Sunshine Lyrics
I don't feel much like dancing
Some man's come he's trying to run my life
Don't know what he's asking
When he tells me I better get in line
Dan't hear what he's saying
When I grow up, I'm gonna make him mine
These ain't dues I been paying
I'll buy it!
The time is all we've lost
I'll try it!
He can't even run his own life,
I'll be damned if he'll run mine--sunshine...
I don't feel much like dancing
Some man's come he's trying to run my life
Don't know what he's asking
Working starts to make me wonder where
Fruits of what I do are going
When he says in love and war all is fair
He's got cards he ain't showing
I'll buy it!
The time is all we've lost--I'll try it!
He can't even run his own life,
I'll be damned if he'll run mine--sunshine...
I promise you I'll be singing
This old world, she's gonna turn around
brand new bells will be ringing
Like most of the songs on Jonathan Edwards, "Sunshine" was written shortly after Jonathan left the band. "I felt really fresh, really liberated", he recalls. "I just went out in the woods every day with my bottle of wine and guitar, sat by a lake near Boston and wrote down all those tunes, day after day".
"Sunshine" was an energetic, happy-sounding statement of protest and independence. "It was just at the time of the Vietnam War and Nixon", Jonathan recalls. "It was looking bad out there. That song meant a lot to a lot of people during that time--especially me". It started on a Boston radio station, and before long it hit the top five on the national charts. It earned him a gold record in 1971.
@jingy23 I always saw the four lines at "how much does it cost" to be a commentary on the government/military's cavalier treatment of taxpayer money and soldier effort. Instead of rationally analyzing whether a course of action is worth pursuing, they just blindly pursue it to see what happens, After all, it isn't THEIR money or THEIR effort they're wasting -- it's yours, they just get to play with it. It reinforces how irresponsibly the government who wants to run your life runs its own.
@jingy23 I always saw the four lines at "how much does it cost" to be a commentary on the government/military's cavalier treatment of taxpayer money and soldier effort. Instead of rationally analyzing whether a course of action is worth pursuing, they just blindly pursue it to see what happens, After all, it isn't THEIR money or THEIR effort they're wasting -- it's yours, they just get to play with it. It reinforces how irresponsibly the government who wants to run your life runs its own.
I always understood this song to be an anti-war, anti-military protest song. The issue about the man not being able to run his own life, MILITARY. The line of "how much does it cost, I'll buy it" referring to buying a person's freedom from the military. "Telling me I better get in line" pure reference to the formation - daily event. Not wanting to dance - marching. I may be wrong - but those are the symbols I see in this song to this day.
@nrwilkinson I always saw the four lines at "how much does it cost" to be a commentary on the government/military's cavalier treatment of taxpayer money and soldier effort. Instead of rationally analyzing whether a course of action is worth pursuing, they just blindly pursue it to see what happens, After all, it isn't THEIR money or THEIR effort they're wasting -- it's yours, they just get to play with it. It reinforces how irresponsibly the government who wants to run your life runs its own.
@nrwilkinson I always saw the four lines at "how much does it cost" to be a commentary on the government/military's cavalier treatment of taxpayer money and soldier effort. Instead of rationally analyzing whether a course of action is worth pursuing, they just blindly pursue it to see what happens, After all, it isn't THEIR money or THEIR effort they're wasting -- it's yours, they just get to play with it. It reinforces how irresponsibly the government who wants to run your life runs its own.
dsfire, thanks again. This song was popular at a restaurant where I worked for minimum wages. Regards, stringofpearls.
From what I can tell, the "man" who has come is the government who is taxing his work and telling him what to do. He wants to know where all that money is going. He notes ironically that the government can't even manage its own affairs, yet it seems to think that it can spend his money better than he can.
"Sunshine" is the feeling one gets from true freedom. "Some man" is THE MAN... the government AND the establishment. He takes control of your life, taxes (robs) most of your income, then uses marketing gimmicks to suck up the rest. Furhtermore, he drafts you and your children into foolish wars! The system sucks. Nothing satisfies anymore, because you're NOT free. The sunshine is gone... until the Promised Day comes!
Whoa, I always thought this was a James Taylor song! God bless the internet...
IMO: it's a defiance and an anti-establishment song, in whichever form establishment takes. According to the comments made by jingy23on September 09, 2007 & nrwilkinsonon on November 12, 2010, I read such aspects as: 1) not wanting to conform (to his band); and 2) not want to fight in war/join the military. The lines "Working starts to make me wonder where fruits of what I do are going" is relevant for just about any bored student and/or employee. And then there are the lines "When he says in love and war all is fair, he's got cards he ain't showing". Perhaps, on a more personal level to him, recording/music industry and/or band members cheating him. The defiance becomes inspiration in the lines. And in the simple word "Sunshine". Great song!
@joedinbjar “He says in love and war all is fair, he's got cards he ain't showing” - as I’ve gotten older and learned more about life, I’ve begun to realize this line may refer to the draft for Vietnam.
@joedinbjar “He says in love and war all is fair, he's got cards he ain't showing” - as I’ve gotten older and learned more about life, I’ve begun to realize this line may refer to the draft for Vietnam.
A draft is supposed to randomly choose men to serve in the military so it was fair. But for those like me who didn’t know it at the time, we’ve learned that rich families could pay doctors to write false medical reports to exempt draftees, and really rich families could get their sons assigned to safer duty....
A draft is supposed to randomly choose men to serve in the military so it was fair. But for those like me who didn’t know it at the time, we’ve learned that rich families could pay doctors to write false medical reports to exempt draftees, and really rich families could get their sons assigned to safer duty. So “How much does it cost?” is a real question, and the military wasn’t showing all it’s cards because this wasn’t available to ordinary people.
I always thought that the song was about rejecting the notion that the government should be telling you what to do..."He (Government) can't even run his own life, I'll be damned if He'll run mine"..."Some man's (agent of the Government) come he's trying to run my life, don't know what he's asking". His goal is freedom from the totalitarian government the we've allowed to run our lives.
Jonathan Edwards is undeniably one of the most underrated musicians ever. His voice, guitar playing and songwriting is incredible. The man has not been given his dues. Buy his CD's and go see him live while you still can. You will not be disappointed. Great song BTW!
I can SO see this being a song about heroin; easily.