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.
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.
I grew up loving most John Denver’s folksy songs, and “Sunshine on My Shoulders” (1971) is one of my favourites. Although the song was written fifty (yes, 50) years old, it still sounds refreshingly warm and timeless.
I think a large part of the song’s charm is its disarming simplicity. I compare it with haiku, the miniature Japanese poetic form capturing the essence of a moment. For those who are unfamiliar with haiku, here is a classic example by the master poet, Basho.
The old pond
a frog jumps in –
The sound of the water.
~ Basho (1644 – 1694)
The essence of a haiku is to be simple without being banal, to use a few words, yet convey a world of meanings. To me, “Sunshine on My Shoulders” is a haiku kind of song. Everything in the song – its melody, its rhythm, its words, its images – are down-to-earth simple. Yet it manages to evoke the warm feelings of a bright sunny day and the romantic associations. The singer (a male) is serenading to his love on a sunny day, sunlight dancing on the water, the perfect day for him to touch his lover with warmth, with a tale, and a wish, and we are led to think of love as singular devotion, the outpouring of all that is good, like the lifegiving light of the sun.
Sunshine on My Shoulders: Full Lyrics
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
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
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
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
Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost all the time makes me high
Sunshine almost always ….