In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Play, play, play,
Ooo doh, awh, ooo, ooo, ooo
We want to play in the sunshine
We want to be free
Without the help of a margarita or ecstacy
We want to kick like we used to
Sign up on the dotted line
We gonna dance every dance
Like it's gonna be the last time
We got to, play in the sunshine
Turn all the lights up to ten
I want to meet you (meet you), and kiss you (kiss you)
Love you (love you), and miss you (miss you)
Do it all over again, do it all over again
We gonna play in the sunshine
We're gonna get over
I'm feelin' kind of lucky to night
I'm gonna find my four leaf clover
Before my life is done
Some way, some how, I'm gonna have fun, awh
Play in the sunshine
We gonna love all our enemies
Till the gorilla falls off the wall
We're gonna rock him
We're gonna roll him
We're gonna teach him that love will make him tall (so tall)
Aah, pop goes the music
When the big white rabbit begin to talk
And the color green will make your best friend leave ya
It will make 'em do the walk
But that's cool
'Cause one day, everyday will be a yellow day
And let's play,
Woo, y'all, (gonna get over), over
I'm feelin' kind of lucky to night
I'm gonna find my four leaf clover
Before my life is done
Some way, some how, I'm gonna have fun, ooo ooo ooo, awh, yawh
Play, play, play, play, play, play, play, play woo
We gonna play in the sunshine
We're gonna get over
I'm feelin' kind of lucky to night
I'm gonna find my four leaf clover
Before my life is done
I'm gonna find my way and some how have fun, yawh, awh, y'all
Some way, some how, I've just got to have fun
(Play), (play)
(Play) no, (play) no, (play) no
(Come on, play) No! (Play) no! (Play play play) yea!
Drummer, do your thing
Drummer, drummer, do your thing, woo
Drummer, drummer, drummer
Can I get some of that? Wait a minute, ha ha ha
Let's get out of here (yeah)
(Play, in the sunshine)
We're not afraid to (play, la la la in the sunshine, la la)
We are going to
(Play, la la la in the sunshine, la la)
(Play, la la la in the sunshine, la la)
Ooo doh, awh, ooo, ooo, ooo
We want to play in the sunshine
We want to be free
Without the help of a margarita or ecstacy
We want to kick like we used to
Sign up on the dotted line
We gonna dance every dance
Like it's gonna be the last time
We got to, play in the sunshine
Turn all the lights up to ten
I want to meet you (meet you), and kiss you (kiss you)
Love you (love you), and miss you (miss you)
Do it all over again, do it all over again
We gonna play in the sunshine
We're gonna get over
I'm feelin' kind of lucky to night
I'm gonna find my four leaf clover
Before my life is done
Some way, some how, I'm gonna have fun, awh
Play in the sunshine
We gonna love all our enemies
Till the gorilla falls off the wall
We're gonna rock him
We're gonna roll him
We're gonna teach him that love will make him tall (so tall)
Aah, pop goes the music
When the big white rabbit begin to talk
And the color green will make your best friend leave ya
It will make 'em do the walk
But that's cool
'Cause one day, everyday will be a yellow day
And let's play,
Woo, y'all, (gonna get over), over
I'm feelin' kind of lucky to night
I'm gonna find my four leaf clover
Before my life is done
Some way, some how, I'm gonna have fun, ooo ooo ooo, awh, yawh
Play, play, play, play, play, play, play, play woo
We gonna play in the sunshine
We're gonna get over
I'm feelin' kind of lucky to night
I'm gonna find my four leaf clover
Before my life is done
I'm gonna find my way and some how have fun, yawh, awh, y'all
Some way, some how, I've just got to have fun
(Play), (play)
(Play) no, (play) no, (play) no
(Come on, play) No! (Play) no! (Play play play) yea!
Drummer, do your thing
Drummer, drummer, do your thing, woo
Drummer, drummer, drummer
Can I get some of that? Wait a minute, ha ha ha
Let's get out of here (yeah)
(Play, in the sunshine)
We're not afraid to (play, la la la in the sunshine, la la)
We are going to
(Play, la la la in the sunshine, la la)
(Play, la la la in the sunshine, la la)
Lyrics submitted by Gothy_Bura
Play in the Sunshine Lyrics as written by Prince Rogers Nelson
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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A carefree song about a beautiful day.. makes me think of summer.
I think the simplicity of this song belies its message and in it we get closer to the 'inner' Prince.
Until his untimely death we were of a similar age, so some aspects of our experience were contemporary. I see the song as hearkening to a purely childlike consciousness. In the opening lines
"We want to play in the sunshine We want to be free Without the help of a margarita or ecstacy"
he's contrasting the typical party going life we both would have been living at the time the song came out with something more innocent. I'm not saying that either alcohol or drugs are particularly evil, but it says something about you, or the world, if the only way you can enjoy it is through these additives. If you need them you have lost a purity. And we know how Prince's fabulous story ends.
Its not just about having fun while you have the gift of life, its about a true sense of freedom that is already lost by the time the song is written, something you can't get it back.
But with a bit of luck and Prince playing this song into your life you can get a fleeting glimpse of that again, for at least a few moments.
I see this as Prince's cover version of Blakes "Songs of Innocence and Experience"
For a song about pure, simple fun I've always found it simultaneously uplifting and tragic, and if that isn't the essence of what it is to be a human being I don't know what is.