Nearly midway through Zach Bryan‘s 36 tracks of American Heartbreak is one of his songs of love. “Sun to Me” details a love that brings more light to the darker ends of his life.
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This love is as warm and comforting as the sun to him.
5:34 a.m., I was about to start my day
But she layin’ there ‘cross me, so I stayed anyway
Arms tied, legs numb, wrapped around my knee
Sweetest of the sunflowers, yeah, you’re the sun to me
The Meaning, and Sunflowers
Throughout the song, the lyrics also refer to sunflowers and the “Sun to Me,” implying a love that brings warmth and growth into his life. The song follows how he met his love and could barely remember what she was wearing through his cloud of cigarette smoke, and his gratefulness that Lord sent her his way.
By the chorus, Bryan sings about wanting to meet something that brings the sun into his life.
But I’ve been livin’, waitin’ on the day
That the good Lord willin’, send you out my way
I’ve seen hard times, bad luck, all that in-between
Sweetest of the sunflowers, yeah, you’re the sun to me
The Sun
Throughout American Heartbreak are several more references to the sun and sunshine, which appear on his cover of one of Louisiana state songs—and the only track on the album not penned by Bryan—”You are my Sunshine,” originally written by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell.
[RELATED: The Meaning Behind Zach Bryan’s 2022 Country Hit “Something In The Orange”]
Even Bryan’s No. 1 country hit “Something in the Orange” references the sun: But I miss you in the mornings when I see the sun / Something in the orange tells me we’re not done. Bryan also revealed that the breakup song was inspired by a particularly stunning sunset he watched one evening.
“Everyone thinks it was over some deep, dark thing, and it was just me in a cabin in Wisconsin,” said Bryan. “I thought about the word ‘orange’ and I was watching the sunset and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a cool story to tell in a song.’”
Still Lit
All of Bryan’s references to the sun—and more—paid off since American Heartbreak shot up to No. 1 on the Billboard Country charts and peaked at No. 5 on the 200 chart. The album also picked up a 2023 Billboard Music Award for Top Rock Album.
Bryan also made history in 2023 as the first country artist to win Top New Artist in the history of the Billboard Music awards, along with picking up additional awards as Top Rock Artist and Top Country Song for his 2022 hit “Something in the Orange.”
Photo: Trevor Pavlik / Courtesy of Warner Records
