“You Are My Sunshine” was written in the 1930s, but there are various accounts about who wrote it. Paul Rice copyrighted the song in 1937. However, the family of musician Oliver Hood, a colleague of Rice’s, have claimed that Hood actually wrote the song. For a song that’s been adapted into multiple children’s games and musical anthologies, Johnny Cash’s take on “You Are My Sunshine” is nothing short of dark. The song has spawned countless covers and modified versions since its inception, making it one of the most commercially programmed numbers in American popular music, according to Salon. In fact, it has even been declared one of the state songs of Louisiana — a fittingly saccharine song for the Sugar State. Or so it would seem.
Songs with Banjo from Harold Hagler
