About this phrase
“You are my sunshine” is four words, 16 letters — 42 morse symbols — from the 1939 American folk song that has become one of the most universally recognized parent-to-child songs. The premier sunshine keepsake.
Cultural context
'You Are My Sunshine' was written by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell in 1939 and became Louisiana's state song. The song has been recorded by hundreds of artists across genres — from Bing Crosby to Ray Charles to Johnny Cash — and is known by virtually every English-speaking person as a lullaby and child song. The 'sunshine' metaphor — the child as the source of the parent's happiness and light — is one of the most enduring parent-child expressions in American culture. As a morse keepsake, the phrase is most popular as a nursery decoration piece and as a parent-to-child or grandparent-to-grandchild gift.
When to gift this phrase
Baby shower and newborn gifts, nursery wall art, Mother's Day and Father's Day pieces from a child who has heard the song from their parent, grandmother or grandfather tribute pieces from grandchildren, and for any parent-child relationship where the sun metaphor resonates.
When this phrase is the wrong fit
The song has a melancholy second verse ('you make me happy when skies are grey...') that implies the sunshine can be taken away — for recipients going through a hard time, the full context of the song may not be the comfort intended. As a simple phrase it reads warmly, but be aware of the full context.
Variations you might prefer
- my little sunshine
- my sunshine girl/boy
- ray of sunshine
How the morse encodes
'YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE' spans four words and 42 elements. 'SUNSHINE' ends the phrase with S-U-N-S-H-I-N-E — eight letters where S (three dots) appears twice and the pattern includes the four-dot H. The double-S framing (three dots at position 1 and three dots at position 4 of 'SUNSHINE') creates an internal echo that is audible when the phrase is sent at standard CW speed.
Most common use cases
- Parent-to-child keepsake
- Baby shower or newborn gift
- Grandmother tribute piece
- Nursery wall art
Letter-by-letter breakdown
Here is “You are my sunshine” spelled out one character at a time, so you can copy it by hand, check a tattoo stencil, or space the beads on a bracelet correctly:
| Letter | Morse |
|---|---|
| Y | -.-- |
| O | --- |
| U | ..- |
| ␣ | / |
| A | .- |
| R | .-. |
| E | . |
| ␣ | / |
| M | -- |
| Y | -.-- |
| ␣ | / |
| S | ... |
| U | ..- |
| N | -. |
| S | ... |
| H | .... |
| I | .. |
| N | -. |
| E | . |
A single space between letters and a slash (/) between words keeps the pattern readable — the most common mistake in engraved and tattooed morse is running the letters together with no gaps.
Ten dots pour through SUNSHINE
The final word carries the phrase’s standout passage. In “sunshine,” the first N drops a single dot, then the second S adds three, H four, and I two, and because none of them lifts into a dash the whole span reads as one run of ten dots — easily the longest run anywhere across the four words. Keyed at speed it becomes a long, even patter that seems to keep going. On a bracelet those ten matched beads make a striking unbroken band, the visual heart of a “sunshine” piece. A run cannot cross the space before “sunshine,” so this pour stays sealed inside the last word, right where the eye tends to finish.
YOU climbs to five dashes
The opening word is the phrase’s dark counterweight. In “you,” the Y ends on two dashes and the O that follows is three more, so together they stack five dashes tall — the heaviest bar of marks in the whole line. It lands almost immediately, giving the piece a bold, weighty start before the lighter words arrive. Keyed slowly, those five long marks pull the tempo down to a deliberate crawl. For a maker, “you” is where the design looks heaviest: a thick dark stretch near the front that balances the flood of dots waiting at the end in “sunshine.” The two extremes bracket the phrase, weight up front and light behind.
MY packs three dashes tight
The two short middle words carry their own quiet patterns. “My” keys as -- -.--: the M’s two dashes lead straight into Y’s opening dash, so three dashes bunch together before a single dot breaks them. “Are” is lighter and more restless, alternating dot and dash before ending on two dots as R slides into E — close that seam and the pair even spell an L. Between the heavy start and the long dot-run finish, these two words act as connective tissue, small and quick. On a longer bracelet they give the eye brief, changeable passages between the two big landmarks of “you” and “sunshine.”
Buy "You are my sunshine" in morse
Custom-phrase morse jewelry and prints from independent sellers. Send them this page and they'll match the layout above.
Turn it into something physical
This phrase fits a range of keepsake formats:
- Bracelet mockup — if the phrase is short enough (42 morse symbols here).
- Necklace mockup — best for longer phrases.
- Ring design — only works if the phrase is under about 10 morse symbols.
- Tattoo designer — exports an SVG in three layouts and three weights.
Related phrases
- Love you to the moon — .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..- / - --- /…
- My heart — -- -.-- / .... . .- .-. -
- My world — -- -.-- / .-- --- .-. .-.. -..
- Across the miles — .- -.-. .-. --- ... ... / - .... . / -- …
- Always in my heart — .- .-.. .-- .- -.-- ... / .. -. / -- -.-…
- Stronger together — ... - .-. --- -. --. . .-. / - --- --. .…
Frequently asked questions
What is "You are my sunshine" in morse code?
"You are my sunshine" in international morse code is -.-- --- ..- / .- .-. . / -- -.-- / ... ..- -. ... .... .. -. ..
How long does this phrase take to send?
At 15 WPM this phrase takes about 5 seconds to transmit. You can hear it at any speed between 5 and 40 WPM by pressing Play above.
Can I put "You are my sunshine" on a bracelet or necklace?
Yes — use our bracelet or necklace mockup tool to preview how it will look as beads, then screenshot and send to a jeweler or an Etsy seller specializing in morse pieces.
Which stretch runs longest in this phrase?
A run of ten dots, tucked inside SUNSHINE. The first N's dot flows into the second S, then H, then I with nothing to break them, the longest single run in the phrase. Nothing else comes close — the next longest is YOU's five dashes.
Which word sends the heaviest?
YOU. Its Y ends on two dashes and O adds three, stacking a five-dash run right at the start. MY comes next with three dashes bunched as M runs into Y. SUNSHINE, by contrast, is almost all dots.
Can the words blur into each other in Morse?
Not across the word gaps, which stay wide. Within SUNSHINE, though, loose spacing can make letters merge — the first N and second S would read as a 6, and I with N as an F. Keeping clear letter spacing holds the eight letters of SUNSHINE apart.