The Enduring Magic of “You Are My Sunshine” Music Boxes

There are few melodies in the world as universally recognized and emotionally evocative as Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell’s “You Are My Sunshine.” First popularized in 1939, this deceptively simple, bittersweet tune has been hummed to generations of children, recorded by countless music legends, and immortalized in one of the most cherished keepsakes of all time: the music box.