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"You Are My Sunshine"
"You Are My Sunshine"
Title: "You Are My Sunshine"
Artist: Jimmie Davis & Charles Mitchell
Release Date: March 25, 1940
Label: Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc.
Genre: Country
Place of Origin: Louisiana
Entry by: Ethan Eddy
Lyrics:
[Verse]The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
And I hung my head and cried
[Chorus]
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
[Verse 2]
I'll always love you and make you happy
If you will only say the same
But if you leave me to love another
You'll regret it all some day
[Chorus]
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
[Verse 3]
You told me once, dear, you really loved me
And no one else could come between
But now you've left me and love another
You have shattered all my dreams
[Chorus]
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
Facts about the music:
- Jimmie Davis released "You Are My Sunshine" on March 25, 1940, under Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc.
- It was recorded in Decca Studios, in New York City, on February 5, 1940
- The record sold over a million copies in America alone.
- Jimmie Davis then became the governor of Louisiana in 1944 and served his second term in 1960
- "You Are My Sunshine" became the state song of Louisiana in 1977
- 350 different versions have been made since its release
- It has been recorded in over 30 languages including Japanese and Russian
Analysis in Context with A Lesson Before Dying:
This song captures the elements of a bitter-sweet story of love that can relate heavily to the overarching themes present in A Lesson Before Dying. In the novel, although Jefferson redeems himself as a man and earns respect from his community, he is still sentenced to death. The butterfly at the end of the novel serves as a beautiful symbol of the redemption of a man sentenced to death while also allowing the readers to experience the sadness behind the ending of the novel.Another relation to be made could be Reverend Ambrose's idea of redemption for Jefferson. As a Christian, Ambrose's number one priority is to convince Grant to save Jefferson's soul. He is more focused on Jefferson's soul being redeemed in God's eyes rather than Tante Lou and Miss Emma's desire for Jefferson to be redeemed as a man. This song can be interpreted literally as someone's plea for someone else to not be taken away from them. They are the person's sunshine. In connection with the novel, Miss Emma and Tante Lou desire for Jefferson to regain his status as a man and for it to never be taken away from him as he departs from the world.
