> Folk Music > Songs > Let the Sun Shine Down on Me

Let the Sun Shine Down on Me

[ Roud - ; Mudcat 85261 ; Than Hall (Jean Ritchie)]

Jean Ritchie sang her own song Let the Sun Shine Down on Me in 1965 on her Warner album A Time for Singing. She noted:

This is, I guess, a protest against protest songs … most of them are entirely grim and without hope. The tune here is from an old mountain hymn, the words came with the “ban-the-bomb” theme in mind, but the whole song is full of hope and praise and joy, as all of life should be.

Jenn Butterworth and Laura-Beth Salter sang Let the Sun Shine Down on Me on their 2016 album Bound. This video shows them in a home concert in March 2020:

Lyrics

Jean Ritchie sings Let the Sun Shine Down on Me

Chorus (after each verse):
Roll on clouds in the mornin’
Roll on clouds in the mornin’
Roll on clouds in the mornin’
Let the sun shine down on me

Bound away for glory
I’m bound for glory and deliverance
Roll on clouds in the mornin’
Let the sun shine down on me

I looked out this mornin’
Deep down trouble I see
Yes I looked out this mornin’
Let the sun shine down on me

Saw that big cloud risin’
Hard trouble I see
Heard my mother cryin’
Let the sun shine down on me

I know there’s a great day comin’
When no more trouble I see
When we’ll all shout together
Let the sun shine down on me

Roll on clouds in the mornin’
Let the sun shine down on me
Roll on clouds in the mornin’
Let the sun shine down on me

Jenn Butterworth and Laura-Beth Salter sing Let the Sun Shine Down on Me

Chorus (twice, and after every verse):
Roll on clouds in the mornin’
Roll on clouds in the mornin’
Roll on clouds in the mornin’
Let the sun shine down on me

I looked out this mornin’
Deep down trouble I see
I looked out this mornin’
Let the sun shine down on me

I’m bound away for glory
Bound for glory and deliverance
Roll on clouds in the mornin’
Let the sun shine down on me

Saw that big cloud risin’
Hard trouble I see
Heard my mother cryin’
Let the sun shine down on me

I know there’s a great day comin’
When no more trouble we’ll see
We’ll all shout together
Let the sun shine down on me

I’m bound, bound, I am bound away for glory
Let the sun shine down on me

Roll on clouds in the mornin’
Roll on clouds in the mornin’
Roll on clouds in the mornin’