The origins of the Nylons date back to 1978 when four experienced Toronto stage actors, Connors, Cooper, Morrison, and Simpson, used to get together in the back of a delicatessen to sing doo-wop together. They took their ensemble to parties and friend's houses and constant comments from people convinced them to take their unique a cappella act into the clubs. An acquaintence met at a party was about to open a new cabaret and invited them to debut there. They played there for six weeks, garnering rave critical and audience reviews. In 1979 Simpson retired from the group and Cole was brought on board. They very quickly established themselves as one of the area's classiest and most original ensembles and caught the attention of Attic Records. Their first album eventually went platinum in Canada (100,000 copies), and there followed four more releases on Attic that all sold at least gold in Canada (50,000 copies). They received the equivalent of a Dutch Grammy award and a gold disc for the One Size Fits All album and the Best Singer Award at 1986's Tokyo Music Festival. In 1987 Disney used their song That Kind Of Man in their feature The Tin Man, and their version of Up The Ladder To The Roof was used in the movie Made In Heaven. They also scored a second appearance on the Taft Broadcasting television show Throb after writing the theme song and a previous appearance on the program. In February 1991 founding member Connors left the group and in March of that year died of viral pneumonia. A new deal in 1991 with Scotti Brothers in the US and BMG in Canada saw the release of three more albums, and constant touring on either side of the border. Over the years various member changes have led to today's lineup of Morrison, Robinson, Mosbaugh, and Cassius. In 1997 they signed with Shoreline Records in the US, a label primarily devoted to vocal groups, and released the Fabric Of Life. Today they continue to tour the world to audience and critical acclaim.
Singles
1982 The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Attic) 1983 Silhouettes (Attic) 1983 That Kind Of Man (Attic) 1984 Take Me To Your Heart (Attic) 1984 Perpetual Emotion (Attic) 1984 Stepping Stone (Attic) 1984 Combat Zone (Attic) 1987 Kiss Him Goodbye (Attic) 1987 Happy Together (Attic) 1987 Chain Gang (Attic) 1989 Wild Fire (Attic) 1989 Drift Away (Attic) 1991 Call My Name (Attic) 1991 One Fine Day (Attic) 1992 Don't Look Any Further (Scotti Brothers)
Albums
1982 The Nylons (Attic) 1982 One Size Fits All (Attic) 1984 Seamless (Attic) 1987 Happy Together (Attic) 1989 Rockapella (Attic) 1991 Four On The Floor (Attic) 1992 Live To Love (BMG) 1993 Illustrious: A Collection Of Classic Hits (Attic) 1994 Harmony - The Christmas Songs (BMG) 1994 Because... (BMG) 1996 Run For Cover (BMG) 1997 Fabric Of Life (Shoreline) 1997 Perfect Fit (Windham Hill) [re-release of 1993's Illustrious]
Marc Connors (baritone; RIP 1991) Paul Cooper (tenor) Claude Morrison (tenor) Dennis Simpson (bass) Ralph Cole (bass; replaced Simpson 1979) Arnold Robinson (bass; replaced Cole 1981) Micah Barnes (tenor; replaced Cooper 1991) Billy Newton-Davis (baritone; replaced Connors 1992) Garth Mosbaugh (tenor; replaced Barnes 1994) Gavin Hope (baritone; replaced Newton-Davis 1994) Mark Cassius (baritone; replaced Hope 1997)
Ain't No Sunshine
The Nylons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not warm when she's away
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
She's gone much too long
Any time she goes away
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
Wonder if she's gone to stay
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away
I know
She's gone to stay
It's breakin' me up
Anytime she goes away
Gotta leave the young thing alone
There ain't no sunshine when she's gone
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
It's not warm when she's away
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And she's gone much too long
Any time she goes away
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
I wonder if she's gone to stay
There ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't a home
Any time she goes away
I know
She's gone to stay
It's breaking me up
Any time she goes away
Gotta leave the young thing alone
There ain't no sunshine when she's gone
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
I wonder if she's gone to stay
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Any time she goes away
Any time she goes away
The Nylons' song "Ain't No Sunshine" is the classic tale of love lost and the pain that comes with it. The lyrics describe the cold and emptiness that is felt when the object of affection is not around. It speaks to the longing and sorrow one feels when separated from the one they love. The repeated line “Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone” is a powerful image that illustrates how it feels to be without that special someone.
The verse "I know, she's gone to stay; It's breakin' me up" shows the realization that the love is gone and isn't coming back. The singer is left to deal with the heartache alone, and the pain is too much to bear. The final lines, “Gotta leave the young thing alone; There ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone" highlight the need to let go and move on. The feeling of emptiness will continue until the person can find a way to deal with the pain of the breakup.
Line by Line Meaning
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
The happiness and warmth that she brings into my life are gone when she's not around
It's not warm when she's away
The feeling of comfort and affection is missing when she's not here
She's gone much too long
She's been away for far too much time, and I miss her terribly
Any time she goes away
Every time that she leaves, my heart longs for her return
Wonder if she's gone to stay
I am worried that she may have left for good and I'll never be able to hold her again
And this house just ain't no home
Without her presence, the house feels empty and lifeless, lacking in the happiness it once had
I know
I am aware of the reality of the situation
She's gone to stay
She has left for good, and there's nothing I can do to change that
It's breakin' me up
The pain of her absence is tearing me apart emotionally
Gotta leave the young thing alone
In order to move on, I need to let go of any other distractions and focus on myself
There ain't no sunshine when she's gone
Her absence creates a void, leaving me in a state of sadness and longing
And she's gone much too long
The amount of time that she's been gone is causing me great distress and sadness
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Withers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind