let the sunshine in
Hair Lyrics


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We starve-look
At one another
Short of breath
Walking proudly in our winter coats
Wearing smells from laboratories
Facing a dying nation
Of moving paper fantasy
Listening for the new told lies
With supreme visions of lonely tunes

Somewhere
Inside something there is a rush of
Greatness
Who knows what stands in front of
Our lives
I fashion my future on films in space
Silence
Tells me secretly
Everything
Everything

Manchester England England
Manchester England England
Eyes look your last
Across the Atlantic Sea
Arms take your last
embrace
And I'm a genius genius
And lips oh you the
doors of breath
I believe in God
Seal with a righteous kiss
And I believe that God believes in Claude
Seal with a righteous kiss
That's me, that's me, that's me
The rest is silence
The rest is silence
The rest is silence

[Singing]
Our space songs on a spider web sitar
Life is around you and in you
Answer for Timothy Leary, dearie

Let the sunshine
Let the sunshine in
The sunshine in
Let the sunshine
Let the sunshine in
The sunshine in
Let the sunshine




Let the sunshine in
The sun shine in...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Let the Sunshine In" by Hair convey a powerful message of hope and peace during a time when social and political unrest was at an all-time high. The first two stanzas paint a picture of a sick society where people are disconnected from one another, wearing lab-made perfumes and walking around in winter coats while their country dies around them. The dystopian picture grows worse as they "listen for the new told lies" and live with "supreme visions of lonely tunes."


Then, the song changes direction with the lines "Somewhere inside something, there is a rush of greatness/Who knows what stands in front of our lives." This depicts a glimpse of hope in a dark world, where something great can be found within every person, even in the bleakest of times. The lines, "I fashion my future on films in space/Silence tells me secretly everything," suggest that the singer seeks escape in the world of film and dreams of a new, more promising future.


The next lines, "Manchester, England, England/Eyes look your last/across the Atlantic Sea" are a reference to the Vietnam War, which was an increasingly unpopular and divisive conflict that was taking place at the time. The song then speaks of love and a belief in God and comes to a beautiful conclusion with the chorus, "Let the sunshine in/Let the sunshine in/The sunshine in/Let the sunshine in/Let the sunshine in/The sunshine in/Let the sunshine in."


Overall, "Let the Sunshine In" is a call for unity, peace, and love in a time when the world desperately needed it.


Line by Line Meaning

We starve-look
We are in a state of starvation and desperation, looking towards others with the same sense of longing


At one another
This state of desperation has caused us to turn on one another, competing to survive


Short of breath
We are struggling to keep going, deprived of the air we need to breathe


Walking proudly in our winter coats
Despite our struggles, we still hold onto a sense of pride, trying to stay warm in the midst of winter


Wearing smells from laboratories
We are surrounded by a world of artificiality, in which the smells we carry are not natural, but instead created in labs


Facing a dying nation
We live in a society that is crumbling, rotting from the inside out


Of moving paper fantasy
Our society is not real, but instead a mere illusion of paper and motion


Listening for the new told lies
We are surrounded by lies, constantly seeking out new ones to replace the old


With supreme visions of lonely tunes
Despite everything, we still cling to a vision of greatness and inspiration, hoping to find our own lonely tunes


Somewhere
In an unknown place, hidden from our view


Inside something there is a rush of
In the midst of our struggles, there is a feeling of energy and excitement building up inside of us


Greatness
This energy is a sign of the potential greatness within us all


Who knows what stands in front of
Despite this potential, we are unsure of what lies ahead of us


Our lives
What the future holds for us is a mystery


I fashion my future on films in space
Despite this uncertainty, I choose to envision my own future, one inspired by science fiction and a sense of adventure


Silence
In the quiet, I am able to hear my own thoughts and feelings


Tells me secretly
These thoughts and feelings are often hidden, and only come out in moments of silence


Everything
In these moments, I realize that everything I need is already inside of me, waiting to be discovered


Manchester England England
The place where I am from, and where I belong


Eyes look your last
I am saying goodbye to the people and places that have been a part of my life


Across the Atlantic Sea
I am leaving this place, and heading towards something new


Arms take your last embrace
I am holding onto the people I am leaving behind, and giving them one final hug


And I'm a genius genius
I am confident in my own intelligence and potential for greatness


And lips oh you the doors of breath
My lips, which allow me to speak and share what is inside of me, are like the doors leading to my inner self


I believe in God
I have faith in a higher power


Seal with a righteous kiss
I am sealing my beliefs with a kiss, symbolizing a sense of completeness and sincerity


And I believe that God believes in Claude
God believes in me, and trusts that I have the potential for greatness


That's me, that's me, that's me
I have found myself, and discovered my own potential and greatness


The rest is silence
Everything else is irrelevant, compared to this discovery of self and potential


Our space songs on a spider web sitar
We are creating music that is otherworldly and complex, with a sense of delicacy and intricacy


Life is around you and in you
This music is inspired by the raw energy and beauty of life, a force that is both outside and inside of us


Answer for Timothy Leary, dearie
We are taking inspiration from the philosopher Timothy Leary, who espoused a sense of free thinking and experimentation


Let the sunshine
Allow yourself to be open to the world, and all of the positivity it has to offer


Let the sunshine in
Invite this positivity into your life, and let it warm your soul


The sunshine in
Open yourself up to the world, and all of the beauty and potential it has to offer


Let the sunshine
Do not hide from the world, or let your fears hold you back


Let the sunshine in
Allow yourself to be vulnerable, and let the world see the beauty of your soul


The sunshine in
Realize the potential and greatness that is already inside of you, waiting to be discovered


Let the sunshine
Embrace positivity and warmth, and let it sustain you in times of darkness


Let the sunshine in
Realize that you are capable of achieving greatness, and let the world see your light


The sunshine in
Discover the true potential of your soul, and allow it to shine forth in all its beauty




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@rukeyser

@@xeronylloyd21 Here ya go & glad to help -

Short form: NOT intentional. And like most of the film - NOT in the play.
……….
Compiled & edited from 2 sites:

For the record, the plot is so different in the film, that many of the songs were shortened, sped up, rearranged, or assigned to different characters to fit them in.

*In original stage show, Claude Bukowski is a New York hippie who is drafted, sent to Vietnam, and dies there.
That’s it.

*In the MOVIE, Claude comes to New York City from Oklahoma after he is drafted, and is befriended by a group of hippies before being sent to Army training camp.

They introduce him to their lifestyle & psychedelics before he leaves for boot camp.

THEN they drive to Nevada to visit him at training camp.

*In the play, Claude is from "dirty, mucky, polluted Flushing," in Queens, but wishes he was from "Manchester, England.” (cf:The “British Invasion”)

The song’s inclusion in the FILM is too preposterous to describe.

Other changes:

Hippie Sheila Franklin is falls in love with Berger, not Claude.

Jeannie was "knocked up" by a speed freak, not by either Woof or Hud.

** The most extreme change is Berger's death in the finale.

In the original play it is Claude who dies in Vietnam.

Here’s the sequence in detail:

Berger cuts his hair and dons the uniform, drives onto Army base, finds Claude and offers to replace him for the next headcount so that Claude can attend the group’s going-away picnic in the desert.

But just after Claude slips away to the picnic, the base is fully activated and begins immediate ship-outs for Vietnam.

Horrified, BERGER is herded onto the plane to be shipped out.

Claude returns and frantically pursues Berger's plane in vain.



All comments from YouTube:

@grizzakaful

"War is where the young and stupid are tricked by the old and bitter into killing each other." - Niko Belic

@DeirdreCatherineDoyle

agree whole heartedly

@debbietaylor2983

@@phillipandrews7286 Which barbarians are you talking about?

@phillipandrews7286

@@debbietaylor2983 The Russians, Chinese, North Koreans, Yemenis, and several other countries who want to attack other countries. Many factors cause all that hatred, envy, jealousy, etc.

@PeachWookiee

I think it depends on the war. World War II had to be fought, for example.

@ohnezuckerohnefett

Treat Williams, thank you for this everlasting piece of art. Rest in Peace.

@gf9747

Everlasting ! We will love him forever

@prayingwarrioressaminah9798

AGREED 💯😢

@feliciakenny5152

He made this movie rip Treat Williams ❤

@Torrentfalcons

Rest in peace, Tret. Your performance at the probably best musical movie in the history, will live forever

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