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

Howard Jones

Howard JonesSongwriter Interviews

Howard explains his positive songwriting method and how uplifting songs can carry a deeper message.

Zac Hanson

Zac HansonSongwriter Interviews

Zac tells the story of Hanson's massive hit "MMMbop," and talks about how brotherly bonds effect their music.

Francesca Battistelli

Francesca BattistelliSongwriter Interviews

The 2011 Artist of the Year at the Dove Awards isn't your typical gospel diva, and she thinks that's a good thing.

Jon Anderson

Jon AndersonSongwriter Interviews

Jon Anderson breaks down the Yes classic "Seen All Good People" and talks about his 1000 Hands album, which features Chick Corea, Rick Derringer, Ian Anderson, and many other luminaries.

Queen

QueenFact or Fiction

Scaramouch, a hoople and a superhero soundtrack - see if you can spot the real Queen stories.

Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

Kim Thayil of SoundgardenSongwriter Interviews

Their frontman (Chris Cornell) started out as their drummer, so Soundgarden takes a linear approach when it comes to songwriting. Kim explains how they do it.