Sun Don't Shine
Family Secrets: Unveiling Darkness in Soul Asylum's 'Sun Don't Shine'
Lyrics
Picture if you will a house on the hill
Depicts a house on a hill, setting the stage for a dysfunctional family.
Where the family kills each other for a place in the will
Describes family members fighting for inheritance, suggesting internal conflicts.
Understand that he came a dirty old man
Refers to a man with a tainted reputation, holding a plastic rosary.
That holds a plastic rosary in the palm of his hand
Suggests a superficial or insincere religious facade with the plastic rosary.
And under the rug you will sweep (under the rug you will sweep)
Implies hiding problems ("secrets") beneath the surface.
Secrets and promises that you can't keep (promises that you can't keep)
Highlights unfulfilled promises and the inevitability of exposure.
The dam it will leak, it will weep
Metaphorically describes the impending release of hidden issues ("the dam it will leak").
Said "I'd like to tell you how I feel",
Expresses a desire to share feelings.
You said "You know that can't be real, it's much too deep"
Recipient dismisses the sincerity of the feelings, deeming them too profound.
Why'd you wanna watch and wait, you can't walk on water
Questions the choice of passive observation, unable to perform miracles.
Get your feet on the ground
Encourages grounding in reality rather than unrealistic expectations.
There's a hole in the floor, hole in the door
Metaphorically presents vulnerabilities in one's surroundings.
Whole wide world waiting to turn you around
Emphasizes the vast challenges awaiting, ready to alter one's perspective.
And under the rug you will sweep (and under the rug you will sweep)
Reiterates the theme of concealing issues and broken promises.
Secrets and promises you can't keep (promises that you can't keep)
Stresses the inescapable exposure of hidden truths.
The dam it will leak, it will weep
Repeats the metaphor of the dam leaking, signifying impending disclosure.
Said "I'd like to tell you how I feel",
Revisits the desire to share deep feelings.
You said "You know that can't be real, it's much too deep"
Recipient again rejects the possibility, considering it too profound.
Now how will you keep yourself busy?
Ponders how one will occupy themselves in the absence of troubles.
Take the trouble you're leaving behind
Suggests addressing and confronting the issues left behind.
And dig down deep where you do not belong there
Encourages introspection and shedding light on uncomfortable truths.
Shine a light where the sun doesn't shine
Uses a metaphor ("shine a light") to reveal hidden or ignored aspects.
Seven days, still no sign of daylight
Describes a significant passage of time without improvement or change.
Your tunnel's collapsing from behind
Indicates a deteriorating situation, possibly leading to a collapse.
And how the hell did I get to Alaska
Rhetorically questions the unexpected journey to a distant and challenging place.
Will it shine, the light where the sun doesn't shine?
Ponders whether there will be enlightenment in difficult or hidden situations.
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