‘Walking on Sunshine’ is a song written by Kimberley Rew for British rock band Katrina and the Waves' 1983 self-titled debut album as their second single and reached No. 4 in Australia, No. 9 in the United States and No. 8 in the United Kingdom. It was the Waves' first American top 40 hit, and their biggest success in the UK until ‘Love Shine a Light’ (1997).
‘Walking on Sunshine’ was written by the band's guitarist Kimberley Rew. "I'd love to say Walking on Sunshine relates to a significant event in my life, like walking out of my front door, seeing a comet and being inspired," he told The Guardian in 2015. "But it's just a piece of simple fun, an optimistic song, despite us not being outstandingly cheery people. We were a typical young band, insecure and pessimistic. We didn't have big hair and didn't look anything like a Motown-influenced group. We didn't have any credibility or a fanbase in awe of our mystique. We were a second-on-the-bill-at-a-festival-in-Germany pop band. But we had this song."
The rest of the band did not like the song at first. Lead singer Katrina Leskanich thought "it wasn't really us", while bassist Vince de la Cruz found it irritating. Katrina and the Waves kept the song's publishing rights, and the royalties that are typically to the songwriter have been divided among the band members. The royalties from airplay and advertisements have been very lucrative; according to a former employee of EMI, the song was "the crown jewel in EMI's catalog", and it ranked among EMI's highest earners from advertisements.
When Hurricane Katrina devastated much of the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005, the MSNBC program Countdown with Keith Olbermann dubbed its coverage of the storm "Katrina and the Waves". The name also appeared in numerous headlines and blog postings. A New York Times reporter contacted Katrina Leskanich, who said: "The first time I opened the paper and saw 'Katrina kills 9,' it was a bit of a shock. ... I hope that the true spirit of 'Walking on Sunshine' will prevail. I would hate for the title to be tinged with sadness, and I will have to do my own part to help turn that around." She also expressed her hope that ‘Walking on Sunshine’ would become an anthem for the Gulf Coast's recovery.
Label – Attic
Songwriter – Kimberley Rew
Producers – Katrina and the Waves, Pat Collier
SONG LYRICS
[Intro]Ow
Mmm, yeah
[Verse 1]
I used to think maybe you loved me
Now, baby, I'm sure
And I just can't wait till the day
When you knock on my door
Now every time I go for the mailbox
I've gotta hold myself down
'Cause I just can't wait till you write me
You're coming around
[Chorus]
Now I'm walking on sunshine, woah-oh
I'm walking on sunshine, woah-oh
I'm walking on sunshine, woah-oh
And don't it feel good?
Hey, alright now
And don't it feel good?
Hey, yeah
[Verse 2]
I used to think maybe you loved me
Now I know that it's true
And I don't want to spend my whole life
Just a-waitin' for you
Now I don't want you back for the weekend
Not back for a day
Ah no, no, no
I said, baby, I just want you back
And I want you to stay
Oh, yeah, now
[Chorus]
I'm walking on sunshine, woah-oh
I'm walking on sunshine, woah-oh
I'm walking on sunshine, woah-oh-oh
And don't it feel good?
Hey, alright now
And don't it feel good?
Yeah, oh, yeah, now
And don't it feel good?
[Bridge]
Walking on sunshine
Walking on sunshine
I feel alive, I feel a love
I feel a love that's really real
I feel alive, I feel a love
I feel a love that's really real
I'm on sunshine, baby, oh, oh, yeah
I'm on sunshine, baby, oh
[Chorus]
I'm walking on sunshine, woah-oh
I'm walking on sunshine, woah-oh
I'm walking on sunshine, woah-oh-oh
And don't it feel good?
Hey, alright now
And don't it feel good?
[Outro]
I'll say it, I'll say it, I'll say it again now
And don't it feel good?
Ho, yeah, now
And don't it feel good?
Now don't it, don't it, don't it, don't it, don't it
Don't it feel good?
I'll say it, I'll say it, I'll say it again now
And don't it feel good?
Oh, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't
And don't it feel good?
Now tell me, tell me, tell me again now
And don't it feel good?
Ho, yeah, now
And don't it feel good?
Oh, don't it feel good, don't it feel good?
Now don't it feel good?
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah (And don't it feel good?)
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh yeah, oh yeah
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (And don't it feel good?)
Oh yeah, yeah
Oh yeah, yeah (And don't it feel good?)
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, woo (And don't it feel good?)