Where The Sun Don't Shine

Album: Don't Laugh Now (1982)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Where the title phrase for this song originated is arguable, but in 1976 it was popularized by the character of Engelberg, the overweight catcher in the movie The Bad News Bears, who hurled the idle threat, "How'd you like me to stick this bat where the sun never shines?" at a rival player.

    Songwriter Randy Sharp doesn't remember where he heard it first, but says it was co-writer Joe Nixon's idea to use it in a song. "That phrase was going around, and he brought it to us, and everyone was feeling goofy that day, and it's like, 'If we don't write this somebody else is going to.' So it was one of those days, we were just hanging out and laughing, and you look up and the day is gone, and you look down and you've got a whole song written. So we demoed it and sent it around, and that's really the whole story to that one. It was just about being silly, and figuring out ways to use that phrase that were entertaining."
  • Ray Stevens has made a name for himself as a genius goofball entertainer, owning the music charts with hits like "The Streak" and "Gitarzan." The Ray Stevens that Randy Sharp knows is actually just a regular guy, though; he saves the wild persona for his stage performances. Randy remembers how he and Stevens wound up teaming up for several projects: "I was in California then, as I am now, and he would come out and visit his friend Doug Gilmore. This was in the '70s. Doug had an operation set up in his guesthouse where I was working, and that's where I first met Ray. And I would play him a bunch of songs. And he would then take tapes of those songs, and he wound up cutting five or six of my things over the years. So, once beyond the exchange of just becoming friends and me playing things for him, it was pretty much in his hands as far as production and all that." (Read more in our interview with Randy Sharp.)
  • Another possible inspiration for the title could be the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Flo (Diane Ladd) and her boss, Mel (Vic Tayback), get into an argument, and she uses this expression to tell him off, "You can kiss me where the sun don't shine!" >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Jerro - Delmont, PA

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney Princesses

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

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.

Director Nick Morris ("The Final Countdown")

Director Nick Morris ("The Final Countdown")Song Writing

Nick made some of the biggest videos on MTV, including "The Final Countdown," "Heaven" and "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)."

Grateful Dead Characters

Grateful Dead CharactersMusic Quiz

Many unusual folks appear in Grateful Dead songs. Can you identify them?

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.

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")Songwriter Interviews

Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.