At the age of 11 Jon became interested in the electric guitar techniques and music of Edddie Van Halen and Jimmy Page.
When he was 18 he swapped his electric for an acoustic and moved towards the playing styles of guitarists such as Roy Harper and John Renbourn. At this time Jon moved to Durham, England to study horticulture and became influenced by North Eastern folk music.
Here, he developed his singing and percussion skills (playing tabla, congas and djembe) and at 22 joined the young borders band Tarras, who shortly after signed a record deal with Topic Records.
Over the next 5 years Tarras released 2 albums and toured extensively in Europe and the U.S. The band shared their song writing and singing duties giving Jon a chance to find his own unique voice, and to develop his arrangement skills.
After Tarras disbanded, Jon moved between Manchester and the North East where he worked as a croupier. This gave him time to explore his solo songwriting, drawing from personal experience whilst broadening his use of musical influences to include: Steve Reich, Steely Dan, John Coltrane and Pink Floyd.
In 2004 Jon decided to start a solo career and moved to London to start work on his self-funded debut album. Once there he teamed up with multi instrumentalist and arranger, Patrick Durkan and together they worked on the concept and arrangements for the album. 'May Be Some Time' was recorded in September and October 2005, produced by Real World's engineer Ben Findlay and completed in January 2006.
The album distils Jon's experience and skill as a musician, songwriter, arranger and vocalist. The result is an album of intelligence and emotional depth, which repays repeated listening.
I Love The Sun
Jon Redfern Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It shines down on everyone
I count the days, I count the days
Winter comes and daylight fades
Where are you now, where are you now
Friends I've seen go to the clouds
In Jon Redfern's song "I Love The Sun," the lyrics express a love for the sun and the warmth it brings to everyone. The sun serves as a symbol for happiness and a better life. As the days become shorter and winter comes, the daylight fades, and the singer counts the days until it returns. The lyrics suggest that the singer may have experienced loss, as they question where their friends have gone, perhaps to the clouds as a metaphor for death.
In a broader sense, the song can be interpreted as a reminder to appreciate the good things in life and to recognize that they will not always be present. The sun, a constant in our lives, can be taken for granted, but without it, life would be bleak. The song urges the listener to cherish moments of happiness and to strive to maintain them during darker times.
Overall, "I Love The Sun" is a poignant and reflective song that encourages listeners to appreciate the beauty and warmth of life while recognizing the ephemerality of happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
I love the sun, I love the sun
I enjoy the warm and radiant feeling that the sun produces within me, and I appreciate its capacity to illuminate the world.
It shines down on everyone
The sun provides light and vivacity to all individuals without discrimination, irrespective of their background, gender or ethnicity.
I count the days, I count the days
I keep a track of the number of days that pass because I am eagerly waiting for spring when the weather gets warmer and the sun shines brighter.
Winter comes and daylight fades
As winter approaches and daylight becomes less and less, I feel a sense of gloom and sadness, as I enjoy the sunshine and the long days.
Where are you now, where are you now
I wonder where my friends are, as they move to different towns, cities or countries, leaving me alone to enjoy the sun.
Friends I've seen go to the clouds
Some of my friends have passed away, and I miss them dearly as they have gone up to heaven to be with the angels above.
Contributed by Alaina T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.