Sunshine on My Shoulders
Encyclopedia
"Sunshine on My Shoulders" is the title of a song recorded and co-written by American
singer/songwriter John Denver
. It was released as a single in 1973 and went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100
chart in the U.S. in early 1974.
at the time I call 'late winter, early spring'. It was a dreary day, gray and slushy. The snow was melting and it was too cold to go outside and have fun, but God, you're ready for spring. You want to get outdoors again and you're waiting for that sun to shine, and you remember how sometimes just the sun itself can make you feel good. And in that very melancholy frame of mind I wrote "Sunshine On My Shoulders."
It was originally the B-side of one of his earlier songs, "I'd Rather Be a Cowboy." As the Vietnam War
came to an end, the song took on a new significance and began to receive airplay on adult contemporary radio stations. It entered the Billboard Hot 100
at number 90 on January 26, 1974 and moved into the number one spot nine weeks later, remaining at #1 for one week. The song also topped the adult contemporary chart
for two weeks in 1974 .
in 1973, used the song as a theme. The movie starred Cliff DeYoung
and Cristina Raines. It told the story of a young mother in love and dying. High ratings prompted a TV series (also Sunshine) which ran for three months during the summer of 1974. The short-lived series began where the movie left off with the young widowed father (DeYoung) raising his stepdaughter (Elizabeth Cheshire).
In a 1994 episode
of The Simpsons
, a hippie is seen singing the song during a heat wave, and is subsequently punched in the face. The song is featured in a 2005 episode of the CBS drama Cold Case, entitled "The Woods".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer/songwriter John Denver
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
. It was released as a single in 1973 and went to number one 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...
chart in the U.S. in early 1974.
Song history
Denver described how he wrote "Sunshine on My Shoulders": "I wrote the song in MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
at the time I call 'late winter, early spring'. It was a dreary day, gray and slushy. The snow was melting and it was too cold to go outside and have fun, but God, you're ready for spring. You want to get outdoors again and you're waiting for that sun to shine, and you remember how sometimes just the sun itself can make you feel good. And in that very melancholy frame of mind I wrote "Sunshine On My Shoulders."
It was originally the B-side of one of his earlier songs, "I'd Rather Be a Cowboy." As the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
came to an end, the song took on a new significance and began to receive airplay on adult contemporary radio stations. It entered 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...
at number 90 on January 26, 1974 and moved into the number one spot nine weeks later, remaining at #1 for one week. The song also topped the adult contemporary chart
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
for two weeks in 1974 .
In popular culture
A television movie titled Sunshine, shown on NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in 1973, used the song as a theme. The movie starred Cliff DeYoung
Cliff DeYoung
Clifford Tobin DeYoung is an American actor and musician.DeYoung was born in Los Angeles, California. He attended California State University....
and Cristina Raines. It told the story of a young mother in love and dying. High ratings prompted a TV series (also Sunshine) which ran for three months during the summer of 1974. The short-lived series began where the movie left off with the young widowed father (DeYoung) raising his stepdaughter (Elizabeth Cheshire).
In a 1994 episode
Bart of Darkness
"Bart of Darkness" is the first episode of The Simpsons sixth season, which originally aired September 4, 1994. It was written by Dan McGrath, and directed by Jim Reardon. In the episode, Bart breaks his leg; his resultant isolation causes him to believe that Ned Flanders has committed murder...
of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated 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 family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, a hippie is seen singing the song during a heat wave, and is subsequently punched in the face. The song is featured in a 2005 episode of the CBS drama Cold Case, entitled "The Woods".
Chart performance
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 2 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| US Billboard Easy Listening | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 42 |
See also
- List of RPM number-one singles of 1974
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1974 (U.S.)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1974 (U.S.)