Love this song, You are my sunshine? But who doesn’t? I surely love it. I first heard it when I was a kid and loved it. And now, being a mother, I still use to sing it to my girl. Maybe not so often like an year ago but still, once in a while. Here are the lyrics for all the versions of You are my sunshine I know and below some interesting facts about this song.
You are my sunshine lyrics – Lullaby
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
I’ll always love you
And be there for you
I’ll protect you from harm’s way
‘Cause I adore you
You’re my dream come true
You’re my beautiful sunshine
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
You are my sunshine lyrics – Johnny Cash
The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
So I bowed my head and I cried
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don’t take my sunshine away
I’ve always loved you and made you happy
And nothing else could come between
But now you’ve left me to love another
You have shattered all of my dreams
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don’t take my sunshine away
You are my sunshine lyrics – Gene Autry
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
The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
And I hung my head and cried
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
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
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
You told me once dear, you really loved me
And no one else dear, could come between
But now you’ve left me and love another
You have shattered all my dreams
—
Well, as promised, some facts about this lovely song. You are my sunshine is known as the state song of Louisiana but that shouldn’t be a surprise given it was made popular by Jimmie Davis, a country music singer born and lived in the state of Louisiana. A stunning fact about Jimmie Davis: born in 1899, died in 2000!, aged 101 years!!!
In 1999 the song was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award, while Recording Industry Association of America named it not more not less than one of the Songs of the Century. Last century, of course.
Although Jimmie Davis insisted all his life that he wrote the song in 1939, there were some voices, those of Oliver Hood’s children (Oliver Hood being a mandolin player and songwriter) that their father wrote the song in 1933 when he also performed on stage in LaGrange, Georgia. Those years Oliver Hood regularly played with Riley Puckett and Paul Rice and apparently Paul Rice claimed authorship in 1937, given Oliver Hood never copyrighted his song. The story continues with Paul Rice selling the rights to the song to Charlie Mitchell and Jimmie Davis in 1939. Jimmie Davis recording the song in February 1940 and making it famous.
