This song appears on six albums, and was first released on the back home again album, and has also been rerecorded on the country roads collection, earth songs, the very best of john denver (both the single and double cd) albums and the john denver collection - sunshine on my shoulder.

the sun is slowly fadin¡¯ in the western sky
sometimes it takes forever for the day to end
sometimes it takes a lifetime
sometimes i think i¡¯ll never see the sun again

in the east a shaded moon is hangin¡¯ lazily
i do believe i saw the old man smile
i do believe i did
i do believe he¡¯s been hangin¡¯ all the while

i think it¡¯s kind of interesting the way things get to be
the way that people work with their machines
serenity¡¯s a long time comin¡¯ to me
the fact i don¡¯t believe i know what it means

there¡¯s a heavy smog between me and my mountains
it¡¯s enough to make a grown man sit and cry
it¡¯s enough to make you wonder
it¡¯s enough to make the world roll up and die

i think it¡¯s kind of interesting the way things get to be
the way that people work with their machines
serenity¡¯s a long time comin¡¯ to me
the fact i don¡¯t believe i know what it means any more

when the sun is slowly fadin¡¯ in the western sky
sometimes it takes forever the day to end
sometimes it takes a lifetime
sometimes i think i¡¯ll never see the sun again
sun again

words and music by john denver