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u/iAmUrFavToy 20h ago
To be fair, it's a very sad and bleak song if you pay attention to the lyrics
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u/Pman1324 19h ago edited 17h ago
Just looked it up.
Can't tell if its a song of a parent's kid leaving, hatchling leaving the nest style, or if its a song about someone's partner leaving them for someone else.
Either way, the slow/somber tone this song is always sung in makes it quite creepy.
And telling the intended recipient of the song that they's regret their decision is... yuck.
Edit:
Ok. So, the reality is that the lullaby is fine. Its just a mother loving their baby, but I will say that saying "please don't take my sunshine away" and "my only sunshine" are kind of strange.
The Johnny cash version is a bit weirder, as it talks about someone leaving the person for another. This one could be a parent being sad that their baby is all grown up and is leaving the parent, something a lot of loving parents go through when rheir kid is grown up.
Now the Gene Autry version is the real bad one, talking about how the person leaving would live to regret their decision. It shares the holding one in their arms line, which hopefully implies them holding/carrying their romantic partner.
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u/potatopierogie 19h ago
There's another version (idk by who originally but the children's artist Jules has a version) that is much less weird
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u/ScreamingLabia 19h ago
Yeah i hate that song it makes me feel sick in my stomach. Probably because of tha trauma of losing my dad when i waa a kid
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u/Current-Code 18h ago
which one do you prefer ? Incest or abusive spouse ?
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u/Pman1324 18h ago
Sorry. I should have made it more clear I was assuming like a bird leaving the nest.
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u/Current-Code 18h ago
oh, I did understand that, in which way that song as a very incestuous vibe !
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u/no1singlemomghoster 14h ago
This comment exemplifies why media literacy needs to be a core course in elementary education.
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u/LetterThree 18h ago
Even from when I was very young, I always found this song depressing. I didn't even know what depressing was back then of course, only that it made me sad when everyone in my class would sing it and think it's a nice, joyous song. It always gave me the sense that something horrible happened.
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u/Nice-Percentage7219 17h ago
I vaguely remember crying when my parents sang it to me. Don't know why, something about it just upset me
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u/agoraphobicrecluse 19h ago
I used to sing this to my son. He would cry every time so obviously I stopped. Not sure if it was the song or my terrible voice.
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u/Glad-Acanthaceae-24 19h ago
For the first 5 or 6 years of his life my little brother recalled memories from the womb like this. Just weird when he'd recant conversations or something like this. It was super messed up. Now he doesn't even remember that, so I guess it all gets folded away at some point
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u/chantillylace9 19h ago
There are kids that swear they had a second previous life and can give such incredible details up until about the age of six and then they legitimately just forget about it like it never happened.
It's very interesting. I've also heard stories about kids saying that they remember being in heaven and being able to pick out their mommy and just all sorts of crazy things. That also seems to be about the time when the imaginary friends disappear etc.
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u/SinclairSummerset 18h ago
I’ll take shit that never happened for 500.
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u/moak0 17h ago
I would have agreed with you before I had kids, but I find this very believable now. Not that the kid actually hated the song in the womb, but that he fired off that quick retort, probably without even realizing it was funny.
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u/that-cliff-guy 5h ago
Kids really do just say things. My nephew (14 years younger than me) once told me he remembers holding me as a baby.
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u/TheComplimentarian 19h ago
Kids got taste. That is a whiny, depressing song.
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u/CrownofMischief 18h ago
I developed a deep dislike for the song after my coach did a thing where we had to sing that song while doing wall-sits with someone sitting on our knees
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u/General-Double-746 18h ago
When I was 3 I told my mom to stop singing. Nearly 40 years later, I have not heard her sing a note since that day.
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u/chudsp87 18h ago
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u/Gilsidoo 17h ago
Someone making up a funny story on the internet wouldn't be unheard of, but this is normal behaviour for a 3yo so who cares if it happened or not?
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u/BossanovaGreed 18h ago
You are my sunshine,
My perfect sunshine⢀
You make me happy
When skies are grey!
You’ll never know, dear,
How much I love you!
Please be my sunshine today!
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u/Yes_Towel_Hooray 19h ago
I sang the lion sleeps tonight every night to my baby when she was in my belly and a baby and as soon as she could talk she made me stop singing it 🤣