Album: Jonathan Edwards (1971)

Charted: 4

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• Sunshine, go away today
  I don't feel much like dancing
  Some man's gone, he tried to run my life
  He don't know what he's asking
  Well, he tells me I better get in line
  I can't hear what he's saying
  When I grow up, I'm gonna make it mine
  These ain't dues that I've been paying
  
  How much does it cost?
  I'll buy it
  The time is all we've lost
  I'll try it
  He can't even run his own life
  Be damned if he'll run mine
  
  How much does it cost?
  I'll buy it
  The time is all we've lost
  I'll try it
  He can't even run his own life
  Be damned if he'll run mine
  
  Working starts to make me wonder where
  All that I do is going
  He says, "in love and war, all is fair"
  He's got cards that he ain't showing
  
  How much does it cost?
  I'll buy it
  Time is all we've lost
  I'll try it
  He can't even run his own life
  Be damned if he'll run mine
  
  Sunshine, come on back another day
  I promise you, I'll be singing
  This old world, she's gonna turn around
  Brand new bells will be ringing Writer/s: Jonathan Edwards
  Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 23

• Rpb02864 from Rhode IslandCpt Dug Niemela from Tucson, Az. Sadly a tired statement from a Universal Soldier.
• Cpt Dug Niemela from Tucson, AzThe men that did their duty and went and fought in Vietnam are the real heroes. The cowards like Edwards and others that treated them like sh*t, should have gone to jail, especially those cowards that ran to Canada!
• Andre from Emerald Island NcI was in the fourth grade when this song was performed and hit the top ten. If people think that a nine year old can't call bulls--t when coffins are off loaded from cargo planes while we were sitting at the dinner table. We only got the news once back then at 6pm.The new episodes of the "Brady Bunch" were now in living color...Hippies we're f--king on the lawn at the Post Office after the cops would drive off cursing. The Volkswagen Bug became the Go-to vehicle in some households. My Dad was teaching highschool mathematics. We wondered if the draft lottery was going to be still happening when we were going to graduate. Women were often talking about refusing to get pregnant. Republican women were liberated in 1972 and exercised their voting power. Separation of Church and State was a real thing once. I keep my mouth shut whenever the sunshines now. Politics is nothing but bulls--t. There was a constitutional amendment called the bulls--t amendment .
• Cindy B from FloridaThis song (and God's grace) enabled me (along with my mother and siblings) to endure, gather courage, and eventually break free of 14 years of an abusive stepfather! Thank you for the added strength!
• Susan from Atlanta, GeorgiaMy father was a great proselytizer in the tradition of "Do as I say, not as I do"; I was 14 when this song came out, and even at that age I realized that this song was him all over. I always call it "The Dad Anthem".
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 9th 1972, "Sunshine" by the Jonathan Edwards peaked at #4 (for 2 weeks) on the Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it had entered the chart on November 7th, 1971 and spent 16 weeks on the Top 100...
  A true 'one hit' wonder; it was his only charted record...
  Mr. Edwards will celebrate his 68th birthday this July 28th.
  *** 'He says in love and war all is fair, but he's got cards he ain't showing' ***
• Linda from Inland Empire, CaLove this song, but I'm disappointed "Shanty" isn't on here. When I lived in Michigan, Grand Rapids station WLAV routinely played "Shanty" on Friday afternoons as "The Friday Song." When visiting family a few years ago, I was delighted to be in a local coffee shop on a Friday afternoon when, sure enough, the radio tuned to WLAV played "The Friday Song." It sure made me smile!
• Esskayess from Dallas, TxEdwards said the song was done ' just at the time of the Vietnam War and Nixon.' How fast his ilk conveniently forgot which president actually put us there.
• David from Hudson, OhI just recently saw Jonathan in concert and before he played this song, he gave a brief description of how the whole idea was created. He mentioned he was attending an anti-war demonstration in May of 1970 at the Washington Monument in DC and was standing in line ready to play. The show was running so late, that he had to wait until early the next morning to perform. While he was standing behind the stage, the sun was slowly rising up behind the monument and because it was such a glorious and beautiful moment, it gave him the inspiration to write this wonderful song.
• Fred from Laurel, MdOh, and I've just rediscovered what was maybe my favorite JonEd song: "Emma." Check it out.
• Fred from Laurel, MdIf this helps, I once heard a recording of this song that must have been from a concert, in which he sang the line as, "Nixon can't even run his own life..." Or it might have been when I saw him perform as part of the WFMA (World Folk Music Assoc.) annual benefit concert at the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA, some year in the 90's. *** He's got several other good songs -- "Shanty" got a lot of airplay on alternative rock stations in the 70's; "Cold Snow" and "Sometimes" are also good.
• Terri from Long Beach, WaI always identified with this song. I was in my teens and strongly resisting, and resentful, of anything that hinted that anyone, other than myself, was in charge of my life. I had never heard about the military implications until last night, when my husband said that was what he thought the song was about. It's nice to know -I- was right. LOL
• Cornflakes from Bfe, TnI LOATHE that they used this masterpiece to sell Jeeps. *sigh* And besides, I always thought this was written about Vietnam. An anti-war protest, anti-draft song full of metaphors about how the government couldn't handle their affairs, and how they used young guys and sent them overseas. "Some man's gone, he's tried to run my life/Don't know what he's asking," "He tells me I'd better get in line," "But he can't even run his own life/I'll be damned if he'll run mine," "He says in love and war all is fair/But he's got cards he ain't showing"...all those lyrics scream anti-establishment to me.
• Kevin from Reading , PaJonathan Edwards is a dead-ringer for Stephen Stills, at least on this song -- the only one of his I ever heard.
• Sean from Chicago, IlI was on iTunes and discovered that there's a "clean" version of this song, as well as a "clean" version of "Shanty." How -- and what -- can you clean up in the lyrics of "Shanty"?
• Kerri from Manchester, NhThis song has always been my ode to my father.
• John from Fort Worth, TxI've always loved this song. I was very impressed that "I'll be damned" was used as a lyric in a popular song when it first came out. I was 10 in that year. My wonderful mom, who was only 18 years older than I, sang along with this song with great enthusiasm when it was new. I heard it tonight while driving home from work and knew exactly where to come for more information, thanks to songfacts.com and its contributors. John Martin, 46, Fort Worth, TX
• Mary from Yuma, AzI had always thought this song was about a son that just had a fight with his father, reading everyone else's opinion, and the things going on today, it sounds more like "Dubya".
  
  Mary Lacey, Yuma, AZ
• Fyodor from Denver, CoI believe Edwards recorded this solo and the drums were added later. I heard him interviewed once and he mostly wanted to talk about the children's songs he was into playing at the time. But of course the interviewer had to bring this song up and asked him what it was about, and his tone of voice changed from sweet to bitter as he talked about the authoritarianism of his father.
• William from Richardson, TxThe Pentagon Papers were published in June 1971 and Watergate happened in September that same year. I don't know what the context was when the song was written, but I can tell you that everytime I heard the song I thought of Nixon, and the turbulance our country was going through. (William - Richardson, Texas)
• John from Levittown, NyThis song was covered by fellow Minnesotan Paul Westerberg on the Friends soundtrack.
• Matthew from Shrewsbury, EnglandHe's this singer/songwriter from Minnesota, apparently.
• Andy from Halifax, EnglandWho is this guy? i presume not the world record holding triple-jumper? (ive met him:D)

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