When the company moved to Los Angeles, the Stovers followed and Kenny landed a staff songwriting job, as did Elgie. He met Johnny Simone and the two, along with Barbara Thompson and Doria Glass, toured as backing singers for Marvin Gaye; that's Simone and Stover you hear on Gaye's Here, My Dear album. Simone migrated from Atlanta, GA, to L.A. to tour with Stevie Wonder. He was an original member of the Wallace Brothers, who -- as high-school teens -- made some crude but charming records for Sims Records and other labels. After the Wallace Brothers disbanded, Simone toiled with the Naturals, who cut singles on Quadran, Calla, and Shout Records. After the Naturals, he relocated to Los Angeles, befriended Stover, and landed a gig backing Marvin Gaye on tour.
An exciting showman with a vocal range from falsetto to a tough as nails, Marvin Gaye-ish tenor Simone sought the spotlight and was eager to get involved with another group. The two met Few, who little is known about, and formed Leo's Sunshipp. In 1977, Leo's Sunshipp had recorded four songs for a proposed album when Simone took ill; he never recovered and died of cancer in his early thirties. Lyons Records eventually finished and released We Need Each Other with eight songs, but four of the eight were simply alternate mixes of "Give Me the Sunshine," "I'm Back for More," "Get Down People," and "Madam Butterfly," with "Leo's Sunshipp" the only non-repeating track. "Give Me the Sunshine" was a minor hit, but with the heart and soul of Leo's Sunshipp gone, they disbanded. Stover joined Finished Touch in 1978.
Give Me The Sunshine
Leo's Sunshipp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mar mar ke jee liye
Ek pal to ab humein jeene do
Jeene do
Saari umar hum
Mar mar ke jee liye
Ek pal to ab humein jeene do
Saari umar hum
Mar mar ke jee liye
Ek pal to ab humein jeene do
Jeene do
Na na na... Na na na... Na na na... Na na nana na...
Give me some sunshine
Give me some rain
Give me another chance
I wanna grow up once again
Give me some sunshine
Give me some rain
Give me another chance
I wanna grow up once again
Kandhon ko kitabon
Ke bojh ne jhukaya
Rishvat dena to khud
Papa ne sikhaya
99% marks laaoge to ghadi, varna chhadi
Likh likh kar pada hatheli par
Alpha, beta, gamma ka chaala
Concentrated H2SO4 ne poora
Poora bachpan jalaa daala
Bachpan to gaya
Jawani bhi gayi
Ek pal to ab humein
Jeene do jeene do
Bachpan to gaya
Jawani bhi gayi
Ek pal to ab humein
Jeene do jeene do
Saari umar hum
Mar mar ke jee liye
Ek pal to ab humein jeene do
Jeene do
Na na na... Na na na... Na na na... Na na nana na...
Give me some sunshine
Give me some rain
Give me another chance
I wanna grow up once again
Give me some sunshine
Give me some rain
Give me another chance
I wanna grow up once again
Na na na... Na na na... Na na na... Na na nana na...
Na na na... Na na na... Na na na... Na na nana na...
Leo's Sunshipp's song Give Me the Sunshine begins with a melancholy instrumental followed by the Hindi lyrics of Saari umar hum mar-mar ke jee liye. Translated in English, this first verse goes, "We have lived our entire lives dying every moment, give us just one moment to live." This sets the tone for the whole song, which revolves around the innocence of childhood that gets lost as we grow up. The following verse talks about the pressure of academics and how it takes away from the carefree days of youth. Here, the lines Kandhon ko kitabon ke bojh ne jhukaya, meaning "The weight of books bowed our shoulders," and Likh likh kar pada hatheli par, Alpha, beta, gamma ka chaala (We spent hours scribbling the symbols for alpha, beta, gamma on our palms) express the heavy burden that the education system puts on children.
The chorus of the song, Give me some sunshine, give me some rain, give me another chance, I wanna grow up once again, expresses the longing for the carefree days of childhood that were filled with rain, sunshine, and innocence. The lyrics also hint at regrets and the desire for a second chance to relive life again.
Overall, the song is an emotional and nostalgic journey, as it talks about the loss of innocence that happens in the transition from childhood to adulthood. The lyrics and melody of the song make it a powerful reminder of the importance of holding on to the simple pleasures of life and childhood.
Line by Line Meaning
Saari umar hum
We have spent our whole lives
Mar mar ke jee liye
With each passing moment, we have survived by the skin of our teeth
Ek pal to ab humein jeene do
But we long for a moment of respite, to truly live instead of simply surviving
Jeene do
Let us live
Give me some sunshine
We yearn for some light in our lives
Give me some rain
We also welcome the cleansing, refreshing power of the rain
Give me another chance
We wish for the opportunity to start anew and right our wrongs
I wanna grow up once again
We hope to regain the innocence, joy, and carefree wonder of childhood
Kandhon ko kitabon
Our shoulders are bowed under the weight of our books
Ke bojh ne jhukaya
But we carry on, letting the burden of education weigh us down
Rishvat dena to khud
We were taught to never bribe or cheat
Papa ne sikhaya
Our fathers taught us well
99% marks laaoge to ghadi, varna chhadi
If we don't achieve a 99% score, we'll be punished severely
Likh likh kar pada hatheli par
We have written so much, our palms bear the marks
Alpha, beta, gamma ka chaala
We have learned the intricacies of language and science
Concentrated H2SO4 ne poora
And yet, we feel burned out and overwhelmed, as if our entire childhood has been consumed by concentrated sulfuric acid
Poora bachpan jalaa daala
Our entire childhood has been burned away
Bachpan to gaya
Childhood is gone
Jawani bhi gayi
Youth is gone too
Ek pal to ab humein
But let us have one moment
Jeene do jeene do
To really live, to truly experience life
Na na na... Na na na... Na na na... Na na nana na...
Let us sing and dance, even if only for a moment
Writer(s): Jean Simone
Contributed by Sydney O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.