Taken from her 2002 album C'mon, C'mon, the album version is backed with 3 mixes (Sunsweep Radio Mix, Sunsweep Club Mix & Sunsweep Dub) all of which are currently only available on a US promotional 12 inch!
Taken from her 2002 album C'mon, C'mon, the album version is backed with 3 mixes (Sunsweep Radio Mix, Sunsweep Club Mix & Sunsweep Dub) all of which are currently only available on a US promotional 12 inch!
CD Reviews
Shoulda been the hit of the summer!!
Eric Smith | Pittsburgh, PA | 07/31/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I love Sheryl Crow. This song did not deserve to flop!! I love it. She is such a clever and witty songwriter...maybe to good for today's un-original charts. Let's review some past summer songs. in summer of 00 we had Sisqo's classic "Thong Song" and Vitamin C's "Smile." The summer after we had the blazin "I'm Real Murder Remix" and 112's "Peaches N Cream." What do we have this summer? Sadly enough it's overly-commercial "rapper" Nelly's "Hot in Here." This song should've took it's place. Folkish beats, mixed with clever lyrics and rockin guitars make this one of Sheryl's best songs. How much summery can this song be? "I'm gonna soak up the sun, I'm gonna tell everyone to lighten up." It talks about the summer jobs, issues and everything else you have to deal with during these warm days. If you're a Sheryl Crow fan please buy this single and request it on your station. Like Mariah's "loverboy" this song needed more recognition then it got. This Single get's a solid A rating."
Love this Song
Harrison P. Barrows Jr. | New Bern | 11/27/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"How can you not love this song? I has one of the catchiest tunes that came out this summer...
I feel sorry for the people that just can't get into the mood of summer sun."
W o W
Steph In Sobe | Miami Shores | 07/29/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Not A Sheryl Crow fan and could never tell you the titles of any of her CD's. Not sure if anyone that likes dance music whould think of her but this is by far my fav. for the year of '02. First heard this track in a club in Germany last year. If you like Country and folk music, save your money. Like Dance? you will be amazed with the track. Buy it while you can."
MESMERIZED
Jim Babyar | West Chicago,Il. USAWest Chicago,IL. USA | 12/08/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I listen to a little Country, but mostly oldies. When I saw and heard the video SOAK UP THE SUN by Sheryl Crow I was practically mesmerized.The music was like Carol King with the Beachboy 60's - only comtemporary! She looked so good(love her hair) and her singing was so GREAT, with a great tune..and really playing a guitar - very well. The waterfall, the beach,the music..and Sheryl! What more could a guy want? When I hear that song I imagine the video and feel good, and more relaxed-like in a "Vacation Never-Never Land".
>A nice break.
> THANK YOU SHERYL. :)"
Feel The Summer Breeze
Busy Body | London, England | 02/06/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"By the time Sheryl Crow released her fourth studio album in early 2002, she had already established herself as one of the leading women in rock music. Since her vivid and colourful debut album "Tuesday Night Music Club" from 1993, she had hit single after hit single all through the Nineties with songs such as "All I Wanna Do," "Leaving Las Vegas," "Strong Enough" and "Can't Cry Anymore." Her self-titled second album and its follow-up, "The Globe Sessions," spawned hits such as "If It Makes You Happy," "A Change Would Do You Good," "Home," and "My Favorite Mistake."
Fans heard nothing of Sheryl through most of 1999, 2000 and 2001. She was busy working on her new album. It was called "C'mon C'mon" and left the fans a little disappointed upon its release. Of all Sheryl's albums, I regard this to be the worst, yet it does have some amazing songs on it. The album itself has summer as its central theme - these are songs you can listen to on the beach as you relax by the waves. The album's first single was "Soak Up The Sun." Some people say this song flopped, but I don't think it did. A lot of people loved this song upon its release making it one of the most popular radio hits of the year.
The song opens beautifully in my opinion. We hear a distant sound that reminds of the hazy sunshine flickering over the horizon, then a brilliant beat just bounces in out of no where. The guitar then starts up, accompanied by the drums. Sheryl then starts singing the first verse, "My friend the communist holds meetings in his RV. I can't afford his gas, so I'm stuck here watching TV. I don't have digital. I don't have diddly-squat. It's not wanting what you want. It's wanting what you've got." This first verse is simple and direct like most of Sheryl's other songs. We've learnt that she's broke and not got much money, but she doesn't care because the sun's beating down on her. She's gonna soak up that sun, and that's exactly what she sings next in the first chorus, "I'm gonna soak up the sun. I'm gonna tell everyone to lighten up (I'm gonna tell 'em that) I've got no one to blame. For every time I feel lame I'm looking up."
Sheryl then starts singing the second verse now that the guitars and drums are in full swing. She sings, "I've got a crummy job. It don't pay near enough. To buy the thing it takes to win me some of your love." The bridge before the chorus is probably my favourite part of the song, as she sings, "Every time I turn around I'm looking up, you're looking down. Maybe something's wrong with you that makes you act the way you do." Sheryl then sings the chorus again, before moving onto a great section where she sings, "I'm gonna soak up the sun. While it's still free. I'm gonna soak up the sun, before it goes out on me." Here she's obviously singing about how the only things in life that are free are the things we think little of in our daily lives. She then sings the third verse, "Don't have no master suite, but I'm still the king of me. You have a fancy ride, but baby I'm the one who has the key!" She then repeats the bridge but adds, "Maybe I am crazy too!" on the end. She then repeats the chorus a few times until the song gradually fades out and ends.
Overall I think Sheryl achieved her aim with this song - to make a feel good summer song which people would remember for years to come. With all the heart ache and sorrow that her first three albums contained, this was a welcome change of pace three years ago. The video to this song is amazing and definitely one of Sheryl's best ever. I stated in my review of the C'mon C'mon album that around this era, Sheryl was showing more flesh. Maybe I was hinting that she was selling out a little bit, but I've realised now that she was proud of her stunning body. So would any woman if they looked like that! She's past the age of 40 and she looks absolutely incredible because she's got a true outdoors-type athletic body. The video to this song definitely shows this! Overall a fantastic song with a funky video."
Track Listings (4) - Disc #1