It is the opening track on her 1996 concept album, A Few Small Repairs, and was released as a CD and cassette single on June 24, 1997.

"Sunny Came Home" was a commercial success, reaching number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 to become Colvin's first entry and first top-10 single on the chart.

I had already chosen the cover of the record, which was a painting by a dear friend of mine, Julie Speed.

Shawn Colvin was inspired to write the lyrics of "Sunny Came Home" by the painting she had chosen for the album cover, which shows a woman with a lit match in her hand.

[2] The song is written in the key of B minor (with its chorus in D major) in common time with a tempo of 84 beats per minute.