Shine Like the Sun Lyrics – 9 to 5
Shine Like the Sun Lyrics
Whether good bad or indifferent
Doralee: that's what i always heard
Judy: no good deed goes unpunished,but the bad deeds you have done,
Stretched out i'm sure that they would reach from here to kingdom come
Violet: we think its time you get what you deserve
You've got no true compassion but you've really got some nerve
Violet, Judy, Doralee:
And you've hurt every one of us
Judy: in different kinds of ways
Doralee: what goes around comes around
Violet, Judy, Doralee: and each dog has its day
Doralee:
Under this hair is a brain not that you'd ever care
And you only see tits but get this, there's a heart under there
A heart that you've broken and ripped out more times that a few
Well ole' double-d Doralee's gonna stick it to you
I'm gonna shine like the sun when these clouds roll away from my door
When it's all said and done i won't be at your mercy no more
I will prove my own worth heal the damage and hurt that's been done
When the crying's all done, well i'm gonna shine like the sun
Judy:
I've had enough hurt in my life and you've been adding to it
But i'm in control now and just like before i'll get through it
You've hurt and embarassed me, proven you don't give a damn
And i'm tired of men like you who make me feel less than i am
I'm gonna shine like the sun when these clouds roll away from my door
When it's all said and done i won't be at your mercy no more
I am taking what's mine, i'll be fine, i am second to none
And when the losing's all done, i'm gonna shine like the sun
Violet:
I've been down on my luck i've been shadowed with trouble and sorrow
But i'm not giving up cause i know there is always tomorrow
There are no guarantees, life is always a hit or a miss
But i truly believe i won't always be feeling like this
Violet, Judy, Doralee:
I'm gonna shine like the sun when these clouds roll away from my door
I won't crawl i can run, i won't be at your mercy no more
We'll be singing it loud be so proud that we've finally won
And when the losing's all done, we're gonna shine
Violet: shine
Judy, Doralee:shine like the sun
Violet: shine
Violet, Judy, Doralee:
Shine like the sun
Violet, Judy, Doralee:
When the crying's all done, when the lying's all done,
When the trying's all done there'll be nothing but sun, when it's all said and done
We're gonna shine
Shine
Shine
Shine like the sun
Shine
Shine
Like the sun
Song Overview
“Shine Like the Sun” is the mid-show victory lap where Violet, Doralee, and Judy stop surviving and start steering. On the 2009 cast album the groove pops, the harmonies stack like scaffolding, and the lyrics punch through with plain, usable courage. It’s country-pop sparkle poured into Broadway architecture, and it plays like the moment a bad boss finally loses the room.
Review & Highlights
As a theatre beat, this is the first collective exhale after chaos. The band sits in a bright, mid-up pocket; guitars jangle, brass nudges, and the chorus lands like a team huddle that turned into a parade. It’s not subtle, and that’s the charm - the hook repeats until your spine believes it. Key takeaways: conversational setup for each woman, a communal lift on the refrain, and a finale that feels like three open windows.
Verse 1
Doralee fires the starter pistol with quick-cut phrases and a wink of honky-tonk rhythm. You can hear the Texas twang baked into the melody without the number leaning into pastiche.
Chorus
The title line does the heavy lifting. Harmony stacks widen, drums kick a hair harder, and the vowels open for belt. The earworm factor is high because the language is simple and the cadence friendly.
Exchange/Bridge
Violet’s steadiness, Doralee’s shine, Judy’s new grit - the trade-offs feel like passing a baton. Underneath, the pit keeps the floor bouncy and the syncopation tidy, so the confidence reads clean.
Final Build
Everything blooms - tambourine shimmer, brass lifts, and that last, long “shine” that hangs just long enough to feel earned. No key-change gimmicks, just momentum and air.
Song Meaning and Annotations
The number is payback by sunlight. Instead of plotting revenge in the dark, they build a brighter room and invite each other in.
“She says this part with a type of disbelief and exaggeration, as if she never thought she could be so happy.”That disbelief crackles in the phrasing - relief first, resolve next.
Judy’s growth gives the song its hinge. She starts as the apologizer and ends as the architect.
“Judy fully realizes how much growth she has undergone... She enjoys that Dick is now feeling this instead of her, as karma takes it’s toll.”The melody stretches with that realization, vowels opening as the self-image widens.
The lyric also loops a mission statement from earlier in the show, now without the wobble.
“Dreams and plans are in the making / Success is out there for the taking / Wish it was as simple as it sounds.”The honesty keeps the optimism from turning saccharine - hope with a scuff mark.
The text winks at Broadway lore too, tossing a line that echoes another role Judy’s original star helped shape.
“The original Judy, Stephanie J. Block, also helped workshop and starred in Wicked in which her character sings a song titled ‘No Good Deed’ that repeats this lyric.”Easter eggs land because they’re earned, not forced.
There’s even a radio-clean tweak floating around, and the show has a joke about that.
“In some censored versions it’s ‘And you only see these, but please:’”It’s a tiny switch, but it speaks volumes about who gets to name a woman’s body at work. Here, the women do.
And yes, the mantra matters.
“I’m gonna shine like the sun.”Said enough times, it stops being a wish and starts being a plan, which is the whole ethic of 9 to 5.
Message
Call it collective self-respect: name the harm, claim the future, sing it loud enough to make your courage contagious.
Emotional tone
Upbeat and urgent, with flashes of bite. It grins and growls at once, which is why it lands.
Production
Pop-forward cast album polish - produced to feel big on headphones but still read as a stage moment. Rhythm section in front, thick but tidy backing vocals, brass and strings used like highlighters.
Instrumentation
Drums, bass, electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, brass hits, sectional strings, and full ensemble vocals. Dolly-country color, Broadway chassis.
Key phrases and idioms
“What goes around, comes around,” “each dog has its day,” and the title hook - familiar sayings sharpened into action items. The diction is deliberately everyday, so the chorus feels like common sense.
About metaphors and symbols
Weather clears, light returns, doors open - approachable imagery that anyone in a cubicle can own. The sun isn’t poetic fog; it’s a stopwatch starting now.
Creation history
Written by Dolly Parton for the 2009 Broadway production and recorded for the Original Broadway Cast Recording after the spring opening, the track sits at the end of Act 1, closing the first half on a win and setting up the Act 2 campaign.
Key Facts
- Featured: Allison Janney (Violet), Megan Hilty (Doralee), Stephanie J. Block (Judy) with Ensemble
- Writer: Dolly Parton
- Producers: Dolly Parton, Stephen Oremus - co-producer Alex Lacamoire; recording/mix by Frank Filipetti
- Recorded: May 3–4, 2009 at Legacy Recording Studios, New York
- Release Date: July 14, 2009 - digital; July 28, 2009 - CD in stores
- Album: 9 to 5: The Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
- Label: Dolly Records (Artist2Market distribution)
- Genre: Broadway pop with country flair
- Instruments: rhythm section, guitars, keyboards, brass, strings, choir
- Mood: determined, cathartic, sunlit
- Length: ~4:15
- Track #: 11 (OBCR)
- Language: English
- Also appears: West End Cast Recording - live at the Savoy Theatre (2020)
- © Copyrights: 2009 The Dolly Parton Company - sound recording © Dolly Records
Questions and Answers
- Who sings on the “Shine Like the Sun” cast album track?
- Megan Hilty, Stephanie J. Block, and Allison Janney front the Ensemble as Doralee, Judy, and Violet.
- Who produced and recorded the number?
- Dolly Parton and Stephen Oremus produced, with Alex Lacamoire co-producing and Frank Filipetti handling recording and mix at Legacy Recording Studios.
- When was the album released?
- Digital release was July 14, 2009; the CD hit stores July 28, 2009.
- Is there an official London recording of this song?
- Yes. The West End Cast Recording (live, 2020) includes “Shine Like the Sun,” led by Amber Davies, Natalie McQueen, and Caroline Sheen.
- Did the track itself win awards?
- No individual track award, but the full cast album received a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Show Album.
Awards and Chart Positions
The Original Broadway Cast Recording earned a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Show Album and enjoyed healthy placement on Billboard’s Cast Albums chart during its run. A live West End album followed in 2020, extending the song’s official discography.
How to Sing Shine Like the Sun?
- Vocal forces: Three principal voices plus ensemble. Cast for contrast - Violet’s grounded mix, Doralee’s bright twang, Judy’s widening belt - then blend on the refrain.
- Tempo & feel: Mid-up pop bounce. Keep the pocket steady; let energy rise from dynamics, not rushing.
- Breath map: Verses break clean every two bars; save air for sustained “shine” tags. Think appoggio and resist over-spread vowels.
- Diction: Conversational consonants on verses, open tall vowels on the hook. Smile in the sound without pinching.
- Ensemble blend: Agree on cutoffs and sibilants; stack in thirds cleanly so the chord shimmers instead of shouts.