The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore) by The Walker Brothers

Album: Portrait (1966)

Charted: 1 13

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Songfacts®:

This was written by the prolific songwriters Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio and produced by Crewe. The pair wrote many of the hits for The Four Seasons (Gaudio was a member of the group), and composed this one for lead singer Frankie Valli as a solo release. Valli's version was issued in 1965 and only managed a meager chart placement of #128, despite the phenomenal success of The Four Seasons.

The next year, The Walker Brothers covered the song using an arrangement that clearly resembled Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" technique. This version was a huge hit, going to #1 in the UK and making #13 in America.
This is a very despondent song about a hopeless feeling that comes with the loss of love. In our interview with Bob Gaudio, he explained: "I remember it was a rainy day and Bob Crewe and I were in his office, which was in the Atlantic Records building in the Lincoln Center area of New York, and it started to come together. It was a gloomy day and we were both a little depressed. And out it came."
Cher covered this song, releasing it as a single in 1995 and including it on her 1996 album It's a Man's World. Her version reached #26 UK and was featured on "The Post-Modern Prometheus" episode of The X-Files in 1997, which concludes with the main characters attending a Cher concert.
In the UK this is regarded as a death song, supposedly because of an incident in the mid 1960s concerning Ronnie Kray. The story goes that the legendary London gangster, armed with a 9mm Mauser, strolled into the Blind Beggar pub in London's East End to shoot and kill rival gangster George Cornell. This song was playing on the jukebox at the time and a stray bullet hit the machine, forcing the record to repeat the line "The sun ain't gonna shine, anymore, anymore, anymore…" as Cornell lay dying just a few feet away.
Other artists who have covered this song include Neil Diamond, the Ides of March, Jay & the Americans, The Lettermen, Fuzzy Bunnies and the duo Nielsen/Pearson, whose version made #56 US in 1981.
In 2004, the British group Keane covered the song and made it available for download from the website of The War Child Foundation, a charity which provides aid to children in areas affected by military conflict. (Thanks, Mike - Santa Barbara, CA) >>
Suggestion credit:
Mike - Santa Barbara, CA
Bruce Springsteen recorded the song for his 2022 album, Only the Strong Survive. A record comprising recordings of classic R&B and soul songs, it was Springsteen's second covers album, following We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions in 2006.

Comments: 15

James from VietnamI was a 10 year old at the time of this songs release. Don’t really recall it having an impact on my life or any part in my life at all. Today woke with the song on my mind, and recalled a couple lines from the chorus. Dreams are something and technology as well.
Enjoyed all the comments.
Ian C from Liverpool, UkAnyone know upon what river the video for it was filmed ?
Jennifur SunDoes anyone know who did those beautiful horns?
Recordsteve from The Emerald CoastThanks so much for sharing Songfacts=did you know The Wonder Who did a cover of "Good Ship Lollipop?"
Jennifur Sun from RamonaHave loved this song since I was a kid. love his voice, wished they could have sung with the Righteous Brothers, they wounded so much alike. think this the Wrecking Crew playing on this record.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn April 10th, 1966, "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" by the Walker Brothers entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #84; six weeks later on May 22nd, 1966 it would peak at #13 {for 2 weeks} and spent 9 weeks on the Top 100...
It peaked at #1 {for 4 weeks} on the United Kingdom's Singles chart, in its first three weeks at #1 it prevented "I Can't Let Go" by the Hollies from reaching the top spot, it was at #2 for those three weeks and that was its peak position...
The Walker Brothers had two other Top 100 records; "Make It Easy On Yourself" {#16 in 1965} and "My Ship Is Comin' In" {#63 in 1966}.
Dc from Santa Barbara, CaThis is an incredibly powerful song that has not gone out of style. Vocals are outstanding. It is so Wall of Sound Spectorian for sure - that is what they were aiming for and they achieved it as well as the Righteous Brothers did with You've Lost That Loving Feeling - same passion and power and feeling. Both are great great songs, though to be honest Loving Feeling brings back many junior high memories, with my first girlfriend, etc. "Lonely, without you baby - girl I need you - I can't go on...." That is such a powerful bridge. I highly recommend the Walker Brothers Greatest Hits package - some real gems in there. Their cover of Make It Easy On Yourself was originally recorded by Jerry Butler but theirs was the big hit. Their production is almost identical to Butler's - same strings, background vocals, etc. But there is no singer like Scott Walker (aka Scott Engel). (from DerekM)
Sam from Hipsville, CaBesides this great tune, they also did a nice rendition of "Walking in the Rain" by the Ronnettes
Jennifer Harris from Grand Blanc, MiI could have sworn It was the Everly Brothers or something.
Fred from Laurel, MdAlso worth noting about the Four Seasons connection -- Crewe was the 4S's producer for some time, and Gaudio was a 4S member 1960-1971.
Fred from Laurel, MdThe main thing I remember about this song was that when it came out, it sounded so much like the Righteous Brothers it seemed like an outright imitation of them. And that I liked it, although I had mixed feelings about the Righteous Brothers. Bear in mind, too, that all our radios in the dorm at college were of really poor sound quality, and it was all happenin' on the AM band in them days, which was inherently low-fi.
Eric from Manchester, EnglandThis song takes me back to my first real girlfriend back in the summer of 1967 ANN she was well into the Walker Brothers when i met her on holiday in Blackpool England it was the song of our summer love as it was played on the pirate radio station Caroline as we lay in a field with the sun beating down on us for almost a week we had a great sun tan but oh! the peeling skin later
Dave from Cardiff, WalesIn 1990, Indie band Halo James scored their first - and so far only - hit with "Could Have Told You So". The song was a worldwide hit, but many critics believed it was a direct steal from "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore". Ironically, the song "Could Have Told You So" even follows the same theme of lost love, but neither Scott Walker nor Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio disputed plagiarism at the time
Jenny from Montgomery, IlI fell in love with this song when it was performed in the Alan Rickman/Juliet Stevenson movie "Truly Madly Deeply." A great description of how it feels when you're left behind.
Jerro from New Alexandria, PaWhen I first heard this song, I had a feeling that it was produced by Phil Spector. While listening to it, one would tend to think that Spector's "Wall of Sound" was used for it. I also found this song appealing (in a melancholy way, of course) and the lyrics make it seem a bit mysterious. When I hear this song or think of it, I have a tendency to ask myself, "Is this song about a man who comforts a sad and lonely girl or a man who's crying over the loss of his girlfriend?"

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