The song “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” sometimes just called “Sunshine,” was made by American singer-songwriter John Denver. It was first on his 1971 album called “Poems, Prayers & Promises” and later released as a single in 1973. It became a big hit, reaching No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. in early 1974.
John Denver wrote this song on a nice spring day in Minnesota while it was lightly raining. He was looking forward to spending more time outdoors and enjoying the sunshine.
Denver explained that the song had two layers of meaning. One was about the goodness of love, and the other was a deeper feeling that everyone in the world could relate to.
In this article, we’ll dig into the meaning of the song’s lyrics.
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Inspiration Behind “Sunshine on My Shoulders”
Denver talked about the origin of “Sunshine on My Shoulders”:
“I wrote the song in Minnesota at the time I call ‘late winter, early spring’. It was a dreary day, gray and slushy. The snow was melting and it was too cold to go outside and have fun, but God, you’re ready for spring.
You want to get outdoors again and you’re waiting for that sun to shine, and you remember how sometimes just the sun itself can make you feel good. And in that very melancholy frame of mind I wrote ‘Sunshine on My Shoulders’.”
“Sunshine on My Shoulders” Lyrics Meaning
[Verse 1]
If I had a day
That I could give you
I’d give to you
The day just like today
If I had a song
That I could sing for you
I’d sing a song
To make you feel this way
In verse 1, the singer talks about wanting to give someone a day just like the current one, filled with sunshine.
He also mentions that if he could, he would sing a song to make that person feel happy.
It’s about sharing a beautiful moment and wanting to bring joy to someone’s life through music and a perfect day.
[Chorus]
Sunshine
On my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes
Can make me cry
Sunshine on the water
Looks so lovely
Sunshine
Almost always makes me high
In the chorus, he sings about how sunshine makes him happy and can even bring tears to his eyes when it’s in his eyes. He also mentions that sunshine on the water looks lovely.
Overall, the chorus expresses the singer’s deep appreciation for sunshine and how it almost always makes him feel uplifted and high-spirited.
[Verse 2]
If I had a tale
That I could tell you
I’d tell a tale
Sure to make you smile
If I had a wish
That I could wish for you
I’d make a wish
For sunshine for all the while
In verse 2, the singer talks about wanting to tell a story that would make someone smile.
He also mentions that if he could make a wish for that person, it would be for continuous sunshine.
It’s about his desire to bring joy and happiness to someone’s life through storytelling and the wish for a sunny and cheerful existence.
[Outro]
Sunshine
Almost all the time makes me high
Sunshine
Almost always….
In the outro, the singer repeats the idea that sunshine almost always makes him feel high and happy.
It reinforces the singer’s strong connection to sunshine, emphasizing how it consistently lifts his spirits and brings him joy.
Deeper Meaning Behind “Sunshine on My Shoulders”
According to John Denver, “Sunshine on My Shoulders” had two layers of meaning:
“On one level it was about the virtues of love. On another, more deeply felt level, it reached for something the whole world could embrace.”
The first layer suggests that the song expresses the positive and joyful aspects of love, perhaps how love can bring happiness and warmth to one’s life, much like the sunshine.
The second layer suggests that the song may be about a feeling of longing, nostalgia, or the appreciation of life’s simple pleasures, like the warmth of sunshine.
John Denver wrote the song during a time of transition from winter to spring in Minnesota. The description of a dreary, gray, and slushy day sets the scene for his emotional state. His words reveal that the song was born out of a yearning for the arrival of spring and the return of the sun’s warmth and brightness.
In the song, Denver expresses a desire to share the happiness derived from sunshine with someone he cares about, as evident in the lines: “If I had a day, That I could give you, I’d give to you, A day just like today.”
He portrays sunshine as an emotional force that can both uplift and move him to tears, as heard in the lines: “Sunshine, On my shoulders makes me happy, Sunshine in my eyes, Can make me cry.”
He wishes that “sunshine” can stay with the one he deeply cares for, singing: “If I had a wish, That I could wish for you, I’d make a wish, For sunshine for all the while.” Because “sunshine” is a source of happiness and positivity.
In the end, I believe that most people would simply regard “Sunshine on My Shoulders” as a song about finding happiness and contentment in life’s simple pleasures, especially the beauty and warmth of sunlight.
Jacob Carter is a lyricist. He created the lyrics writing course to teach people how to analyze and write lyrics. He graduated from the University of Oxford with a degree in English Literature, so he’s skilled at playing with words.
He’s also an amateur guitarist, which means he knows music and melody very well. With this background, he’s a great lyricist you can rely on to learn writing lyrics.