Sunny Came Home
Encyclopedia
"Sunny Came Home" is a folk-rock song by American
musician Shawn Colvin
. It is the theme song to her 1996 concept album
A Few Small Repairs
, and quickly became a hit when it was released as a CD
single
on June 24, 1997.
The song's calming and upbeat music, fronted by a distinctive mandolin
strum, contrasts sharply with the destructive lyrics
, particularly the haunting bridge
: "Get the kids and bring a sweater; dry is good and wind is better. Count the years; you always knew it / Strike a match; go on and do it". The title of the album, A Few Small Repairs, also appears in the third line of the second verse of the song, "It's time for a few small repairs she said."
At the end of the song, the lighting of a match can briefly be heard, followed by a quick breath to presumably put the flame out. The version that played on most radio stations was edited, as was the video version on mtv, removing approximately 30 seconds of instrumental music, mostly at the end of the song.
, it was named Song of the Year
and Record of the Year
. The Grammy Awards presentation was the occasion for an interruption by rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard
stating that his group, Wu-Tang Clan
, is for the children, while Colvin was about to receive her award. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2-5GSjZvW8 It peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
in the US
, and likely would have achieved a higher peak had it been released commercially sooner to correspond with the song's airplay maximum: it was #1 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart for four weeks and also #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for four weeks. On the Hot 100 Single Sales chart, however, it peaked at #29. Colvin's record label did not plan to release the track as a retail single until it became an airplay favorite on CHR
as well as AC and Adult Alternative radio stations and the label deduced that the song appealed to a younger audience who might be willing to buy the single.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin
Shawn Colvin is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Childhood and early career:Colvin was born in Vermillion, South Dakota. Her formative years were spent in the town of Carbondale, Illinois, where she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She learned to play guitar at the age...
. It is the theme song to her 1996 concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
A Few Small Repairs
A Few Small Repairs
A Few Small Repairs is Shawn Colvin's fourth album. It was released on October 1, 1996.A Few Small Repairs is a concept album about divorce, as Shawn Colvin's marriage was ending. At the time of the album's release, she had relocated to Austin, Texas. The biggest single off the album was "Sunny...
, and quickly became a hit when it was released as a CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on June 24, 1997.
About the single
The song tells the story of a woman named Sunny who burns down her house to escape her past. It is one of several "story songs" on A Few Small Repairs, a method of songwriting Colvin began experimenting with while writing for the album. The title of the song comes from the opening lyrics.The song's calming and upbeat music, fronted by a distinctive mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
strum, contrasts sharply with the destructive lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
, particularly the haunting bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
: "Get the kids and bring a sweater; dry is good and wind is better. Count the years; you always knew it / Strike a match; go on and do it". The title of the album, A Few Small Repairs, also appears in the third line of the second verse of the song, "It's time for a few small repairs she said."
At the end of the song, the lighting of a match can briefly be heard, followed by a quick breath to presumably put the flame out. The version that played on most radio stations was edited, as was the video version on mtv, removing approximately 30 seconds of instrumental music, mostly at the end of the song.
Track listing
- "Sunny Came Home" (Colvin, John LeventhalJohn LeventhalJohn Leventhal is a Grammy Award-winning musician, producer, songwriter, and recording engineer who has produced albums for Michelle Branch, Rosanne Cash, Marc Cohn, Shawn Colvin, Rodney Crowell, Jim Lauderdale, Joan Osborne, Loudon Wainwright, The Wreckers and many others...
) (4:24) - "What I Get Paid For" (Colvin, Neil FinnNeil FinnNeil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
) (3:23)
Chart performance
"Sunny Came Home" is Colvin's biggest hit. At the 1998 Grammy AwardsGrammy Awards of 1998
The 40th Grammy Awards were held on February 25, 1998. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Rock icon Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss, and R...
, it was named Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
and Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
. The Grammy Awards presentation was the occasion for an interruption by rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard
Ol' Dirty Bastard
Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB...
stating that his group, Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
, is for the children, while Colvin was about to receive her award. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2-5GSjZvW8 It peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The 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...
in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and likely would have achieved a higher peak had it been released commercially sooner to correspond with the song's airplay maximum: it was #1 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart for four weeks and also #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for four weeks. On the Hot 100 Single Sales chart, however, it peaked at #29. Colvin's record label did not plan to release the track as a retail single until it became an airplay favorite on CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
as well as AC and Adult Alternative radio stations and the label deduced that the song appealed to a younger audience who might be willing to buy the single.
Charts
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
3 |
| Canadian Adult Contemporary Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
29 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1997) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 39 |