When the Sun Don't Shine

Album: American Band (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Truckers co-frontman Patterson Hood moved to the cooler milieu of Portland, Oregon, after living in Alabama for 30 years and Athens, Georgia for another 21. He explained to Uncut magazine that this song is not only about the more equable place Hood now resides in, bur is also about the region's cooler weather.

    "It rains a lot up there, and for about seven months of the year it's grey, so people would say, 'Oh, you're going to hate that!', and I'd be, like, ' No, I'm OK with that - what I hate is 100 degree summers! With 99 per cent humidity!' It's a bit more personal than the rest of the songs on the record, though it all fits together.

    That song and Ever South are different sides of the same coin: one's about the place I left, and what I took with me, the other's about where we moved to."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Gilby Clarke

Gilby ClarkeSongwriter Interviews

The Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist in the early '90s, Gilby talks about the band's implosion and the side projects it spawned.

A Monster Ate My Red Two: Sesame Street's Greatest Song Spoofs

A Monster Ate My Red Two: Sesame Street's Greatest Song SpoofsSong Writing

When singers started spoofing their own songs on Sesame Street, the results were both educational and hilarious - here are the best of them.

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Yacht Rock!

Yacht Rock!Song Writing

A scholarly analysis of yacht rock favorites ("Steal Away," "Baker Street"...) with a member of the leading YR cover band.

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

The Real Nick Drake

The Real Nick DrakeSong Writing

The head of Drake's estate shares his insights on the late folk singer's life and music.