DOWNLOAD THE SONGSHEET
Sunny Afternoon (Easy)(WORD)
Sunny Afternoon (Easy)(PDF)
Sunny Afternoon (Challenge)(WORD)
Sunny Afternoon (Challenge)(PDF)
YOU CAN PLAY ALONG WITH THE VIDEO IN GCEA TUNING! We will put the CHALLENGE version on the screens on BUG night, but I'll tell you verbally how you can simplify it. OR you're welcome to download the EASY version and play it instead - both songsheets work just fine together.
"Sunny Afternoon", like its contemporary "Taxman" by The Beatles, references the high levels of progressive tax taken by the British Labour government of Harold Wilson. Its strong music hall flavour and lyrical focus was part of a stylistic departure for the band (begun with 1965's "A Well Respected Man"), which had risen to fame in 1964–65 with a series of hard-driving, power-chord rock hits. Released as a single on 3 June 1966, it went to No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart on 7 July 1966, remaining there for two weeks. The track also went to No. 1 in Ireland on 14 July 1966. In America, it peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart early autumn 1966.