Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas)
They Might Be Giants

The sun is a mass of incandescent gas
A gigantic nuclear furnace
Where hydrogen is built into helium
At a temperature of millions of degrees

Yo ho, it's hot, the sun is not
A place where we could live
But here on Earth there'd be no life
Without the light it gives

We need its light
We need its heat
We need its energy
Without the sun, without a doubt
There'd be no you and me

The sun is a mass of incandescent gas
A gigantic nuclear furnace
Where hydrogen is built into helium
At a temperature of millions of degrees

The sun is hot

It is so hot that everything on it is a gas: iron, copper, aluminum, and many others.

The sun is large

If the sun were hollow, a million Earths could fit inside. And yet, the sun is only a middle-sized star.

The sun is far away

About 93 million miles away, and that's why it looks so small.

And even when it's out of sight
The sun shines night and day

The sun gives heat
The sun gives light
The sunlight that we see
The sunlight comes from our own sun's
Atomic energy

Scientists have found that the sun is a huge atom-smashing machine. The heat and light of the sun come from the nuclear reactions of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and helium.

The sun is a mass of incandescent gas
A gigantic nuclear furnace
Where hydrogen is built into helium
At a temperature of millions of degrees


  Purchase "Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas)"   Purchase Entire Album   Email Video to Friends   Play Youtube "Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas)" Video   Play Spotify "Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas)" Song   View Wikipedia "Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas)" Entry   Receive Emails for Future They Might Be Giants Lyrics

Email:

  Link to "Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun Is a Mass of Incandescent Gas)"   Share on Facebook, Twitter, and more
  See Recommended Lyrics For You

Loading...

Lyrics by They Might Be Giants

  (She Was A) Hotel Detective   [untitled]   0Can You Find It?   200 SBemails   25 O'clock   32 Footsteps   85 Radio Special Thank You.   9 Secret Steps   A Self Called Nowhere   A Shooting Star Is Not A Star   Aaa   About Me   Absolutely Bill's Mood   Absolutely Bill's Mood   AKA Driver   Alienation's for the Rich   Alienation's For The Rich   All The Lazy Boyfriends   Alphabet Lost And Found   Alphabet Of Nations   Am I Awake?   Ana Ng   Another First Kiss   Answer   Ant   Apartment Four   Au Contraire   Bangs   Bastard Wants To Hit Me   Bastard Wants to Hit Me [*]   Battle For The Planet Of The Apes (Hidden)   Become A Robot   Bed Bed Bed   Bee Of The Bird Of The Moth   Beneath The Planet Of The Apes (Hidden)   Birdhouse in Your Soul   Birds Fly   Black Ops   Boat of Car   Boss Of Me   Boss Of Me("Malcolm In Middle"   Bread Hair   Broke In Two   C Is For Conifers   Cabbagetown   Cage & Aquarium   Cage & Aquarium   Call You Mom   Can You Find It?   Can You Find It? [DVD]   Can't Keep Johnny Down   Careful What You Pack   Cells   Certain People I Could Name   Chess Piece Face   Christmas Cards   Circular Karate Chop   Clap Your Hands   Clap Your Hands [*]   Clap Your Hands [DVD][*]   Climbing The Walls   Clowntown   Concrete And Clay   Confusing The Mind   Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes (Hidden)   Contrecoup   Counterfeit Fake   Courage the Cowardly Dog Theme   Cowtown   Critic Intro   Cyclops Rock   D & W   D & W [DVD]   D & W   D And W   D Is For Drums   D Is for Drums [DVD]   D Is for Drums!   Damn Good Times   Damn Good Times [*]   Dark And Metric   Dead   Destination Moon   Dig My Grave   Dinner Bell   Dirt Bike   Doctor Worm   Don't Let's Start   Don't Let's Start (single mix)   Don't Let's Start   Dont Know Why It Takes That Long   Doris Cunningham   Dr. Evil   Dr. Worm   Drink!   Drinking   E Eats Everything   E Eats Everything [DVD]   E Eats Everything [Elegant Too Remix]   Edison Museum   Edison Museum [Wax Cylinder Recording]   Eight Hundred & Thirteen Mile Car Trip   End Of The Rope   Erase   Escape From The Planet Of The Apes (Hidden)   Even Numbers   Everything Right is Wrong Again   Experimental Film   Experimental Film [*]   Experimental Film [DVD][*]   Exquisite Dead Guy   Extra Savoir-Faire   Fake Out in Buenos Aires   Fake-Believe   Fake-Believe (Type B)   Fake-Believe (Type B) [DVD]   Fake-Believe [DVD]   Feign Amnesia   Fibber Island   Figure Eight   Fingertips   Fingertips (Reprise)   Finished With Lies   First Kiss   Flying V   Flying V [DVD]   For Science   Four of Two   Go For G!   Go for G! [DVD]   Good To Be Alive   Goodnight   Goodnight My Friends   Goodnight My Friends [DVD]   Greek #3   Hall of Heads   Hate The Villanelle   Hearing Aid   Hell Hotel   Here Come The ABCs   Here Come the Abcs [DVD]   Here Come the ABCs!   Here In Higglytown   Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had a Deal   Hi Honey I'm Home   Hi Honey I'm Home   Hide Away Folk Family   Hive Mind   Hiya   Homunculus   Hopeless Bleak Despair   Hot Cha   Hot Dog!   Hotel Detective   Hovering Sombrero   How Can I Sing Like A Girl?   How Much Cake Can You Eat   Hypnotist of Ladies   I Am a Grocery Bag   I Am A Human Head   I Am Not Your Broom   I C U   I C U [DVD]   I Can Add   I Can Hear You   I Can Help The Next In Line   I Can't Hide   I Can't Hide From My Mind   I Find It Hard To Believe   I Hope That I Get Old Before I Die   I Need Some Lovin'   I Palindrome I   I Should Be Allowed To Think   I'll Sink Manhattan   I'm Def   I'm Impressed   I've Got A Fang   I've Got a Match   I've Got A World That Swings   I'll Sink Manhattan   I'm A Coward   I'm Def   I'm Impressed   I'm Sick (Of This American Life)   I've Got A Fang   I've Got A Match   If I Wasn't Shy   If I Wasn't Shy   In the Middle   In The Middle, In The Middle, In the Middle   Introducing C Is for Conifers   Introducing C Is for Conifers [DVD]   Introducing Z Y X   Introducing Z y X [DVD]   Istanbul   Istanbul (Not Constantinople)   It's Kickin' In   It's Not My Birthday   It's Kickin' In   It's Not My Birthday   James K. Polk   John Lee Supertaster   Kiss Me, Son of God   Kiss Me, Son of God (alternate version)   Kitten Intro   L M N O   L M N O [DVD]   Lady is a Tramp   Lazy Head and Sleepy Bones   Lazyhead And Sleepybones   Let Me Tell You About My Operation   Letter / Not a Letter   Letter Shapes   Letter/Not a Letter   Letter/Not a Letter [DVD]   Letterbox   Lie Still, Little Bottle   LMNO   Lost My Mind   Lucky Ball & Chain   Lucky Ball & Chain   Lullaby To Nightmares   Madam, I Challenge You To A Duel   Maine   Mainstream   Malcolm in the Middle(Theme Song)   Mammal   Man, It's So Loud In Here   Man, It's So Loud In Here   Marty Beller Mask   Maybe I Know   Meet James Ensor   Memo To Human Resources   Metal Detector   Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Theme   Mink Car   Monsters Of Mud   Mr. Klaw   Mr. Me   Mr. Xcitement   Mrs. Cinderella   Mrs. Train   Museum of Idiots   Music Jail, Pt. 1 & 2   Music Jail, Pt. 1 & 2   My Brother the Ape   My Evil Twin   My Man   Nanobots   Narrow Your Eyes   New York City   Next Plane To London   Nightgown of the Sullen Moon   No One Knows My Plan   No!   Nonagon   Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes   Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes   Nouns   Now That I Have Everything   Number Three   O, Do Not Forsake Me   Older   On Earth My Nina   On The Drag   Ondine   One Dozen Monkeys   Ooh La! Ooh La!   Operators Are Standing By   Out Of Jail   Particle Man   Pencil Rain   Pet Name   Photosynthesis   Pictures Of Panda's Painting   Pictures of Pandas Painting   Pictures of Pandas Painting [DVD]   Piece of Dirt   Pirate Girls Nine   Planet Of The Apes   Planet Of The Apes (Hidden)   Prevenge   Purple Toupee   Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head   Q U   Q U [DVD]   QU   Rabid Child   Read A Book   Reprehensible   Return From The Planet Of The Apes (hidden)   Rhythm Section Want Ad   Richards on Richards   Road Movie to Berlin   Robot Parade   Robot Parade [DVD][*]   Rolling O   Rolling O [DVD]   Roy G. Biv   S - E - X - X - Y   S-E-X-X-Y   Santa's Beard   Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love   Schoolchildren Singing \"Particle Man\"   See The Constellation   Sentimental Over you   Seven   Seven Days Of The Week (I Never Go To Work)   She Thinks She's Edith Head   She's Actual Size   She's an Angel   Shoehorn with Teeth   Sleeping in the Flowers   Sleepwalkers   Snail Shell   Snowball In Hell   Someone Keeps Moving My Chair   Speed and Velocity   Spider   Spider-man Theme Song   Spine   Spines   Spiraling Shape   Spy   Stalk Of Wheat   Stalk of Wheat [DVD][*]   Stand on Your Own Head   Stomp Box   Stuff Is Way   Subliminal   Swing Is A Word   Take Out The Trash   Ten Mississippi   The Bells Are Ringing   The Big Big Whoredom   The Biggest One   The Bloodmobile   The Cap'm   The Cap'm   The Darlings Of Lumberland   The Day   The Edison Museum (Another Version)   The End of the Tour   The Famous Polka   The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)   The House At The Top Of The Tree   The Incredible Shrinking Day   The Mesopotamians   The Shadow Government   The Statue Got Me High   The Vowel Family   The Vowel Family [DVD]   The World Before Later On   The World's Address   The World's Address (Joshua Fried re-mix)   Theme From Flood   There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow   Thermostat   They Got Lost   They Might Be Giants   They'll Need a Crane   This Ape's For You (Hidden)   Through Being Cool   Thunderbird   Till My Head Falls Off   Toddler Hiway   Turn Around   Twisting   Underwater Woman   Unpronounceable   Unrelated Thing   Upside Down Frown   Violin   Violin [DVD][*]   Wake Up Call   We Want a Rock   We're the Replacements   Wearing A Raincoat   Weep Day   When It Rains It Snows   Where Do They Make Balloons   Where Your Eyes Don't Go   Which Describes How You're Feeling   Whistling in the Dark   Who Put The Alphabet In Alphabetical Order?   Who Put the Alphabet in Alphabetical Order? [DVD]   Why Does the Sun Shine   Why Does the Sun Shine?   Why Must I Be Sad?   Wicked Little Critta   Window   With The Dark   Withered Hope   Women & Men   Women & Men   Working Undercover For The Man   XTC vs. Adam Ant   Yeh Yeh   You'll Miss Me   Your Own Worst Enemy   Your Racist Friend   Youth Culture Killed My Dog   Z Y X   Z y X [DVD]   ZYX

Related Songs

  One Minute More - Capital Cities  The Sun Does Shine - Eight Orange Orchard  Instant Death - Razor  Pyroclastic Annihilation - Demolition Hammer  Singularity Brainchild II (Radio Edit) - Ayla  Open Your Eyes - DJ Encore  The Season - Shai Erlichman  At The End - Arwen  Tombstone - The Hills Have Eyes  Moonlight over Paris - Vanessa Williams  Moonlight Over Paris - Paolo Santos  Find A Way Out Of Here - The Adolescents  Find a Way - Adolescents  Moonlight On Paris - Paolo Santos  Cracking The Power - Dope Stars Inc.  The Sun Always Reminds Me of You - Marissa Nadler  Shine - Stepa  Dark Of The Sun - Arch Enemy  Why [Interlude] - 112  Rise 'n' Shine - John Coltrane  Why (Iterlude) - 112  Oxford Town - Dylan Bob  Why (Interlude) - 112  End Of The World - Hermans Hermits  Tower Of The Sun - Shonen Knife  Why - Florian Hofer  Oh Why - Shut Up And Dance  Come Over - Clean Bandit  Summergirl - The Mayfield Four  End of the World - Herman's Hermits  It Doesn't Matter To The Sun - Matthew Morrison  Why, Why, Why - Eddie Rabbitt  Why Does It Always Rain on Me? [Album Version]...  The End of the World - Herman's Hermits  Girl You Shine - Aaron Carter  End Of The World - Herman's Hermits  Why Does It Always Rain On Me - Coldplay  Why Does It Always Rain On Me? - Travis  Why Does It Always Rain On Me - Travis  Life's Gonna Change - Amy Grant  Life's Gonna Change - Amy Grant  And This Is What We Call Progress...  Until We Die - Suicide Commando  Love - Patrice  White - Okkervil River  Sun Shine - All American Rejects  The Sun Shines On Everyone - Daniel Amos  Why Does It Always Rain on Me? [Radio Edit]...  Why Does It Always Rain on Me? [Live] - Travis  If You Want The Sun To Shine - Julian Lennon  Shine On - Heath McNease  With The Sun In My Eyes - The Bee Gees  Incandescent Devil - Tea Leaf Green  Shine Your Way - Owl City  Travis - Why Does It Always Rain On Me? - Coldplay  Travis - Why Does It Always Rain On Me?...  Spinner Dunn - Burnt by the Sun  Why Does The Sun Come Up? - The Coral  Mass Destruction - Nattefrost  Mass Destruction - Nattefrost  Shine On - Sarah Buxton  Is It True What They Say About Dixie?...  Is It True What They Say About Dixie?...  Is It True What They Say About Dixie - Dean Martin  Interplanet Janet - Schoolhouse Rock  Interplanet Janet - Various Artists  Sun Don't Shine - Inspiral Carpets  I Hate Everyone - Say Anything  Can this be love ? - Blue System  Awaken [Live] - Yes  Awaken [DVD] - Yes  Mass Destruction (P*Nut & Sister Bliss Mix)...  Mass Destruction (Radio Edit) [Single Version]...  Mass Destruction (Single Version / P*Nut And Siste...  Mass Destruction - P*Nut and Sister Bliss Mix...  Why Does It Always Rain On Me (Travis Cover)...  Strangers on a Train - Travis  Supernova - Dragonland  Rammstein (Rammbling Stone) English - Rammstein  Big Mothership - Qkumba Zoo  Be Still And Know - Machine Head  Secret Smile - Rascal Flatts  A Man Called Sun - Verve  Miracle Sun - Don McGlashan  Black Hole Storm - Asphyx  Sleeping Dogs - Kris Delmhorst  Smoke Screen - Bludgeon  Soldier - Neil Young  Hate Everyone - Say Anything  Sweet Sun Angel - Clay Walker  Out In The Street - Pure Prairie League  Oxford Town / Cumberland Gap - Crooked Still  Oxford Town - Bob Dylan  Sun Don't Shine - Inspiral Carpets  Touch - Darren Hayes  Just A Cloud Away - Pharrell  Ontologically, It Became Time & Space - Absu  If I Had a Penny - Alma Cogan  Jesus Is Cryin' - Bleu Edmondson  Appels + Oranjes - The Smashing Pumpkins F/  Sun Will Shine Again - Michelle Williams  Appels + Oranjes - Smashing Pumpkins  Let the Sun Shine In - Various Artists  Blue Sky - Hale  The Sun Does Rise...  The Sun Does Rise - Cranberries  The Sun Does Rise - The Cranberries  My Loneliness - Los Lonely Boys  Big - Qkumba Zoo  Incandescent - The Guild League  Bright Lights Bigger City\/Let the Sunshine In...  Sun Don't Shine (on The Same Dog Every Day)...  Can This Be Love? - Blue System  Breath - Kathryn Williams  Sidewalks - Amelia White  The Shepherd And The Maiden Ghost - Empyrium  Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) - John Lennon  Instant Karma (We All Shine On) - John Lennon  Instant Karma - The Voice  Instant Karma! - Beat Crusaders  A Man Called Sun [Live] - The Verve  Photograph - Mick Harvey  With the Sun in My Eyes - Bee Gees  Marching Out - Everon  Flesh Failure - Negative Space  Let the Sunshine In - Brian Auger  Let the Sunshine In - Julie Driscoll  Let the Sunshine In - Brian Auger  Let the Sunshine In - James Last  Let the Sunshine In - Paul Mauriat  Let the Sunshine In - Marsha Hunt  Let the Sunshine In [Maxi Version] - Nina Hagen  Let the Sunshine In - Nina Hagen  Let the Sunshine [Extended Mix] - Gerideau  Let the Sunshine - Gerideau  Let the Sunshine In - Edmundo Ros  The Flesh Failure (Let the Sunshine In) - Chorus  Let the Sunshine In - Galt MacDermot  Let the Sunshine In - The 5th Dimension  Let the Sun Shine In - Galt MacDermot  Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In)...  Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In (The Flesh Failures)...  Let the Sunshine In [M 12 Maximum Long Club Mix]...  Laissons Entrer le Soleil - Julien Clerc  Let the Sunshine In - Alison Jiear  The Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In)...  Let the Sunshine In [Original Terrace Mix]...  The Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In)...  Let the Sun Shine [Sunshine at Sage]...  Laissons Entrer le Soleil [From Hair]...  Aqarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) [...  Let the Sunshine In [DVD] - Army of Lovers  Let the Sun Shine - Milk & Sugar  Let the Sunshine In [From Hair] - Melba Moore  The Flesh Failures (Let The Sun Shine In)...  Let the Sunshine In - Mr. B  Let the Sunshine [Radio Edit] - Milk & Sugar  Let the Sunshine In - Edmundo Ros & His Orchestra  Let the Sunshine In [Radio Mix] - Milk & Sugar  Let the Sunshine In [Terrace Radio Mix]...  Let the Sunshine In [T&F Moltosugo Remix]...  Let the Sunshine In [Terrace Vocal Mix]...  Let the Sun Shine [Radio Edit] - Milk & Sugar  Let the Sun Shine In - Milk & Sugar  Let the Sunshine In - Milk & Sugar  Let the Sunshine In [Wackside Radio Mix]...  Let the Sunshine In [*] - Badly Drawn Boy  Let the Sunshine - Academia OT II  Let the Sunshine In - Solarys  Let the Sunshine In [Terrace Mix] - Milk & Sugar  Let the Sunshine In - Melba Moore  Let the Sunshine In [Original Terrace Mix]...  Let the Sun Shine - Lizzy Pattinson  Let the Sunshine In [Terrace Mix]...  Let the Sunshine In [Club Crazy Mix] - Solarys  Let the Music Play - Diana Ross & the Supremes  Let the Sun Shine In - Nicki Richards  Let the Sunshine It - Milk & Sugar  The Forest - The Choir  Why Does - 112  Rammstein (English Translation) - Various Artists  Instant Karma - Yoko Ono  Appels + Oranjes - The Smashing Pumpkins  But it Rained - Parikrama  Shine Like The Sun - The Greenhornes  Shine Like The Sun - Damien Leith  Let the Sun Shine - Kottonmouth Kings  The Sun Doesn't Shine - Fatboy Slim  The Sun Won't Shine - Angelfish  The Sun Won't Shine - Angelfish  The Sun Won't Shine - Angelfish  Shine Like The Sun - Dolly Parton  Shine Like The Sun - Matt Maher  Let The Sun Shine - Labrinth  Shine Like The Sun - Bad Lieutenant  Let The Sun Shine - Hunter  Boll Weevil [Live]...  Boll Weevil [*][Demo Version]...  Land Of The Rising Sun - Riot  Everything Under The Sun: Rise 'N Shine - Extreme