Colvin's formative years were spent in the town of Carbondale, Illinois, where she attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She learned to play guitar at the age of 10. Her first public concert was at age 15 at the University of Illinois campus. Colvin cites Joni Mitchell as a primary influence on her music, and her initial performances closely mirrored Mitchell's inflections and guitar tunings.
Colvin began working in the music scene in earnest in the late 1970s, first in Austin, Texas and then nationally. She met music partner John Leventhal during this time; Leventhal would go on to be Colvin's producer on several albums. Colvin often lends her talent to contemporaries in the music business - she can be heard singing the backing vocals on the Suzanne Vega hit, "Luka" from 1987. Vega returned the favor, singing backup on Colvin's, "Diamond In The Rough", from her debut album, "Steady On". Colvin, again can be heard singing backing vocals on Mary Chapin Carpenter's, "The Hard Way" and "Come On Come On" and Mary Chapin returns the favor on Colvin's, "Climb On (A Back That's Strong)", from Colvin's "Fat City" album.
Colvin's first several albums were met with critical acclaim, but did not sell in substantial numbers. After several albums of original work, Colvin released "Cover Girl", a collection of cover songs, but the work was a departure for her and was not well received.
Colvin experienced breakthrough success with "A Few Small Repairs" in October of 1996. The single "Sunny Came Home" reached the US Top Ten, and won Grammy Awards for Song and Record of the Year. She has released several subsequent albums that were nominated for Grammys, and has also released a greatest-hits album and a collection of Christmas music.
A new album from Colvin, entitled "These Four Walls", was released on September 12, 2006.
She was the guest vocal artist on the Lisa Loeb single "Falling in Love" as well as appearing at various Lilith Fair music festivals. She also has been featured on the popular live music show Austin City Limits and played at the 2003 Austin City Limits Music Festival. She also appeared in a tribute to her idol Joni Mitchell in 2001 that was broadcast on the cable network TNT.
She has made two guest appearances on The Simpsons as Rachel Jordan, lead singer for a Christian rock band. She first appears in "Alone Again, Natura-diddly," where Rachel wins Ned Flanders' heart after the untimely death of his wife, Maude. Later, in the episode "I'm Going to Praiseland," Ned dates Rachel, only to scare her off when he tries to turn her into a version of Maude.
Colvin lives with her daughter, Caledonia, and husband, Mario Erwin in Austin, Texas, and still participates in the Austin music scene.
Sunny Came Home
Shawn Colvin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sunny sat down in the kitchen
She opened a book and a box of tools
Sunny came home with a mission
She says days go by I'm hypnotized
I'm walking on a wire
I close my eyes and fly out of my mind
Into the fire
Sunny came home with a list of names
She didn't believe in transcendence
It's time for a few small repairs she said
Sunny came home with a vengeance
She says days go by I don't know why
I'm walking on a wire
I close my eyes and fly out of my mind
Into the fire
Get the kids and bring a sweater
Dry is good and wind is better
Count the years, you always knew it
Strike a match, go on and do it
Oh, days go by I'm hypnotized
I'm walking on a wire
I close my eyes and fly out of my mind
Into the fire
Oh, light the sky and hold on tight
The world is burning down
She's out there on her own and she's alright
Sunny came home
Sunny came home
Came home
Home
The song "Sunny Came Home" by Shawn Colvin is a story of a woman who returns to her home with a mission. The song captures the emotions and thoughts of the singer and takes the listener on a journey. The lyrics begin with Sunny coming back to her favorite room and sitting down in the kitchen with her tools and books. She is focused on her mission, and she has a list of names. The second verse delves deeper into her psyche and reveals that she feels hypnotized and is walking on a wire.
The chorus of the song is repeated multiple times, and it’s perhaps the heart of the message. Sunny is wrapped up in her thoughts, afraid to turn back and face the world she's always known. She wants to leave it all behind and move towards something new, perhaps represented by the fire metaphor. The final verse encourages her to get up and take action. The lyrics suggest that she has been planning her move for a while, and now it's time to take the final step.
There are several interpretations of the song, with some suggesting that Sunny has returned to burn down her home, while others believe that she’s on a mission of revenge against someone or something. The exact meaning might be elusive, but the themes of empowerment, transformation, and taking charge of one's life are evident.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunny came home to her favorite room
Sunny returned home to the place she loves the most
Sunny sat down in the kitchen
Sunny went to the kitchen and took a seat
She opened a book and a box of tools
She started to read a book and brought out her tools
Sunny came home with a mission
Sunny had a purpose for coming home
She says days go by I'm hypnotized
Sunny feels like she's in a daze as time passes by
I'm walking on a wire
Sunny feels like she's in a precarious situation
I close my eyes and fly out of my mind
Sunny escapes her thoughts through imagination
Into the fire
Sunny's thoughts might be dangerous or illogical
Sunny came home with a list of names
Sunny brought a roster of people she wants to talk to or see
She didn't believe in transcendence
Sunny doesn't believe in beyond-the-physical world exists
It's time for a few small repairs she said
Sunny thinks it's about time to fix things up
Sunny came home with a vengeance
Sunny returned home with a strong, unforgiving desire for revenge
Get the kids and bring a sweater
Sunny tells someone to take the children and wear warm clothing
Dry is good and wind is better
Sunny prefers it dry but would rather have a windy environment
Count the years, you always knew it
Remind yourself how many years it's been, as you've always known about it
Strike a match, go on and do it
Light up something, and just go ahead and do it
Oh, days go by I'm hypnotized
Sunny feels like she's in a daze as time passes by
I'm walking on a wire
Sunny feels like she's in a precarious situation
I close my eyes and fly out of my mind
Sunny escapes her thoughts through imagination
Into the fire
Sunny's thoughts might be dangerous or illogical
Oh, light the sky and hold on tight
The sky should be ignited, and someone must hold on tight
The world is burning down
The planet is getting destroyed
She's out there on her own and she's alright
Sunny is alone and safe, even if everything's falling apart
Sunny came home
Sunny returned home
Sunny came home
Sunny returned home
Came home
Sunny came back home successfully
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Leventhal, Shawn Colvin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Thang Leminh
on I Don't Know Why
....but I do !