Shawn Colvin, "Sunny Came Home" on Late Show, July 15, 1997 (st.)

I'm surprised this hasn't appeared on the You Tubes, so here it finally is. In glorious stereo.

[@faczia]

No matter what one's favorite genre of music is, there always seems to be that song in each one that strikes a collective nerve. This is definitely one of those.

[@dennis3178]

Very well said. 👍

[@michaelbarlow6610]

"Sunny Came Home" is a great song by Shawn Colvin! Hard to believe that it has been 26 years since this superb song came out!

[@DaveSolazzo]

I was in the audience for this. Tim Robbins and Jackie Chan were also on the episode.

[@tinfoilhatter]

jackie chan! i've already been callin'-everyone-that, just for fun, for a number of years, how cool was this show! hey, and how *awesome*, is *chinese democracy*, guys!

[@user-li7dh6xj7e]

omg!!!

[@JB_II]

I was there as well. All I remember was how cold it was in there!

[@READY_OR_NOT]

And I was being born.

[@_Mayibongwe]

Amazing!

[@hualni]

One of the few times the singer sounded every bit as good as their recorded version.

[@julieallen8134]

Wow. Unbelievable. Very clear now 🙃🤠😌👍

[@MrSpictastic7208xD]

You need to listen to more live shows

[@brittanywilliams4282]

I have seen her in concert twice. She is such a talented singer/songwriter - I wish she were 30 years younger.

[@leenieledejo6849]

I saw her live. You're spot-on. She just nails it 🎯

[@stickman55100]

She is such an amazing talent and to her John Leventhal with her is an even bigger treat!

[@rogjackson]

This song is gold.

[@fretfix1]

Literally and figuratively...

[@brandondenk4862]

I'm typically not a fan of live performances, but she sounds exactly like the recording. Amazing voice. Fantastic aong.

[@Mikey-pm3kn]

liar

[@terryfriend16]

You bet, ya!

[@randygelion]

Amazing voice, damn she is incredible.

[@dldave1978]

This sounds really, really good. Miss the 90s.

[@deanborgese9455]

My first dog was a yellow lab named Sonny. He was a little hyper when he was young and ran away one time. Thankfully he came home and we blasted this song in the house because it was very popular at the time. Always makes me smile thinking about it and grateful he lived 14 solid years. 🐕

[@mariem3238]

Love this story! 💜🐕

[@kliflord1527]

Did he burn down your house? That would be a little too spot on

[@deanborgese9455]

@@kliflord1527 😂

[@shezza57]

I met Shawn in a park near the Stevie Ray Vaughan statue, in Austin, TX - doing a photo shoot for the south by southwest music festival in 2000. We sat for a while and chatted. I was over visiting from the UK. What a lovey lady. 💫❤️

[@mldiode]

There’s hope for humanity with Shawn in the world…

[@IanBrownMakeUpArtist]

Have adored this song since the 90’s. It used to get so much air play on the radio. It’s as familiar as an old friend. What an accomplishment to write something that resonated with so many. Beautiful work.

[@MicahFerguson-hi4bl]

Love the story this song tells. A great example of happy sound beneath a dark tale.

[@dennis3178]

This is a very special performance. She hit it out of the park. Outstanding.

[@elroyclark5424]

Beautiful … Great Music for the soul

[@rudihendricks757]

I remember watching this when it aired.

[@brandonstoltzmusic]

Mannnn I remember hearing this over the grocery store speakers between 1997-2000 like alotttt lol.. nostalgic 👌

[@mitchellbrown2706]

I was like 6 years old when this song came out in the 90’s didn’t know what the song was about till I got older I would sit in my room this song would be playing on the radio 📻 I would sit on my bed and the sun would be beaming 🌞 through the curtains.. well when I grew up the house burnt down this song always takes me back home and to my childhood 😢😢😢

[@user-op9mv5lq1u]

I was 29

[@stevepeterson5943]

She grew up, just before me, in my hometown, was childhood friends with my boss. Their families used to play and vacation together. She came back here after the Grammy album, late 90s, and put on a concert! Since they had been friends I got to meet her and we chatted quite a bit about fun stuff she remembered, the bakery and familiar places, downtown stores.( small town) It was just her and acoustic guitar for the show and, my God did it sound unbelievable. Like ten times this performance. There is a different vibration in a Grammy winner, when you see them live.

[@stargazer6753]

Love your description of her and the whole event.

[@williamkuhns2387]

1997. All was possible, life was an oyster!

[@user-bg2oi4bz3p]

Times are different now. Survival mode.

[@sjgoode6590]

Such a beautiful voice!

[@ejb5659]

Gorgeous tune concerning burning down your home to help escape the past. Not many tunes dealing with this topic exist. :)

[@damamae950]

She is impeccable. So amazing always. Letterman crew does an amazing job with the sound for her

[@dang.s]

Songs in the 80s and 90s are still the best.

[@fredskolnick1183]

I was fortunate enough to see Shawn in the late 70's early 80's at a place called City Limits. Shawn, Buddy Miller, Jim Lauderdale, Larry Campbell and other great Musicians used to play their on a regular basis. For those who don't recognize the Guitar Player, it's John Leventhal. John has produced and recorded with many Musicians including his Wife, Rose Anne.

[@tomruth9487]

I saw Shawn years ago in a pizza parlor when she was on a solo college circuit I think. If I remember correctly, I was about the only one listening. We talked for a while and it was interesting and a bit funny looking back.

[@wheresyouraloha]

One of my very favorite songs ever!❤️🤙🏼🌺

[@stevetautog880]

I loved this from the moment I saw it when it happened, and I love it as much today in nov of 2019 amazing song

[@shnootch]

brilliant record, and she's truly a wonderfully musical singer. love the the timbre of her voice, that beautiful sexy vibrato, her understated but full-of-finesse phrasing, the songs so good, the lyrics. her best stuff is just up there

[@shnootch]

tune's a bit sped up here ( no doubt fitting the format), so it doesn't breathe like it could. still great

[@doug186]

Airport terminal music brought me here. Takes me back to simpler times.

[@daviddishman7491]

Talented lady deserves to be better known in my little island i.e. GB - I think she's great!

[@liftshaulscooks]

Beautiful music.💖

[@sunchildtine]

this live version is my favourite. i like the background singer inclusion.

[@lemarcusharris5766]

Take me back to these times!!

[@ozbluesman]

Great performance. John Leventhal’s guitar playing is superb.

[@joan0110]

Finally, Sunny came home 🎶

[@skipwin9895]

This might be the most memorable and recognizable intro and riff in the entire history of music. Well...its up there anyway.

[@nickrandles1102]

Love your thumbnail picture

[@tinfoilhatter]

best performance of the best number-one-song at the time-of-performance, and on world-wide-tv, que *clasico*! outta-*site*, man!~ no one could beat that!

[@keythdanielsen9315]

Agree.

[@zeroinifnite5730]

uh no, heh

[@babahow]

Amazingly powerful for such a laid-back song

[@dennis3178]

Well said. 👍

[@Kent_Vlogs]

timeless song that bring back memories

[@tonysaunders2137]

Simply extraordinary! Oh Shawn, so brilliant ❤

[@Marixpress2]

It's time for a few small repairs, she said...

[@CShannon1991]

I love the instrumental in both this live version song and the original song.

[@TVGuy729]

The great Shawn Pelton on drums!

[@picu2delhighenergy29]

February 2020..... (still luv it )

[@ericpecuch8634]

just saw her perform a few days ago. That voice is aging fine as wine.

[@Andrew-wb2zq]

Dave's band's intro riff is the last few seconds of Sarah McLaughlin - Possession.

[@mariem3238]

Oh good catch!! Love that song 👏🏻👏🏻

[@kenster007]

What a voice and such a great song.

[@JakeStainbackMusic]

Get the kids and bring a sweater Dry is good and wind is better Count the years you always knew it Strike a match, go on and do it The best bridge in music history

[@suziejane1008]

Love Shawn xx

[@user-li7dh6xj7e]

my best song ever.

[@wolfwind1]

Great performance of an excellent song.

[@kevindohn6776]

that was an awesome performance, love this song !

[@barbarabrizard7301]

Love this song

[@InvictusMedia]

Awesome, thanks for sharing.

[@offroadtales]

Very nice

[@MsSexyDiva4Lyfe]

I fucking love this song!

[@FungusMossGnosis]

One dislike is from ODB, RIP. ODB was for the children!

[@lalomendoza3077]

Great playing !

[@SailorCallie]

Thank you, Don!! :D

[@fredaydaybae8450]

Awesome! Thanks

[@cakefevertv9104]

This song is one of my favorite to play on my guitar

[@sg5368]

how gorgeous she is 👄

[@jamalodenbenmahmod9699]

my Jeddah time....I love those days!

[@kengagnon6192]

Excellent song her vocals and the playing

[@suzannejane1035]

Love her xx

[@WiskyDuck]

As a long time Shawn Colvin fan I’m happy she achieved mainstream success. This song has a catchy hook however this is far from her best song. IMO almost every song on Steady On is better (perhaps much better). Even given her Grammy success I feel she is tragically under appreciated as the legendary singer/songwriter that she is. Shawn Colvin fanatic

[@direwolf6234]

she's appreciated by taylor swift who had her as a guest .. the video is on you tube ...

[@robertlyle3806]

John Leventhal ... my second favorite electric guitar player ... Steuart Smith is #1. They think play more like piano players vs the run of the mill strum/single note that is the norm.

[@johnnny5veeoxx]

sunny came home with a vengenace - hook line and sinker right there

[@Paul-tx4wb]

Ok is so beatiful

[@hellokittykitty737]

when your live singing is better than CD version:) what a talent.....

[@MsSexyDiva4Lyfe]

The more and more I listen to this song..seems like Sonny. And home and she was weird and was on a mission to go what u doing? She wanted to do! Great song!

[@webe123]

This is OK....but I think what really made the soung sound great...at least for me...was the mandolin they put in the original studio recording. It is missing here and though it does not sound bad, it just sounds different than the version I am used to. I prefer the original sound. EDIT...well know I know it was a finger picked violin! Whatever it was it went well with the recorded music.

[@zyxwut321]

She also looks a little flustered. Letterman quickly and ungracefully threw her out there.

[@CShannon1991]

I kinda rather the Original Instrumental sound like in her Music Video.

[@PapaSmurf11182nd]

Love me some mandolin

[@ozbluesman]

That intro was done on a finger picked violin. Saw an interview with John Leventhal.

[@webe123]

@@ozbluesman I did not know that! Finger picked Violin? WOW! Well that is the sound I like then....I always thought it was a mandolin by the way it sounded.

[@MrDcseltzer]

Cute backup singer :)

[@dwipard]

My chillhood

[@drewzuhosky6826]

This is a very dark song.

[@fredaydaybae8450]

it is, but its so good.

[@drewzuhosky6826]

It's sort of like Linkin Park's In The End was made all the darker after Chester Bennington's suicide.

[@zimzimzalabim]

I thought so at first, but at the same time, there's something uplifting about it. She does something unthinkable, and basically sets fire to her past in order to escape it. And in the end, Shawn says she's out there on her own and she's alright.

[@julieallen8134]

True story. She's alright though. So started dark but ends with light.

[@tristanbryanubaldo8884]

wowoww

[@heartfeltteaching]

Why can’t we make music like this anymore? Look at all the trash that becomes a Number 1 hits 😆

[@boblerner9406]

25 years ago etc

[@KevinWhitfield-fb9tc]

The chorus is about her returning to the torment of the past realizing the only solution is to burn, baby, burn!

[@tagacale1733]

Like a postcard from 1997

[@ThrewRedButter]

cool

[@drewzuhosky6826]

It's "Sunny Came Home". The song is about a woman.

[@dongiller]

Damn -- sloppy on my part. Fixed. Thanks!

[@user-di2ez3kf6g]

this version is a bit weak without a mandolin，the instrument is very important for this song.

[@kingsecho3351]

Couldn’t agree more my friend

[@h.albertmayorga5522]

'She didn't believe in transcendence…'

[@MsSexyDiva4Lyfe]

What is transcendence even really?

[@shanemcnamara5224]

Cute back up singer, pity her microphone was switched off!!

[@hamitcampos4989]

Ah looky at that. Well at the time of this eppisode anyways track 1 of the CD was the number 1 song on the radio. Just the irony that it was number 1 and it's track 1.

[@talbenhur768]

Can someone tell me what is the guitar model she is using? Martin I know but which model exactly thanx

[@Jasontheguitarist87]

It's a Martin D-28.

[@talbenhur768]

Jasontheguitarist87 great. Just bought a new Martin HD28 😍

[@aclacgnom1266]

W ❤🤘

[@fretfix1]

Rare to see Shawn playing a dreadnaught...

[@swellcat66]

Any info on the back-up singer with the twitchy fingers?

[@dongiller]

I think it’s Kate Markowitz. Google and Wiki her.

[@swellcat66]

Interesting, @@dongiller. She is credited on the studio cut: www.discogs.com/Shawn-Colvin-A-Few-Small-Repairs/release/1103287. Thanks for the post and the reply.

[@dldave1978]

Joe Cocker did something similar with his fingers. Reportedly he said it’s because he never played an instrument so it was like an instrument to him.

[@TheLostTones]

@@dongiller that is a good discussion. I think the girl in the video is Lucy Kaplansky who played with Shawn for many years. Looking for other 96-97 videos, I definately see Kate there, more in the 96 era. So.. any more bets? :)

[@davanmani556]

Anthem

[@stargazer6753]

I’ve been new to Shawn within the past few years and I think this is great. Also such a cutie. There is a video by her on YT in her kitchen playing acoustic “Tenderness on the Block” by Warren Zevon and Jackson Browne and it is better by herself than the 3 of them put together. The best version ever. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpnZq5iEd8p8rKs

[@stevetautog880]

could someone tell me who the drummer is?

[@dongiller]

That may be Shawn Pelton.

[@ninomichaellara1945]

🎼🎹🤔👈

[@user-ox1bo9ni4v]

IS THAT JOHN LEIBENTHAL ON THE STRAT??? LATER ROSANNE CASHES HUSBAND?

[@Tom-lq6nn]

That looks like the drummer Sheryl Crow used.

[@TheLostTones]

It's him. Shawn Pelton.

[@mp5kfisher241]

Who was watching the back up vocals woman because she looked better than sonny?

[@moresnare]

Um, the drummer could have given her a second... geez...

[@galaxytraveler5779]

I know it's a story, but it sounds quite provocative of arson. Lol

[@gfigueredo6108]

Great performance... the backing singer looked bored out of her mind

[@dennis3178]

No she didn't. Just doing her job.