Sundown (Gordon Lightfoot song)

1974 single by Gordon Lightfoot

"Sundown"

Single by Gordon Lightfoot
from the album  Sundown
B-side| "Too Late for Prayin'"
Released| March 25, 1974
Genre|

* Folk rock[1]
* country rock

Length| 3:37
Label| Reprise
Songwriter(s)| Gordon Lightfoot
Producer(s)| Lenny Waronker
Gordon Lightfoot singles chronology
| "Can't Depend on Love"
(1973)  | "Sundown"
(1974)  | "Carefree Highway"
(1974)

|
|

"Sundown" is a song by Canadian folk artist Gordon Lightfoot, from the titular album, released as a single in March 1974.

"Sundown" reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and easy listening charts[2] and No. 13 on the Hot Country singles chart,[3] as well as No. 1 in Canada on RPM's national singles chart. It was Lightfoot's only single to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100.

## Content[edit]

The lyrics describe a troubled romantic relationship (often cited as Cathy Smith), with the narrator recounting an affair with a "hard-loving woman [who's] got me feeling mean".

In a 2008 interview, Lightfoot said:

> I think my girlfriend was out with her friends one night at a bar while I was at home writing songs. I thought, 'I wonder what she’s doing with her friends at that bar!' It's that kind of a feeling. 'Where is my true love tonight? What is my true love doing?'[4]

## Personnel[edit]

Engineered by Lee Herschberg
Recorded at Eastern Sound Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

* Gordon Lightfoot: Lead and background vocals, 12-string guitar
* Red Shea: Lead electric guitar
* Terry Clements: Lead acoustic guitar
* John Stockfish: Bass
* Jim Gordon: Drums

## Chart performance[edit]

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### Weekly charts[edit]

Weekly chart performance for "Sundown"  | Chart (1974)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] | 4
Canadian RPM Top Singles  | 1
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary  | 2
Canadian RPM Country Tracks  | 4
Germany (Official German Charts)[6] | 30
Ireland (IRMA)[7] | 14
Netherlands[8] | 16
New Zealand (Listener)[9] | 2
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[10] | 1
UK Singles Chart[11] | 33
US Billboard Hot 100[12] | 1
US Easy Listening (Billboard)[13] | 1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[14] | 13
Yugoslavian Singles Chart  | 2
2023 weekly chart performance for "Sundown"  Chart (2023)  | Peak
position

|

US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[15] | 11
The handwritten lead sheet for the song (now located in Massey Hall)

### Year-end charts[edit]

Year-end chart performance for "Sundown"  | Chart (1974)  | Rank

|

Australia (Kent Music Report)[16] | 35
Canadian RPM Top Singles[17] | 3
South Africa[18] | 4
US Billboard Hot 100[19] | 27
US Cashbox Top 100  | 32

## Other versions[edit]

* The musical project/collaboration of singer-songwriters Elwood covered the song in 2000. This version peaked at No. 33 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart on July 8, 2000.[20]
* American country music singer Deryl Dodd's version of the song peaked at #59 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1999. It was later included on his album, Pearl Snaps (2002).
* Danish supergroup Dalton covered the song on their first album Dalton released in 1992, under the title "Selskabsmadonna".

## See also[edit]

* List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1974 (U.S.)
* List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1974 (U.S.)
* List of RPM number-one singles of 1974

## References[edit]

1. ^ Breihan, Tom (May 23, 2019). "The Number Ones: Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 19, 2023. ""Sundown" is a pretty atypical piece of mid-'70s folk-rock."
2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 368.
3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 201.
4. ^ Fink, Matt (1 January 2008). "Gordon Lightfoort: Sunrise to Sundown". American Songwriter. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
5. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
6. ^ "Gordon Lightfoot – Sundown" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
7. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Gordon Lightfoot". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
8. ^ "Top 40". Top40.nl. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
9. ^ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
10. ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
11. ^ "Gordon Lightfoot | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
12. ^ "Gordon Lightfoot Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
13. ^ "Gordon Lightfoot Chart History: Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
14. ^ "Gordon Lightfoot Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
15. ^ "Gordon Lightfoot Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
16. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1974". Kent Music Report. December 30, 1974. Retrieved January 15, 2022 - via Imgur.
17. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
18. ^ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1974". Retrieved 26 September 2018.
19. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1974/Top 100 Songs of 1974". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
20. ^ "Elwood - Chart history". Billboard. 2000-07-08. Retrieved 2016-10-10.

## External links[edit]

* Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

Gordon Lightfoot

Studio albums|

* Lightfoot! (1966)
* The Way I Feel (1967)
* Did She Mention My Name? (1968)
* Back Here on Earth (1968)
* Sit Down Young Stranger (1970)
* Summer Side of Life (1971)
* Don Quixote (1972)
* Old Dan's Records (1972)
* Sundown (1974)
* Cold on the Shoulder (1975)
* Summertime Dream (1976)
* Endless Wire (1978)
* Dream Street Rose (1980)
* Shadows (1982)
* Salute (1983)
* East of Midnight (1986)
* Waiting for You (1993)
* A Painter Passing Through (1998)
* Harmony (2004)
* Solo (2020)

Compilation albums|

* Gord's Gold (1975)
* Gord's Gold Volume II (1988)
* Songbook (1999)

Live albums|

* Sunday Concert (1969)
* All Live (2012)

Singles|

* "I'm Not Sayin'" (1965)
* "Ribbon of Darkness" (1965)
* "Early Morning Rain" (1966)
* "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" (1967)
* "Bitter Green" (1968)
* "Me and Bobby McGee" (1970)
* "If You Could Read My Mind" (1970)
* "Beautiful" (1972)
* "Sundown" (1974)
* "Carefree Highway" (1974)
* "Rainy Day People" (1975)
* "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (1976)

Related articles|

* Discography
* "Tears Are Not Enough"
* Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind (2019)

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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