Sunny Came Home
"Sunny Came Home" is a folk-rock song by American musician Shawn Colvin. It is the opening track on her 1996 concept album, "A Few Small Repairs", and was released as a CD and cassette single on June 24, 1997. In the United Kingdom, the song was released on the same formats in May 1998. "Sunny Came Home" was a commercial success, reaching number seven on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 and number three in Canada. The song was also a critical smash, winning both Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year  and was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Background and composition. The song tells the story of a woman named Sunny, returning to her hometown from (presumably) imprisonment or institutionalization, who burns down the homes of her enemies ("Sunny came home with a list of names") to avenge past offenses, real or imagined ("Sunny came home with a vengeance.") It is one of several "story songs" on "A Few Small Repairs", a method of songwriting Colvin began experimenting with while writing for the album. The title of the song comes from the opening lyrics. Colvin has referred to the  song as a "murder ballad," indicating that at least one arson attack had a fatal outcome. The song's bright, calm and warming music, fronted by a distinctive mandolin strum, contrasts very sharply with the destructive lyrics, particularly the haunting bridge: "Get the kids and bring a sweater; dry is good, and wind is better. Count the years; you always knew it / Strike a match; go on and do it". The title of the album, "A Few Small Repairs", also appears in the third line of the second verse of the song, "'It's time for a few small repairs ,' she said." "Sunny Came Home" is written in the key of B minor (with its chorus in D major) in common time with a tempo of 84 beats per minute. Colvin's vocals span from F to B in the song. Chart performance. "Sunny Came Home" is Colvin's only hit, peaking at number seven on the "Billboard" Hot 100 in the United States and topped the "Billboard" Adult Contemporary chart for four weeks. Colvin's record label did not plan to release the track as a retail single until it became an airplay favorite on contemporary hit radio as  well as adult contemporary and adult alternative radio stations. "Sunny Came Home" also became a major hit in Canada, reaching number three on the "RPM" Top Singles chart for two weeks and peaking atop the "RPM" Adult Contemporary chart for three weeks. Outside North America, the song became a moderate hit, peaking at number 29 in the United Kingdom, number 44 in Australia and number 90 in Germany. Awards. At the 1998 Grammy Awards, it was named Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard interrupted the Grammy Awards presentation by protesting Puff Daddy beating  his group, Wu-Tang Clan, for Best Rap Album that year, saying "Wu-Tang is for the children. We teach the children. You know what I mean?", while Colvin was about to receive her award. Track listings. US CD single UK CD1 UK CD2 UK cassette single European CD single Australian CD single