Every night before bed, I sing my kids this song: “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my ...

A toddler armed with nothing more than a guitar and a diaper broke out into a heart-capturing rendition of “You Are Sunshine.” TODAY’s Hoda Kotb has the Morning Boost.

One such song with a mysterious origin story is “You Are My Sunshine,” a classic, bright folk tune born of love and brightness that has subsided through the years.

Robert Mann’s 10th book, “You Are My Sunshine: Jimmie Davis & the Biography of a Song,” wraps musicology and social and political history into 161 concise pages.

Robert Mann’s 10th book, “You Are My Sunshine: Jimmie Davis & the Biography of a Song,” wraps musicology and social and political history into 161 concise pages.