Album: Mr. Fantasy (1967)

Charted: 5 94

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• So you think you're having good times
  With the boy that you just met
  Kicking sand from beach to beach
  Your clothes are soaking wet
  But if you look around and see
  A shadow on the run (on the run)
  Don't be too upset because it's just a paper sun
  
  Ah paper sun, ah paper sun
  
  In the room where you've been sleeping
  All our clothes are thrown about
  Cigarettes burn window sills
  Your meter's all run out
  But there again it's nothing
  You just split when day is done (day is gone)
  Hitching lifts to nowhere, hung up on the paper sun
  
  Ah paper sun, ah paper sun
  
  Standing in the cool of my room
  Fresh cut flowers give me sweet perfume (too much sun will burn)
  Too much sun will burn (too much sun will burn)
  Too much sun will burn
  
  When you're feeling tired and lonely
  You see people going home
  You can't make the train fare
  Or the sixpence for the phone
  And icicles you're crying
  Down your cheek have just begun
  Don't be sad, good times are had
  Beneath the paper sun
  
  Ah paper sun, ah paper sun
  
  Daylight breaks while you sleep on the sand
  A seagull is stealing the ring from your hand
  The boy who had given you so much fun
  Has left you so cold in the paper sun
  In the paper sun, in the paper sun, in the paper sun, in the paper sun Writer/s: JIM CAPALDI, STEVE WINWOOD
  Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., T.R.O. INC., Universal Music Publishing Group
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 4

• Markdh from NycI prefer to take this “breakout” song for the just-formed Traffic at face value, evoking a seaside adventure for teens in the UK’s summer of love, with lyrics and harmonies that round out the fine instrumentation. Coupled with “Vagabond Virgin” featuring Chris Wood’s flute magic on that album, it sets a mood and tone unique to the band.
• Sfed from CaliforniaI think Paper Sun was named after one of the most popular acids in the '60, orange sunshine. The lyrics sound like someone on an acid trip, especially seeing a shadow on the run, and then realizing its just the acid playing with your mind.
• Reiver Lad from WorcestershireYou're all wrong! I know the girl for whom the song was written, she told me what it was all about back in '74 and showed me the paper sun, she still has it.
  No, I'm not going to tell, that's for her to do if one day she wants to. I just enjoy feeling smug when reading everyone's inventions!
• Misha from UsaThis song refers to several older things including the boarding room coin operated gas/ electric meter and the old English currency. Around this same time, LSD was sometimes sold on little pieces of paper called blotter acid. Acid was sometimes referred to as Sun (the Doors song "Waiting For The Sun"). So, paper sun refer to blotter acid. In the song, the girl referred to has very little if any money, so while other people go about having fun, she escapes to the paper sun, where all kinds of cheap adventures are possible. But, too much LSD (sun) will burn you out. It's pretty obvious to an older person who did these things back in the 70's.

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