The Sun Has Got His Hat On
Ambrose & His Orchestra Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

The sun has got his hat on hip-hip-hip hooray
The sun has got his hat on
And heβ€²s coming out today
Now we'll all be happy
Hip-hip-hip hooray
The sun has got his hat on
And heβ€²s coming out today
He's been tanning Negroes out in Timbuktu
Now he's coming back to do the same to you
So jump into your sun-bath
Hip-hip-hip hooray
The sun has got his hat on
And heβ€²s coming out today

All the little birds are singing
All the little gnats are stinging
All the little bees in twos and threes
Buzzing in the sun all day

The sun has got his hat on
Hip-hip-hip hooray
All the little boys excited
All the little girls delighted




What a lot of fun for everyone
Sitting in the sun all day

Overall Meaning

The Sun Has Got His Hat On is a cheerful and catchy song that was written by Noel Gay and Ralph Butler in 1932. The sun is personified and dressed in a hat, indicating that it is a personification of a happy and warm summer day. The lyrics express the joy and happiness of people as the sun comes out and the warm weather allows them to bask in the sunshine. The chorus is particularly catchy and creates a mood of happiness and excitement that is infectious.


The second verse introduces a somewhat controversial lyric when it suggests that the sun has been "tanning Negroes out in Timbuktu" and will now do the same to the listener. This line is now considered racist and offensive but at the time it was written, it was not taken in that manner. The song was meant to be a lighthearted and upbeat tune, and it is unfortunate that this line has marred its reputation.


Despite this controversy, the song remains popular, particularly as a children's song, and has been covered by various artists over the years. The Sun Has Got His Hat On is a joyful and fun song that captures the feeling of summer perfectly, and it remains a classic.


Line by Line Meaning

The sun has got his hat on hip-hip-hip hooray
The sun is out and we're excited


The sun has got his hat on
The sun is shining down on us


And he's coming out today
The sun is fully visible and bright today


Now we'll all be happy
The sun brings happiness to everyone


Hip-hip-hip hooray
A celebratory cheer for the sun being out


He's been tanning Negroes out in Timbuktu
The sun has been shining on people in Timbuktu and giving them a tan


Now he's coming back to do the same to you
The sun is now shining down on the people here and giving them a tan


So jump into your sun-bath
Take advantage of the sunny weather and sunbathe


All the little birds are singing
The birds are chirping and enjoying the sunny weather


All the little gnats are stinging
The gnats are buzzing around and potentially annoying people


All the little bees in twos and threes
The bees are buzzing around and collecting nectar from flowers


Buzzing in the sun all day
The bees are busy and active in the sunny weather


All the little boys excited
The boys are happy and excited to be enjoying the sunny weather


All the little girls delighted
The girls are happy and delighted to be enjoying the sunny weather


What a lot of fun for everyone
The sunny weather is enjoyable for everyone


Sitting in the sun all day
People are relaxing and enjoying the sunny weather all day long




Writer(s): Noel Gay, Ralph Butler

Contributed by Emma J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@fretpuke

So SoloΒ Thank you for illustrating my point perfectly. Β  You are just the type of fanatical Β zealot I was referring to. Incapable of reasoned thought or intelligent dialogue you scream 'RACIST' at anyone you suspect of falling out of line with your acceptable doctrine. Β In centuries past your type would of been burning women alive for accusations of witchcraft.Β 

Β I disagreed Β with the sacking of a man from his job for making the petty mistake of not knowing a famous song from the 1930s had a racial slur in it. Β You then go ahead and accuse me of being a racist. Incredible.

Β I really pity people like you. You're just a nasty hate filled little person wound up in a self righteous, ego stroking PC frenzy.

I hate racism, but I also have the intellectual capacity to distinguish between real racism and petty mistakes. Β Clearly you do not.

Thanks again for perfectly illustrating my point.Β 



All comments from YouTube:

@wolis19

Is anyone else here becuase people were making tiktoks about why you have to listen to the the full song but never posting the part of the song they were talking about

@brookepettifor7521

Me😭

@mtsg3761

Classic Tiktok tbh

@livelaughfish9614

just listen to the sound lol

@truematts

@@livelaughfish9614 can explain to me ? i still dont get it

@faithbowlin3389

MEEE

62 More Replies...

@olivegarden_on_steam

Bruh, Boozoo and Bon be like: "Yo this shit is my jam."

@Dead-Dove

Yes

@PenSupremacist

Lmao

@77maydayZZ

And you know Boozoo hits the hard R when the kids aren’t there....

More Comments

More Versions