The Sun Has Got His Hat On

Album: Me And My Girl (1937)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "The Sun Has Got His Hat On" is also known by its extended title "The Sun Has Got His Hat On (He's Coming Out Today)" - the brackets are optional. It's a happy sounding title and indeed a happy song. Co-written by Noel Gay and Ralph Butler - music and words respectively - it appeared in the second act of the 1937 musical Me And My Girl, not to be confused with the song "For Me And My Gal" or with the 1932 non-musical film Me And My Gal.
  • This song was written apparently in 1932 because that is when it was first recorded. It seems strange that a song of this nature should have fallen foul of the censor; although it didn't initially.

    The reason it did, in later years, was discussed in the first episode of a short BBC Radio 4 series Taboo Be Doo, broadcast in June 2011.

    The first line of the couplet:

    He's been tanning ni--ers out in Timbuktu
    Now he's coming back to do the same to you


    Was altered to:
    He's been canning peanuts
  • In 1971, Jonathan King recorded what might be called a compromise version with "He's been tanning Negroes out in Timbuktu." >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 3
  • BBC Radio Devon presenter David Lowe got in hot water when he played the original 1932 version of the song during his show on April 27, 2014. He didn't realize until he spun it that the recording contained the controversial n-word.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Oliver Leiber

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Oliver Leiber talks about writing and producing hits for Paula Abdul, and explains his complicated relationship with his father, the songwriter Jerry Leiber.

Bible Lyrics

Bible LyricsMusic Quiz

Rockers, rappers and pop stars have been known to quote the Bible in their songs. See if you match the artist to the biblical lyric.

The 10 Bands Most Like Spinal Tap

The 10 Bands Most Like Spinal TapSong Writing

Based on criteria like girlfriend tension, stage mishaps and drummer turnover, these are the 10 bands most like Spinal Tap.

Is That Song Public Domain?

Is That Song Public Domain?Fact or Fiction

Are classic songs like "Over The Rainbow" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the public domain?

Peter Lord

Peter LordSongwriter Interviews

You may not recognize his name, but you will certainly recognize Peter Lord's songs. He wrote the bevy of hits from Paula Abdul's second album, Spellbound.

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?Song Writing

A big list of musical marriages and family relations ranging from the simple to the truly dysfunctional.