a role in bringing down the Whitlam government.

    It was also from the album 'Dreamtime', the title track inspired by Australian Aboriginal beliefs.

    Brinjenon March 18, 2018   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Good live version of this from Ally Pally, not long before Hugh Cornwell left

    Icon6386on April 18, 2019   Link

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