Context: You are My Sunshine

So I popped in a bluegrass mix CD on my car a week or so ago as I drove.  For some reason I got a little emotional because of a couple of songs.  Maybe it was lack of sleep, my kids’ first day of school, or my biological dad’s birthday.  But the song that hit me hardest was “You are my Sunshine.”

That will probably seem strange and funny to most of you.  And to all of you who have ONLY heard the popular and peppy chorus.  It is actually one of the more melancholy songs of lost love written.

We sing the happy chorus to people we love.  The last line of the chorus gives away the mood of all the verses, “please don’t take my sunshine away.”

This is the version I was listening to:

It’s a song about an unfaithful love.  He isn’t sure she will stick around.  The saddest line part is the final verse:

“In all my dreams, dear, you seem to leave me
When I awake my poor heart pains.
So when you come back and make me happy
I’ll forgive you dear, I’ll take all the blame.”

So, if you only know one part of the song you may get a completely different impression that what the writer intended.

I wonder if we ever do that with the Bible?

Sad Songs Say so Much

I recently bought the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack after seeing the movie.  I had been wanting the music for a long time and seeing the film pushed me over the edge.  Fun movie.  Great Music.

One thing was surprising, though.  The cute little diddy, “You are my Sunshine” is not what it seems.  We have all happily sung the chorus and it is so cheerful and fun.  Well, guess what.  When you listen to the whole song, it is one of the more depressing, melancholy, bluegrass songs ever.  That’s saying a lot for Bluegrass, which has more than its fair share of sad songs.  It’s about a girl that r-u-n-o-f-t.

Here are the rest of the verses:

The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
So I hung my head and I cried.

I’ll always love you and make you happy,
If you will only say the same.
But if you leave me and love another,
You’ll regret it all some day:

You told me once, dear, you really loved me
And no one else could come between.
But not you’ve left me and love another;
You have shattered all of my dreams:

In all my dreams, dear, you seem to leave me
When I awake my poor heart pains.
So when you come back and make me happy
I’ll forgive you dear, I’ll take all the blame.

I actually like sad songs.  Elton John was right.  What other sad and depressing songs can you think of?

And since WordPress just added a Poll function, I am going to test it out.