What does In the Sun mean?

Joseph Arthur: In the Sun Meaning

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Album cover for In the Sun album cover

In the Sun Lyrics

I picture you in the sun, wondering, what went wrong.
And falling down on your knees, asking for, sympathy.

And being caught in between all you wish for, and all you've seen.
And trying to find anything you can feel.. that you can believe...

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  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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     Jan 22nd 2010 !⃝

    I think this song (and rightly so) means something different to every person. I don't believe that it has to be interpreted in one particular way. It just relates to what each and every person is going through in their life as we all have struggles that we have to deal with. There are so many things that I tend to second guess myself on and some of them I will never know if I made the right decision but all you can do is move forward and wish those in your past well or as the song so rightly states it "may God's love be with you always"

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    oxymoron
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     Dec 11th 2008 !⃝

    I think this song is about striving, searching for something to believe in but only after what one used to believe in has come crashing down and left one in a state of complete shock and disbelief.
    This makes one question what they know and what else lies out there, this makes what was right seem wrong and leaves one in a state of confusion.
    It questions existence, faith "If I find my way, how much will I find?" None of us really have know if God, Hell, Heaven exist as there is no solid proof that is exists. We blindly believe and once we start to question it, we start to doubt ourselves and find ourselves caught in somewher ein the middle.

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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     Nov 22nd 2008 !⃝

    I think the song is about him seeing someone whom he really loved (maybe still loves) making big mistakes in life because the person is never content and satisfied... someone whom he gave a chance to.. someone whom he tried everything he could to be with... but it's too late.. he realized that "if I find my own way how much he would find 'you' who refers that person" he realized that the person was always looking for something in between what she wished for or what she needed.. but never learned to live to see him as the way he was.. and he would never be something that she sees.. he's lost he's sad.. despite loving her so much and she's all he ever wanted, he realized that he could never be with her.. She needs help but he can't cuz he needs help himself and the only way to help is to help your ownself.. he only wishes god would bless her..

  4. anonymous
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     Nov 20th 2017 !⃝

    I don't think the "you" in the song is a tangible person but more he is singing to anyone who knows what he's going through. He is expressing that he knows what someone with depression is going through. He talks about a nightmare that they can never wake up from, because with depression it's hard for people to get up and live their life. They can't get out of bed. "The sun" to me represents the good parts of life that become destroyed by mental illness. He is speaking to those who are going through what he did. He mentions not knowing what the point is anymore and I think he is talking about suicide. He wonders if anyone is really in the sun always. He wishes God's live to the ones struggling and shares his empathy. He says he looks for himself and always sees "you" which I think is the struggling person thinking about giving up. The people he is singing for are what he sees in himself and he is truly himself when he is around them. Idk, seems like a song for anyone who needs a reminder that it's okay to not be okay.

  5. anonymous
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     Nov 20th 2017 !⃝

    I think it's about depression. The relationship (whether friends or more) was ended by his metal illness. "In the sun" to me is not being depressed cause at a point he says he doesn't know if anyone is really in the sun. I think he pictures them out of guilt, knowing how much he hurt that person. He wants to apologize but he knows he is how he is and it wouldn't change anything. He wants to be a different person but he can't and near the end he complemplates if there is even a point. I also think when he starts paralleling the phrases he is insinuating that that person is also now depressed and he knows it's because of him. So he wishes God's love for them. He broke a person he loved a lot and made them feel like he did. At least that's how I interpret it, I think everyone applies it to their own circumstances.

  6. anonymous
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     Jan 26th 2017 !⃝

    I read that he wrote it about a friend that died of cancer.

  7. anonymous
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     Dec 15th 2014 !⃝

    This song can have many interpretations. To me, it's about the suicide of a loved one and struggling with the multitude of emotions and uncertainty/doubt of faith that follows such a tragic loss.

  8. anonymous
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     Aug 27th 2011 !⃝

    I think it talks about an untimely death or suicide of a person close to him (the singer). He talks about the other person being caught in between "all you wish for and all you've seen" - could be that he/she was overwhelmed with life. When he talks about picturing him/her asleep that's usually a metaphor for not wanting the person to change. But then when it goes right into takling about him/her not being able to get away from the nightmare - it brings the singer back to the reality of him/her being gone. Later on when he (the singer) has to look at himself in a whole new way because of the actions of his loved one - he says that he was stuck between "all you wish for and all you need" like he takes responsibility for not being able to "save" the person. It makes him doubt his faith in himself, in the world and what comes after this world, in his former point of view, in his "faith" period.

  9. anonymous
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     Jun 26th 2010 !⃝

    Personally i think, that the way he uses "i picture you in the sun" Relates to being in a situation, it could be anything really but it comes off as a story between a dude and a chick, guessing the dudes depressed, problly been crushed by this girl, and the whole, may gods love be with you thing, is what id guess to be that, "well you made your mistke, good luck.." sort of a thing, i dunno but then in the second verse he realises....she was right, he got showed himself, ie. he realised what she was trying to tell him, and so he goes to change himself for her, but it just doesnt work, and he looses himself as a person and he realises all he has left of himself, is her. And moving onto the next verse his all like, "anyone in the sun..will you help me to understand?" Basically his asking for help, his gone through this whole thing and he just doesnt no what to do any more, and mabye no one no'es what to do, and the "may gods love be with you" following that is basically just to say, im not sorry for her anymore, but his sorry for himself, "how much will i find" repeated is just to say, well im done with all this, and so he starts to pick up the peices of his life, and move on.

  10. anonymous
    click a star to vote
     Jun 26th 2010 !⃝

    Personally i think, that the way he uses "i picture you in the sun" Relates to being in a situation, it could be anything really but it comes off as a story between a dude and a chick, guessing the dudes depressed, problly been crushed by this girl, and the whole, may gods love be with you thing, is what id guess to be that, "well you made your mistke, good luck.." sort of a thing, i dunno but then in the second verse he realises....she was right, he got showed himself, ie. he realised what she was trying to tell him, and so he goes to change himself for her, but it just doesnt work, and he looses himself as a person and he realises all he has left of himself, is her. And moving onto the next verse his all like, "anyone in the sun..will you help me to understand?" Basically his asking for help, his gone through this whole thing and he just doesnt no what to do any more, and mabye no one no'es what to do, and the "may gods love be with you" following that is basically just to say, im not sorry for her anymore, but his sorry for himself, "how much will i find" repeated is just to say, well im done with all this, and so he starts to pick up the peices of his life, and move on.

  11. anonymous
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     Jan 30th 2009 !⃝

    I think the song is about someone who has broken the guy's heart and continued making bad decisions. Now she wants his help. He doesn't want anything to do with her, and so the only thing he'll do for her is say, "May God's love be with you."

  12. anonymous
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     Nov 1st 2008 !⃝

    I think Ben Langridge is sexy. This song must be about him.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  13. anonymous
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     May 20th 2008 !⃝

    I believe that this song is about a man that who has decided to leave his faith, but he is scared because he doesn't understand the world outside of his religion, because he has been in it his whole life. Also I think that he's is asking his parents to forgive him for leaving his faith, as they probably raised him in that religion. That what he means when he says "I was caught inbetween, all you with for and all you need." He wishes to leave the faith, but he feels he needs it to survive.

  14. anonymous
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     Jan 5th 2008 !⃝

    I think the song is about a man who lost someone he loves. And now that that has happened he is beginning to doubt if there is a God or not, for if there was why would He take someone so young.

  15. jeep1077
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     Dec 6th 2007 !⃝

    The song is about a man's struggle with faith. He is finding it difficult to reconcile what he wants to believe in with what he sees. He is afraid of moving on without faith because he believes his faith has been his identity for so long. He is not sure what he will find without faith and is scared. In the end he clings to god's love as he reaches beyond faith into a naked world of reason.

  16. anonymous
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     Sep 17th 2007 !⃝

    This song is about a father and son (son is speaking). This father wanted so much for himself and his family, but believed that he failed in so many ways. The son, always adoring, sees the father in the sun (also likely a pun b/c it is in fact the son in the father). The father raised the son and helped him mature and son grew older and different. The relationship became strained. The father died or the two became separated and never were able to settle things out. The son eventually realizes that the father did not have all the answers after all -- but he wishes that "god's love be with you."

  17. anonymous
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     Apr 1st 2007 !⃝

    I think the song is about trying to find something you believe in, be it God or something else, after losing someone or something close to you.

  18. anonymous
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     Mar 5th 2006 !⃝

    It's about the feelings you have after letting someone go. The singer regrets and second guesses the decision, despite knowing that they weren't right for each other.

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