"
You Are My Sunshine" is a popular
songA song is a metrical composition intended or adapted for singing, especially one in rhymed stanzas; a lyric; a ballad....
first recorded in
1939-Events:*March 23 – Béla Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 2 is premiered by Zoltán Székely and the Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Willem Mengelberg...
. It has been declared one of the state songs of
LouisianaThe State of Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
as a result of its association with former state governor and
country musicCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
singer
Jimmie DavisJames Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as a Democratic governor of Louisiana ....
. The song is copyright 1940
Peer International Corporation, words and music by
Jimmie DavisJames Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as a Democratic governor of Louisiana ....
and
Charles MitchellCharles Mitchell is a songwriter, best known as a collaborator with Jimmie Davis. Davis's best known composition, "You Are My Sunshine", was co-written by Mitchell....
. According to researchers, the original song was written by Oliver Hood.
History
Two versions of "You Are My Sunshine" were recorded and released prior to Jimmie Davis's. The first was recorded for Bluebird Records (RCA-Victor's budget label) on August 22, 1939 by The Pine Ridge Boys (Marvin Taylor and Doug Spivey), who were from Atlanta. The second was recorded for Decca Records on September 13, 1939 by The Rice Brothers Gang. This group was originally from north Georgia, but had relocated to
Shreveport, LouisianaShreveport is the third-largest city and the principal city of the third largest metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Louisiana, as well as being the 99th-largest city in the United States....
, where they were performing on the city's KWKH radio station. The version by Jimmie Davis was recorded for Decca Records on February 5, 1940.
Davis and
Charles MitchellCharles Mitchell is a songwriter, best known as a collaborator with Jimmie Davis. Davis's best known composition, "You Are My Sunshine", was co-written by Mitchell....
are the credited
songwriterA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well as the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer.-History and background of songwriters:...
s of "You Are My Sunshine". Davis bought the song and rights from Paul Rice and put his own name on it, a practice not uncommon in the pre-
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
music business. Some early versions of the song, however, do credit the Rice Brothers. According to some accounts, clarinetist
Pud BrownAlbert Francis "Pud" Brown was an American jazz reed player.Though he was born in Delaware, Brown's parents raised him in Shreveport, Louisiana. Brown was fluent on saxophone by age five, and toured throughout North America in a family band at the age of seven...
was also involved with the Rice Brothers for the song's origin or first arrangement.
Davis said that for some time he had been enthusiastic about the song and had unsuccessfully tried to convince record companies to record it before finally making his own 1940 record of the song. Davis's version was popular and was followed by numerous other covers, including those of
Bing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American popular singer and actor whose career stretched over more than half a century from 1926 until his death....
and
Gene AutryOrvon Gene Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
, whose versions made the number a big hit.
Davis emphasized his association with the song when running for governor, singing it at all his campaign rallies, while riding on a horse named "Sunshine". His authorized biography,
You Are My Sunshine: The Jimmie Davis Story, was published in 1987.
Recordings
"You Are My Sunshine" has been recorded hundreds of times. It is today a widely recognized song and a standard for traditional country music and traditional jazz performers. Early chart versions include: Bing Crosby, Bob Atcher and Bonnie Blue Eyes, Gene Autry, and the Airport Boys. In one or more of these versions, the song was in Billboard's country charts for over one year. Rock and roll performances by the likes of
Tony SheridanTony Sheridan , is an English rock and roll singer-songwriter and guitarist...
and
Bill Haley & His CometsBill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets , was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of...
also exist. The Haley performance was recorded in 1969 and was sung by the band's bass player, Ray Cawley; it was not released until the early 1990s. Jump, Little Children used to play a song called "Pink Lemonade" which borrowed the chorus and was a success with fans. The song has also been recorded by the likes of
Johnny CashJohnny Cash , born J. R. Cash, was an American singer-songwriter and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
,
Bob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet and painter who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was, at first, an informal chronicler and then an apparently reluctant figurehead of social unrest...
,
Brian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the rock group The Beach Boys...
,
Trini LopezTrini Lopez is a Chicano singer and guitarist.-Career:Lopez made his name on the club circuit of the Southwestern United States before being 'discovered' in 1962 playing at the club PJ's in Hollywood, California, by record producer Don Costa...
,
IdaIda is an American indie rock band from New York City. The group formed in Brooklyn in 1992 as the duo of Daniel Littleton and Elizabeth Mitchell. Later Karla Schickele and Michael Littleton joined the group...
,
Screeching WeaselScreeching Weasel is an American punk band from Chicago, Illinois. They were formed in 1986 by Ben Weasel and John Jughead. The band gained prominence in the early 1990s after signing a record deal with the East Bay punk label, Lookout! Records....
,
Ray CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He brought a soulful sound to country music and pop standards through his Modern Sounds recordings, as well as a rendition of "America the Beautiful" that Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes called the "definitive version of...
and
Aretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter and pianist commonly referred to as "The Queen of Soul". Although renowned for her soul recordings, Franklin is also adept at jazz, rock, soul, blues, pop, R&B and Gospel music...
, among others. Charles' version was the most popular, commercially, reaching #1 on the soul singles chart, and #7 on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, using a modified melody that little resembled the original. A portion of Gary Cao's song
Super Sunshine-Track listing:#Super Sunshine
Songwriter: 阿丹; Composer: Gary Cao#起床歌
Songwriter: Gary Cao/阿丹; Composer: Gary Cao#無辜
Songwriter: 王中言; Composer: Gary Cao#妹妹要快樂
Songwriter: 鄔裕康; Composer: Gary Cao...
is based on the tune and lyrics of this song.
A soul version was recorded by
Dyke & the BlazersDyke & the Blazers is a former American funk band.The Buffalo band Dyke & the Blazers picked up on the rhythms, bass and organ innovations of James Brown's band and released "Funky Broadway - Part I" in 1967, the first black dance single with the name "Funky" in the title...
during the late 1960s.
An example of a modern incarnation of the song is soul singer
Steph JonesSteph Jones is an American singer, songwriter, and model. He was signed to Def Jam, through Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace Records, but left the label.-Early life:...
' version. It fuses the classic melody with current production trends in pop and R&B music. In 2006
Frank TurnerFrank Turner is an English folk/punk singer-songwriter from London. Initially the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, Turner embarked upon a primarily acoustic-based solo career following the band's split in 2005. To date, Turner has released three solo albums, a rarities compilation...
recorded a version of the song for his split EP with
Jonah MatrangaJonah Rzadzinski Matranga is a singer, songwriter and guitarist who has released a variety of solo material under his own name and onelinedrawing, and has previously been part of the bands Far and New End Original...
. And during 2008, at the end of the song 'Flowers And Football Tops' on their debut album
Glasvegas (album)Glasvegas is the debut studio album by the Scottish alternative rock band Glasvegas, first released in the UK on 8 September 2008 by Columbia Records . The album was produced by lead singer James Allan and Rich Costey . The album sold copies in its first week of release and reached number 2 on the...
,
GlasvegasGlasvegas are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in Glasgow in 2003. The band consists of James Allan , Rab Allan , Paul Donoghue and Caroline McKay ....
incorporated a slightly altered version into the song.
Film and television features
It has been featured in numerous
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
s, television shows, television commercials, and
radio commercialA radio commercial is a form of advertising via the medium of radio. Airtime is purchased from a station or network in exchange for airing the commercials....
s (most notably in a series of
RinsoRinso was the brand name of a laundry soap most commonly used in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. The brand was created by Hudson's Soap which was sold to Lever Brothers of Port Sunlight, England, in 1908...
advertisements in the 1960s). The song was featured in the movie
Primary ColorsPrimary Colors: A Novel of Politics is a 1996 novel by "Anonymous" .-Roman à clef:Primary Colors is a roman à clef inspired by U.S. President Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign in 1992...
(1996) and the
Coen BrothersJoel Coen and Ethan Coen, known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are American filmmakers. For more than twenty years, the pair have written and directed numerous successful films, ranging from screwball comedies to hardboiled thrillers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, known together...
movie
O Brother, Where Art Thou (2000).
Winifred BurkleWinifred "Fred" Burkle is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Shawn Ryan and Mere Smith on the cult television series Angel. The character is portrayed by Amy Acker.-Character History:...
sings lines from You Are My Sunshine in the
Angel (TV Series)Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
episode "A Hole in the World", marking a turning point in the season plot. It was also used in the television show
Star Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. The show was created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, and Jeri Taylor and is the fourth incarnation of Star Trek, which began with the 1960s series Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry...
in the episode "
Someone to Watch Over Me"Someone to Watch Over Me" is an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the 22nd episode of the fifth season. The main plot is about The Doctor and Seven of Nine, a hologram and an ex-Borg, learning to deal with romance...
", in which
The DoctorThe Doctor is an Emergency Medical Hologram, "Mark I" character from the television series Star Trek: Voyager, played by actor Robert Picardo...
used the song to teach
Seven of NineSeven of Nine is a fictional character on Star Trek: Voyager, portrayed by actress Jeri Ryan. Born human, she was assimilated by the Borg at the age of six. Eighteen years later, Voyager leaves Borg space with Seven on board, after attempts to negotiate passage through Borg space prove only...
about music. It was sung in an episode of
The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show starred Will Smith as a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to live with his wealthy relatives in a Bel Air mansion. His lifestyle often...
. It is frequently sung in the 80s TV show,
The A-TeamThe A-Team is an American action adventure television series about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces who work as soldiers of fortune while being on the run from the military for a "crime they didn't commit". The A-Team was created by writers and producers Frank Lupo and...
when a distraction is needed to drug
B. A.Sergeant Bosco Albert "B.A." Baracus is a fictional character in the 1980s action/adventure television series The A-Team, played by Mr. T. B.A. Baracus appeared on The A-Team from the series beginning in 1983 until its cancellation in 1987. He is arguably the breakout character of the series and...
or stall for time. It was also featured in one of the final episodes of the series,
Queer as Folk. That same version from Stine J. was also included on the
Mr. and Mrs. SmithMr. & Mrs. Smith is a American romantic action comedy film, directed by Doug Liman and written by Simon Kinberg. The original music score was composed by John Powell. The film stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as a bored married couple who learn that they are both assassins hired by competing...
soundtrack. The artist
Brother LoveBrother Love, also known as Larry Florman, is perhaps the first artist to receive truly large-scale recognition through his involvement in podsafe music...
has covered the song for a Saturn commercial. The chorus was also sung by
Marge SimpsonMarjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
in
The SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated television sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its eponymous family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie...
episode "
The Secret War of Lisa Simpson"The Secret War of Lisa Simpson" is the season finale of The Simpsons
' eighth season, first aired by the Fox network on May 18, 1997. Bart gets sent to a military academy as punishment for bad behavior. While visiting the academy, Lisa sees that the school is far more challenging...
".
Garrison KeillorGary Edward "Garrison" Keillor is an American author, storyteller, humorist, columnist, musician, satirist, and radio personality...
sings the song regularly on his radio program
A Prairie Home CompanionA Prairie Home Companion is a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor. The show runs two hours on Saturdays from 6 to 8 p.m Eastern Time, and 5 to 7 p.m. Central Time, and usually originates from the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota, although it is frequently taken...
.
Paul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE , is an English singer-songwriter, poet, composer, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur, record and film producer, painter, and animal rights and peace activist. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings, McCartney is the most successful songwriter in the history of popular music...
sang the first verse while guest starring on
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992....
.
James McAvoyJames Andrew McAvoy is a Scottish stage and screen actor known for his roles in Atonement, The Last King of Scotland, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Wanted, Frank Herbert's Children of Dune, and the British TV series' Shameless and Early Doors. McAvoy has won the...
sings this song several times as he attempts to play various musical instruments in the movie
PenelopePenelope is a romantic comedy film directed by Mark Palansky with a wide release in 2008. It stars Christina Ricci, James McAvoy and Reese Witherspoon.-Plot:...
starring
Christina RicciChristina Ricci is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family and its sequel Addams Family Values ....
in a scene where her title character attempts to discover the instrument his character Max/Johnny plays.
The song was heard several times in the
MiraclesMiracles is an American drama television program starring Skeet Ulrich and Angus Macfadyen. The series premiered as part of ABC's new "Super Monday" line-up on January 27, 2003...
episode,
You Are My SunshineYou Are My Sunshine is the seventh episode of the television series Miracles. It was scheduled to air April 7, 2003, but the series was cancelled by ABC four days prior...
.
On
The Muppet ShowThe Muppet Show was a television program featuring a cast of Muppets, which was produced by Jim Henson and his team from Sesame Street. The show stars Kermit the Frog as a showrunner who tries to keep control of the antics of the other Muppet characters , as well as keep the human guest stars happy...
, "You are my sunshine" was part of a scene entitled "Hugga Wugga." Afterwards, Waldorf sang it as well. Statler believed it was directed at him and retorted, "I'm not your son, and my name's not Shine!"
All My ChildrenAll My Children is an American soap opera that has been broadcast Monday through Friday on the ABC TV network since January 5, 1970; repeat episodes air weeknights on SOAPnet. Created by Agnes Nixon, the show is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia...
character Dixie Martin sings the song to her son while an infant. It played lightly at the death of her character, and the song was featured prominently during her return to Pine Valley on
All My Children.
Sporting anthem
Many sporting teams, such as English Premier League team Wigan Athletic Football Club in particular whose fans sing it just before the players come on to the pitch at the start of the game, the
Portland TimbersPortland Timbers is an American professional soccer team based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 2001, the team plays in the USL First Division , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
, York St John University,
Middlesbrough F.C.Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as The Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who will play in the Football League Championship for the 2009–10 season, following relegation from the Premier League. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August...
and
Sydney FCSydney FC, founded in 2004, is an Australian professional association football club based in Sydney and competes in Australia's premier competition, the A-League....
, use the song as a crowd anthem, often replacing "Sunshine" with the name of the team.
Also, devotees of the team
Preston North EndPreston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the second tier of English league football, The Championship...
adapted the song in honour of their French defensive maestro
Youl MaweneYoul Mawéné is a French footballer currently playing for Preston North End. He usually plays as a central defender.-Football career:...
, while fans of
Liverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club plays in the Premier League, and has won more trophies than any other English club...
and
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...
made their own versions honouring Spanish midfielder
Luis GarcíaLuis Javier García Sanz is a Spanish footballer who currently plays Racing de Santander in the Spanish first division, mainly as a left winger....
and Norwegian striker
Ole Gunnar SolskjærOle Gunnar Solskjær, is a Norwegian football manager and former footballer who spent all but 6 years of his career playing for Manchester United, often dubbed the "Baby-faced assassin". He is the current Manchester United Reserve team manager...
respectively. In Scotland Glasgow Celtic fans paid tribute to
Henrik LarssonHenrik Edward "Henke" Larsson MBE is a retired professional association football player. Larsson won four titles in seven years with Celtic before moving to Barcelona, where he won two titles and the Champions League...
by singing their own version. The Swedish team; Västerås SK's supporters also sing this song. Supporters of Dutch club
SC Heerenveensc Heerenveen is a Dutch football club currently playing in the Eredivisie.-History:sc Heerenveen was founded on July 20 1920 in the town of Heerenveen, Friesland as Athleta. They changed name twice, to Spartaan, and then to v.v. Heerenveen in 1922...
also used to have their own version for Afonso Alves, who has since moved to English Club Middlesbrough FC. Northern Ireland fans also have a variation of the song for midfielder
Steven DavisSteven Davis is a Northern Irish footballer who currently plays for Scottish Premier League side Rangers and the Northern Ireland national team.-Aston Villa:...
.
Cardiff City F.C.Cardiff City Football Club is a football team based in Cardiff, Wales. Cardiff are currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City play their home games at the Cardiff City Stadium. Until May 2009, Cardiff played at Ninian Park....
supporters also sing their own version "You are my Cardiff" which they sing on match days. They began singing the song in the nineties when the club was threatened with closure down by then chairman Rick Wright, the line "So please don't take, my Cardiff away" being the reason why the song was chosen.
Wigan Athletic Football Club also had an unofficial and highly controversial website between 2000 and 2004 called YAMS - You Are My Sunshine. The site was noted for its no-holds-barred content, actively encouraging participants to use foul and abusive language and write irreverent material for use on the site. During its existence the site had numerous threatened lawsuits and was featured in a critical full page article on the front page of the local paper, the Wigan Evening Post. The site is now defunct, but the forum remains in use.