Today’s classic song of the day is “Sunshine” by Jonathan Edwards. This was Mr. Edwards’ first single and the only one to reach the top forty. This kind of makes him a one-hit wonder, although he did have a few (very minor) country hits in the 1980s.
Jonathan Edwards released “Sunshine” as a single in November of 1971. Early in 1972, the song peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart.
What exactly is “Sunshine” about? Here’s what Jonathan Edwards said when asked:
“I used to get letters back in the day, letters from English classes and different science classes telling me about the deeper interpretations that they had come up with—the meaning of life, you name it. That was always entertaining. But what it has left me with is the wisdom to not answer the question, because everyone’s interpretation is way more creative and interesting than my original impetus for the song. So you go with it.”
Interestingly, “Sunshine” was not initially intended to be released at all. During the sessions for Edwards’ self-titled debut album, an engineer accidentally erased the master of a song titled “Please Find Me.” Rather than try to recreate that song in the studio, Edwards opted to use “Sunshine” to fill the newly created hole on the album. That proved to be a wise decision.
Jonathan Edwards has continued to record and perform over the years. His latest album was Right Where I Am, released on Rising Records in 2021. He’s currently 79 years old.
Country-pop singer Juice Newton did a cover of “Sunshine” in 1980. Her version peaked at #35 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, and it’s today’s daily bonus track of the day.
