Sunrise, Sunset — Fiddler on the Roof Cast Lyrics

I can associate "Sunrise, Sunset" from Fiddler on the Roof with very dramatic and emotional responses toward the hastiness of time and the bittersweet quality of milestone events in one's life. The music is designed by Jerry Bock and lyrics done by Sheldon Harnick. The song is set against a wedding, which is all about children growing up and the cycle of life. The song begins with a mix of wonderment and disbelief about the swiftness with which children grow and change, turning beautiful and tall, symbolically talking about near and dear ones growing and changing.

The chorus goes on to say, "Sunrise, sunset, swiftly fly the years," to create a rhythmic undertow that seems to underline the flow of what appears to be an inescapable continuum, orchestrated by the repeating cycles of day and night. What seems to be a metaphor for the little, transitory instants of life—the flow of time, sad and happy—impinging on the connection of the main threads of family, growth, and continuity of life between different generations.

The song "Sunrise, Sunset" is still one of the most nurtured songs from the musical, and generally, it is largely carried out in weddings and other somber occasions due to its timelessness that transcends to the hearts of the people; it speaks of cherishing moments of people in our lives because actually time goes on very fast.