He claimed that he was of the "Angel Race", not from Earth but from Saturn. Some of his most notable influences were African and African-American theatre, theosophy, and masonic Afro-futurism. His interest in these art forms and principles led to the development of a complicated but consistent set of cosmic philosophies and lyrical poetry, which preached spiritual awareness and peace.
Born on 22nd May 1914 as Herman Poole Blount, in Birmingham, Alabama, he was nicknamed "Sonny" from his youth. Later, after his release from a detention camp for protesting against World War II, he took on the name and persona of Sun Ra (after the ancient Egyptian sun god).
Sun Ra could play many modern and classical works from memory and had worked in country and western bands before moving to Chicago. His personal music collection contained over 10,000 discs, and he was constantly reviewing and studying. Many of his improvisational and compositional innovations were extensions of ideas from twentieth-century European composers. He is responsible for having brought these ideas into jazz decades before many commercial artists popularised the same methods.
From 1955 until his death on 30th May 1993, Sun Ra led a big-band ensemble with a constant core of John Gilmore (the only sax player John Coltrane thought "worth listening to") and Marshall Allen (master of alto saxophone pyrotechnics), wrapped by an ever-changing lineup of sidemen who are big names in modern jazz today. The Arkestra, so named as to be an "ark between two worlds", never repeated a performance and rarely repeated an arrangement. Additionally, they appeared under a variety of names, including "The Solar Myth Arkestra", and the "Blue Universe Arkestra".
There is some disagreement as to Sun Ra's date of birth. He stated that he had "arrived on Earth" on a number of dates. He was fond of showing his doubters his United States passport, which clearly gave the place of birth as the planet Saturn. 22nd May 1914 appeared on his passport, but other sources place his birth anywhere from 1910 to 1918; most sources support a birth year of 1914 or 1915.
When There Is No Sun
Sun Ra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When there is no sun
Sky when you see is darkness
When there is no sun
Like the way
When there is no sun
Like the way
There is no day
There's only darkness
You turn you see a darkness
Sky when you see is darkness
When there is no sun
Sky when you see is darkness
When there is no sun
Like the way
When there is no sun
Like the way
There is no day
There is no day
Theres only darkness
You turn you see a darkness
Sky when you see is darkness
When there is no sun
Sky when you see is darkness
When there is no sun
Like the way
When there is no sun
Like the way
There is no day
There is no day
Theres only darkness
You turn you see a darkness
Darkness...
Sun Ra's song "When There Is No Sun" is a powerful commentary on the chaos, confusion, and despair that can come with the absence of light in our lives. The repetitive lyrics "Sky when you see is darkness, when there is no sun" create a sense of foreboding that is only amplified by the pulsing, almost hypnotic rhythm of the music. The stark imagery also highlights the sense of isolation and loneliness that can come with darkness. When the light is gone, we are left alone in the emptiness.
The repeated lines "like the way, there is no day" further emphasize the feeling of being lost and without direction. Without the guidance of the sun, we are stumbling in the dark, searching for meaning and purpose. The last lines "you turn you see a darkness" is a call to action. Even though there is darkness all around, we still have the power to turn and face it. We have the power to choose how we respond to the challenges and hardships of life. We can choose to be defeated by the darkness or we can stare it down and emerge stronger than ever.
Overall, "When There Is No Sun" is a powerful and thought-provoking song that can be interpreted in many ways. It speaks to the experience of loss, despair, and uncertainty that are all too familiar to many of us. Yet, it also offers a glimmer of hope and the reminder that even in the darkest of times, we still have agency and power over our own lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Sky when you see is darkness
The sky is completely dark and devoid of light.
When there is no sun
This happens when the sun has set or is obscured from view.
Like the way
This phrase draws a comparison between the darkness of the sky and some other unnamed thing.
There is no day
Day refers to the time when the sun is visible in the sky. In this case, the sun is absent, so there is no day.
There's only darkness
The darkness of the sky is all that remains and there is no other source of light present.
You turn you see a darkness
Even when one turns their gaze upward towards the sky, there is nothing to be seen but darkness.
Darkness...
This final line emphasizes the pervasiveness and all-encompassing nature of the darkness that exists in the absence of the sun.
Writer(s): Sun Ra
Contributed by Scarlett D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ulpana
Brilliant!
There is a UK bassist with various combos and bands uses the name Rozi Plain who often works gig and recorded takes on this Sun Ra piece using variously the titles "Sun's Out" or "There Is No Sun" similarly appropriate to the now 18-disc Pandemic Themed mix discs I've been trying to complete and send to friends. Now my old dub deck is malfunctioning so here is Xmas 2021, Year 2 of Pandemic and still no Disc 18 to complete the set. Wish someone would post a mash-up of Sun Ra Arkestra with that John Gilmore vocal into a version adapted by Rozi Plain with the various bands, combos, duets she has played:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsVKtzqf0dY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5mVliePSh4
Health and balance this Silver Lined Pandemic Plagues Year 2
Hazmat-pajama'd hugs and elbow bumps akimbo all around.
Merry Plain Wrap Christmas
Mitch Ritter\Paradigm Sifters, Code Shifters, PsalmSong Chasers
Lay-Low Studios, Ore-Wa (Refuge of Atonement Seekers)
Media Discussion List\Looksee
@elvissorna8861
What a fine gem this tune. Drifting into darkness never sounded so elegant.
@ryanveigas6931
That section at 1:42 bruh.. OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
@curtisb3000
Sun Ra was a futurist music cosmologist! He is about the most profound musician to date, John Coltrane was going into this landscape. NO ONE has a more DEEPER or FUTURISTIC INTROSPECTION on MUSIC THAN SUN RA! Personally as a spiritual human and a musician I cannot TOUCH SUN RA!
@pgroove163
He's so much in the future he's touching the past
@CosmoShidan
He's the Almighty of Afrofuturism!
@TEMUBARAY
HEY IM BACK 🦉🔄
@barronvandeusen
Listening to this during the eclipse was the best idea ever.
@joshuabrookshire5554
Magick
@TreBeL1000
Same
@user-tf3dw7px9f
This is my favorite song. I'm not sure why I keep coming back to it.