They are best-known during the late 1960s and early 1970s for popularizing the hits "Up, Up and Away", "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "One Less Bell to Answer", "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All", and "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In", as well as the eponymous 5th Dimension and The Magic Garden LP recordings.
The five original members were Billy Davis, Jr., Florence LaRue, Marilyn McCoo, Lamonte McLemore, and Ron Townson. They have recorded for several different labels over their long careers. Their first work appeared on the Soul City label, which was started by Imperial Records/United Artists Records recording artist Johnny Rivers. The group would later record for Bell/Arista Records, ABC Records, and Motown Records.
Some of the songwriters popularized by The 5th Dimension later went on to careers of their own, especially Ashford & Simpson, who wrote "California Soul". The group is also notable for having more success with the songs of Laura Nyro than Nyro did herself, particularly in the cases of "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoned Soul Picnic", and "Save the Country" The group also covered music by well known songwriters such as the song "One Less Bell to Answer", written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. And perhaps best of all, they became great interpreters of the songs and music of Jimmy Webb, who penned their original mega-hit "Up, Up, and Away", including an entire recording of memorable Webb songs called The Magic Garden.
Sunshine of Your Love
The 5th Dimension Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When lights close their tired eyes.
I'll soon be with you my love,
To give you my dawn surprise.
I'll be with you darling soon,
I'll be with you when the stars start falling.
To be where I'm going
In the sunshine of your love.
I'm with you my love,
The light's shinin' through on you.
Yes, I'm with you my love,
It's the morning and just we two.
I'm gonna stay with you darling now,
I'll stay with you till my seeds are all dried up.
I've been waiting so long
To be where I'm going
In the sunshine of your love.
-music-
I'm with you my love,
The light's shinin' through on you.
Yes, I'm with you my love,
It's the morning and just we two.
I'll stay with you darling now
I'll stay with you till my seas are dried up
I've been waiting so long
I've been waiting so long
I've been waiting so long
To be where I'm going
In the sunshine of your love
The 5th Dimension's "Sunshine Of Your Love" is a cover of the Cream original, and the lyrics describe a love affair that's been long-awaited and is now coming to fruition. The singer is waiting for the dawn ("It's gettin' near dawn, When lights close their tired eyes") and promising a "dawn surprise" for their beloved when they reunite. They've been apart for some time ("I've been waiting so long") and can't wait to be together again in the "sunshine of your love."
The singer of the song assures their partner that they will stay with them until the end, even until their "seeds are all dried up," suggesting a bond that will last a lifetime. The love between them is all-consuming, indicated by the line, "It's the morning and just we two," where nothing else matters to the lovers except their togetherness. The song's emotional melody and powerful lyrics convey the intensity and adoration of the two people involved in this connection.
Line by Line Meaning
It's gettin' near dawn,
The night is almost over and the beginning of a new day is near.
When lights close their tired eyes.
People are going to sleep after a long night.
I'll soon be with you my love,
The singer is eager to be reunited with their loved one.
To give you my dawn surprise.
The singer has planned a special surprise for their loved one at dawn.
I'll be with you darling soon,
The singer promises to see their loved one soon.
I'll be with you when the stars start falling.
The singer will be there for their loved one no matter what happens.
I've been waiting so long
The singer has been longing for this moment for a while now.
To be where I'm going
The singer is excited about the new place they are going to.
In the sunshine of your love.
The singer will finally be able to bask in the love of their loved one.
I'm with you my love,
The singer is now with their loved one.
The light's shinin' through on you.
The singer can see their loved one's beauty clearly.
Yes, I'm with you my love,
The singer reiterates that they are with their loved one.
It's the morning and just we two.
The sun has risen and it's just the two of them.
I'm gonna stay with you darling now,
The singer intends to stay with their loved one for a while.
I'll stay with you till my seeds are all dried up.
The singer will stay with their loved one until the end of their life.
I've been waiting so long
The singer has been waiting for this moment for a very long time.
To be where I'm going
The singer is finally going to the place they have been waiting for.
In the sunshine of your love.
The singer will finally be able to bask in the love of their loved one, in the place they've been waiting for.
-music-
Instrumental section of the song.
I'm with you my love,
The singer is still with their loved one.
The light's shinin' through on you.
The sun is shining on their loved one, illuminating their beauty.
Yes, I'm with you my love,
The singer reiterates their presence with their loved one.
It's the morning and just we two.
Once again, it's just the two of them in the morning.
I'll stay with you darling now
The singer assures their loved one that they will stay with them.
I'll stay with you till my seas are dried up
The singer intends to stay with their loved one until the end of the earth's existence.
I've been waiting so long
The singer has been waiting for a long time for this moment.
I've been waiting so long
Once again, the singer repeats that they have been waiting for this moment for a long time.
I've been waiting so long
And one more time, the singer repeats their long wait.
To be where I'm going
The singer is finally going to the place they have been longing to go to.
In the sunshine of your love.
Finally, the singer can bask in the love of their loved one in the place they have longed to be.
Lyrics Β© Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Eric Patrick Clapton, Jack Bruce, Peter Constantine Brown, Peter Ronald Brown
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind