Essentially Sunnyboys wore their influences on their sleeve - The Remains, The Flamin' Groovies, The Kinks and The Beatles with a dash of Detroit muscle thrown in for good measure. They produced melodic power pop classics and were rewarded with an immediate positive response.
Between 1980 and 1984 they released their self-titled EP (1980) and 3 albums: "Sunnyboys" (1981), "Individuals" (1982) and "Get Some Fun" (1984).
However, Jeremy Oxley's battle with schizophrenia plagued the band and Sunnyboys announced their break-up in June 1984. Their farewell tour produced the album "Real Live" which was recorded over two nights in Sydney (29th and 30th June).
In 1985, the French label Closer combined The Sunnyboys' first two albums as a double set entitled "Days Are Gone" for the European market.
In late 1987, Jeremy Oxley attempted to revive Sunnyboys with a new line-up. The new band signed a deal with RCA and released an album entitled "Wildcat" (produced by ex-Sherbet keyboard player, Garth Porter). The album failed to convince old Sunnyboys fans and the band broke up again in 1990.
In July 1991, Mushroom released the compilation album "Plays The Best" and the original line-up reunited for a national tour.
Also "Shakin' - Live 1991" (1993, live cd + "Sunnyboys" EP) has been released by Phantom and "This Is Real" (2004, double-CD, Singles/Live/Rare) by Feel Presents.
The band:
Jeremy Oxley - Guitar, vocals
Peter Oxley - Bass
Richard Burgman - Guitar
Bill Bilson - Drums
For more info see the band's MySpace profile and this.
Alone With You
Sunnyboys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Close the doors to the past forever.
Watching you touch,
We're past this much.
I'm alone with you tonight
I'm alone with you tonight
I'm alone with you tonight
I can't always remember what I say,
I can't always take it having to pay
Watching you walk,
You know you're really attractive.
I'm alone with you tonight
I'm alone with you tonight
I'm alone with you tonight
I know it's hard when you have tried,
When the conversations terror, you have tied.
Making out you still don't know,
All I have is alcohol so let me go,
I'm alone with you tonight
I'm alone with you tonight
I'm alone with you tonight
I'm alone with you
I'm alone with you
I'm alone with you
I'm alone with you
I'm alone with you tonight
I'm alone with you tonight
I'm alone with you tonight
I'm alone with you tonight
The Sunnyboys' song "Alone With You" proposes a new beginning where two people can stay together and forget about their painful past. They can put their terrible memories away and proceed with a fresh start in their relationship. The song's first verse invites the listener to join him in locking away their bad memories together, to close the doors to the past forever. The next verse talks about the singer's inability to recall everything he has said and his tendency to pay a price for his utterances. He then admires the beauty of the woman he is with as they walk past each other.
The chorus "I'm alone with you tonight" is catchy, emotive and intriguing, as it raises questions like where everyone else is, what they are doing and why they are not with their partner. By repeating the chorus, the singer emphasizes the couple's new beginning and exclusivity, as if the rest of the world is irrelevant. The bridge almost seems like a reflection of the singer's inner thoughts about his relationship. He knows the girl has been through a lot, as indicated by the terrifying conversations that bind her, but he's hoping that their love and proximity will be a source of comfort to her. Alcohol has always been present, perhaps to soothe any tension or awkwardness, but the singer wants to be alone with this girl, even just for tonight.
Fact1: "Alone with You" was released by Sunnyboys in 1982 and was the lead single from their self-titled debut album.
Fact2: The song was written by Sunnyboys' lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Jeremy Oxley.
Fact3: "Alone with You" was the band's highest-charting single, reaching no. 23 on the Australian ARIA charts.
Fact4: The song was included in the soundtrack of the 2002 Australian coming-of-age film, "Australian Rules."
Fact5: Sunnyboys emerged from the Sydney underground music scene of the 1980s, blending punk rock and power pop to create their sound.
Fact6: The band was originally called "Kids in Dust" and consisted of two brothers, Peter Richard and Jeremy Oxley.
Fact7: Jeremy Oxley was diagnosed with schizophrenia in the 1990s and was on a hiatus for many years, returning to the music scene in the late 2000s.
Fact8: "Alone with You" has been covered by several artists, including Robert Forster of the Go-Betweens.
Fact9: The Sunnyboys disbanded in 1984 but reunited in 1991 and 2012, with the latter being a highly successful Australian tour.
Fact10: Jeremy Oxley was awarded the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music by APRA AMCOS in 2018.
Chords:
Unfortunately, the chords for "Alone With You" are not available online.
Line by Line Meaning
We can lock away the bad memories together,
Let's put our bad memories in a box and lock them away forever, with the help of each other.
Close the doors to the past forever.
Let's keep the past where it belongs - behind us, by closing every door to it.
Watching you touch,
Seeing you reach out and touch something has me feeling happy and content.
We're past this much.
We've progressed beyond the stage of simply wanting to touch things, we are comfortable and familiar with one another.
I'm alone with you tonight
I am spending this particular moment in time alone with only you around.
I can't always remember what I say,
Sometimes I forget the things I say in the heat of the moment.
I can't always take it having to pay
The consequences of things I say and do can sometimes be tough to face.
Watching you walk,
Observing you move around or leave has me feeling drawn to you.
You know you're really attractive.
You are well aware that you are physically appealing to me.
I know it's hard when you have tried,
I understand how difficult it is when you've put in effort and things still don't work out.
When the conversations terror, you have tied.
When our talks are filled with anxiety and strain, they can leave us feeling stuck and frustrated.
Making out you still don't know,
Acting as though you are unaware of the situation or what I'm feeling.
All I have is alcohol so let me go,
I'm feeling powerless and the only way I can cope is by drinking, so just allow me to be on my own for a while.
I'm alone with you
I am intimate and interacting with you in a way that is exclusive to just us, and no one else is around to join in.
I'm alone with you tonight
I am spending this particular night all by myself, and only you are with me.
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JEREMY SAXON OXLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rick_fortune
One of the first bands I ever saw live. 3XY Under 18's show at Festival Hall. Divinyls, Little Heroes, Sunnyboys, Mondo Rock and Split Enz. Quality show...
@kokohead333
OMG - I was there! Amazing!
@kokohead333
Festival Hall seemed huge!
@mindrolling24
I am SOOO envious!
@syrehn69
wish i could have seen that! my cousin , was, 5yrs older than us, lucky , duck. ,,,,πππ€©π
@vickibrougham956
Wow!
@aposaltas70
A very loved band in Greece. I am 52 years old and this woke up memories for me.
@kajbennett4246
Never talked about enough!!!
@jurgentreue1200
Another iconic Australian song.
@mindrolling24
Jeremy is such a talented guitarist as well as singer.