Red Sun in the Sky

"Red Sun in the Sky" (Chinese: 天上太阳红彤彤; pinyin: Tiānshàng tàiyáng hóng tōngtōng) is a 1974 Chinese Communist revolutionary song.[1] It is meant to honor Mao Zedong, Communism, and the Cultural Revolution, as well as the broader phenomenon of Mao Zedong's cult of personality, where Mao was frequently portrayed as a radiant "red sun" guiding the nation and the people who follow him.

Background

"Red Sun in the Sky" was written by Xu Wenjing and composed by Song Yang. The song was adapted from the Jiangxi folk song "Ballad of Picking Tea",[2] which is part of the wider tradition known as Tea-picking operas. The phrase "red sun" was a prominent metaphor used in various songs and propaganda materials to glorify Mao Zedong.[3]

Adaptations and legacy

After the Chinese Civil War, Song Yang and another musician, Yi Yang, adapted "Red Sun in the Sky" into a four-part harmony in Changsha. By that time, the song was already widely distributed.[2] The third volume of the album New Songs from the Battlefield (战地新歌), released in May 1974, included "Red Sun in the Sky".[1] "The Red Sun: Odes to Mao Zedong", released in 1991, also includes this song.[4] Singer Tiger Hu (formerly known as Anson Hu) also sang this song, which was included on the EP Red Song, released in 2009.[5][6][7] From 2021 onwards, "Red Sun in the Sky" has become an internet meme, with remixes of the song being sung by AI versions of Donald Trump and SpongeBob SquarePants achieving popularity on YouTube and TikTok.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b 國務院文化組文藝創作領導小組, ed. (May 1974). 戰地新歌 第三集 [Battlefield New Songs, Volume 3] (in Chinese) (1 ed.). 北京: 人民文學出版社. p. 6. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b 刘瀚潞; 周阳洋 (2019-08-06). "金曲记忆①丨那一年，歌声阵阵飘过浏阳河" (in Simplified Chinese). 新湖南. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
  3. ^ Chapter 5: "Mao Badges – Visual Imagery and Inscriptions" in: Helen Wang: Chairman Mao badges: symbols and Slogans of the Cultural Revolution (British Museum Research Publication 169). The Trustees of the British Museum, 2008. ISBN 978-0861591695.
  4. ^ 方志大名 (2020-04-10). "红歌专辑《红太阳》席卷全国，如今你还记得几首？" (in Simplified Chinese). 澎派新聞. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  5. ^ "胡彦斌"红歌"EP《天上太阳红彤彤》录制完成" (in Simplified Chinese). 搜狐. 2008-12-10. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  6. ^ 胡彦斌. "天上太阳红彤彤" (in Chinese). QQ音樂. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  7. ^ "紅歌 – EP by Tiger Hu". Apple Music. Apple Inc. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  8. ^ Yoon, Dasl (3 July 2024). "This Song Is Catchy and Going Viral. It's Also North Korean Propaganda". The Korea Economic Daily. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
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