His best known work includes the Disney animated movies, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, as well as Little Shop of Horrors, Enchanted, Tangled and most recently, Sister Act the Musical.
Days In The Sun
Alan Menken Lyrics
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When a life has barely begun
When no love, no prize can′t be won
I remember warmly
Those days in the past
Far too perfect and peaceful to last
And the skies were soon overcast
And the days grew cold
What I'd give to relive just one
Change what I′ve done
Turn my life around
But that isn't real
And the empty pain I feel
Goes on and on
And days in the sun
Are a long time gone
Days in the sun
Selfish days I used to call fun
Fool myself stealing love on the run
While the light was fading
That far distant time
When I saw no reason or rhyme
To be changing my ways
But I'm not so certain now
And those days in the sun
What I′d give to relive just one
Change what I′ve done
Find some room for love
But I know the deal
And the empty pain I feel
Goes on and on
And days in the sun
Are a long time gone
I know the deal
And a love I must reveal
What I must do
For days in the sun
To come shining through
The song "Days In The Sun" by Alan Menken is a reflection on the past, specifically on a time when life seemed perfect and peaceful. The lyrics poignantly capture the nostalgia, the longing, and the regret of what could have been. The singer reminisces about the days when love and success seemed within reach, but due to poor choices or selfishness, those days are gone forever. The regret of missed opportunities is palpable as the singer acknowledges the pain of the past and the desire to change what he has done.
The lyrics suggest a sense of resignation that comes with the recognition that the past is unalterable. The singer acknowledges that he cannot relive the past, but he yearns to do so in order to change the course of his life. The lyrics embody the universal human experience of longing for a second chance. The song urges us to recognize that the days in the sun are fleeting but that we must strive to make the most of them while we can.
Line by Line Meaning
Days in the sun
Reminiscing of a time when things were perfect and filled with happiness.
When a life has barely begun
During the early stages of one's existence, where the world is full of wondrous opportunities.
When no love, no prize can′t be won
A time of infinite possibilities with no limit to what one can achieve or gain.
I remember warmly
To recall with fondness that perfect point in time.
Those days in the past
Referring to a time long gone by.
Far too perfect and peaceful to last
The time of happiness and peace could not last forever.
And the skies were soon overcast
Things soon took a less positive turn and became gloomier.
And the days grew cold
The time became less warm and more distant.
Ooh those days in the sun
A yearning for the days of old filled with warmth and happiness.
What I'd give to relive just one
A deep desire to revisit that period of time and enjoy it once more.
Change what I′ve done
Regrets over choices made and the wish to modify past decisions.
Turn my life around
The need to alter one's current path and head in a new direction.
But that isn't real
Realization that altering the past is not possible and one must live in the present.
And the empty pain I feel
Feeling remorseful and sad over past actions.
Goes on and on
This sadness lingers and persists for a prolonged period of time.
Selfish days I used to call fun
A past where actions and thoughts were self-centered and egotistical.
Fool myself stealing love on the run
To deceive oneself into thinking that a fast encounter en route to something else could be love.
While the light was fading
Occurring during a time when hope and positivity were diminishing.
That far distant time
A time much further back in history than the present.
When I saw no reason or rhyme
Acting without purpose or coherence and seeing no issue with this behavior.
To be changing my ways
No desire to adjust actions or thoughts in the past.
But I'm not so certain now
Nowadays, holding doubt in one's past behavior and choices.
And a love I must reveal
The need to disclose one's true feelings of love to another.
What I must do
The action one needs to take in order to move forward.
For days in the sun
The possibility of experiencing happiness and warmth once again.
To come shining through
The potential of having bright and positive times in the future.
Contributed by Noah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@kurosakihen
Days in the sun
When a life has barely begun
When no love, no prize can't be won
I remember warmly
Those days in the past
Far too perfect and peaceful to last
And the skies were soon overcast
And the days grew cold
Ooh those days in the sun
What I'd give to relive just one
Change what I've done
Turn my life around
But that isn't real
And the empty pain I feel
Goes on and on
And days in the sun
Are a long time gone
Days in the sun
Selfish days I used to call fun
Fool myself stealing love on the run
While the light was fading
That far distant time
When I saw no reason or rhyme
To be changing my ways
But I'm not so certain now
And those days in the sun
What I'd give to relive just one
Change what I've done
Find some room for love
But I know the deal
And the empty pain I feel
Goes on and on
And days in the sun
Are a long time gone
I know the deal
And a love I must reveal
What I must do
For days in the sun
To come shining through
@jacktayl
This version could have been a good scene before the opening logo as a music video within a movie performed by Jimmy Bennett and Taylor Momsen. This would be the first played in the movie, but a bonus track after Josh Groban's version of Evermore on the soundtrack. While it plays, it shows the two singers doing a waltz in a ballroom intercut with scenes from the movie. At the beginning and end it shows song information at the bottom-left corner. Here's how they would sing it:
Jimmy Bennett:
Days in the sun
When a life has barely begun
When no love, no prize can't be won
I remember warmly
Taylor Momsen:
Those days in the past
Far too perfect and peaceful to last
Bennett and Momsen:
And the skies were soon overcast
And the days grew cold
Bennett:
Oh those days in the sun
What I'd give to relive just one
Change what I've done
Turn my life around
Momsen:
But that isn't real
And the empty pain I feel
Goes on and on
Bennett and Momsen:
And days in the sun
Are a long time gone
Momsen:
Days in the sun
Selfish days I used to call fun
Fooled myself stealing love on the run
While the light was fading
Bennett:
That far distant time
When I saw no reason or rhyme
Bennett and Momsen:
To be changing my ways
But I'm not so certain now
Momsen:
And those days in the sun
What I'd give to relive just one
Change what I've done
Find some room for love
Bennett:
But I know the deal
And the empty pain I feel
Goes on and on
Bennett and Momsen:
And days in the sun
Are a long time gone
I know the deal
And the love I must reveal
What I must do
For days in the sun
To come shining through
(The end)
So what do you say, guys?
Do you like how I arranged it for Jimmy and Taylor?
@carlkenny9567
Andressa Gammaro Days in the sun
When a life has barely begun
When no love, no prize can't be won
I remember warmly
Those days in the past
Far too perfect and peaceful to last
And the skies were soon overcast
And the days grew cold
Ooh those days in the sun
What I'd give to relive just one
Change what I've done
Turn my life around
But that isn't real
And the empty pain I feel
Goes on and on
And days in the sun
Are a long time gone
Days in the sun
Selfish days I used to call fun
Fool myself stealing love on the run
While the light was fading
That far distant time
When I saw no reason or rhyme
To be changing my ways
But I'm not so certain now
And those days in the sun
What I'd give to relive just one
Change what I've done
Find some room for love
But I know the deal
And the empty pain I feel
Goes on and on
And days in the sun
Are a long time gone
I know the deal
And a love I must reveal
What I must do
For days in the sun
To come shining through
@Tigressa101
I know this is odd to say but the way his voice slightly falters adds more depth and emotion. It's almost like you can hear the stress the song was meant to enact and tell the audience.
@fatimareyes7655
This man represents almost everything I love about Disney.
Hands down, he's the best.
@laurencerivet7521
Love both versions on the soundtrack. But maybe a bit partial to this one which has some "bowiesque" accents that I love. A real great voice that is getting me oh so emotional. Alan Menken, a huge composer and singer!
@TaiiwoBaybee
that emotion at 1:02 ... damn my hayfever.
@disneygirl8069
Am I the only one who believes that he wrote and composed his song for Howard and his emotions that he still has nearly 25 years later?
@PianoDisneygal10
It could be. They were quite close friends.
@tracyallen9170
I bet it's a tribute to his friend.
@bethanyschnieder3482
I believe it too, I can feel the emotions from the song and it felt very powerful.
@MrGabeanator
no
@tracyallen9170
I have a good question. Do you read fanfiction?