Red Sun in the Sky

"Red Sun in the Sky" is a 1975 Chinese patriotic communist song. It is meant to honor Mao Zedong, socialism, 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". The phrase "red sun" was a prominent metaphor used in various songs and propaganda materials to glorify Mao Zedong.

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. The third volume of the album New Songs from the Battlefield, released in May 1974, included "Red Sun in the Sky". "The Red Sun: Odes to Mao Zedong", released in 1991, also includes this song. Singer Anson Hu also sang this song, which was included in the album Red Song, released in 2009. 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.