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 number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and easy listening charts[2] and number 13 on the Hot Country singles chart,[3] as well as number one in Canada on RPM's national singles chart. It was Lightfoot's only single to reach number one 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]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Sundown" Gordon Lightfoot song – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

### Weekly charts

[edit]

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

|

Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] | 4
Canadian RPM Top Singles[6] | 1
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary[7] | 2
Canadian RPM Country Tracks[8] | 4
Germany (GfK)[9] | 30
Ireland (IRMA)[10] | 14
Netherlands[11] | 16
New Zealand (Listener)[12] | 2
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[13] | 1
UK Singles Chart[14] | 33
US Billboard Hot 100[15] | 1
US Easy Listening (Billboard)[16] | 1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[17] | 13
Yugoslavian Singles Chart  | 2
2023 weekly chart performance for "Sundown"  Chart (2023)  | Peak
position

|

US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[18] | 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)[19] | 35
Canadian RPM Top Singles[20] | 3
South Africa[21] | 4
US Billboard Hot 100[22] | 27
US Cashbox Top 100  | 32

## Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

United States (RIAA)[23] | Gold  | 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## In popular culture

[edit]

The song was featured prominently in the 2024 vampire-themed horror film Salem's Lot, as well as in the film's trailer.

## Other versions

[edit]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

* Nana Mouskouri recorded a French version, "L'Amour, c'est comme l'été", on her 1974 album Que Je Sois Un Ange.
* The musical project/collaboration of singer-songwriters Elwood covered the song in 2000. This version peaked at number 33 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart on July 8, 2000.[24]
* American country music singer Deryl Dodd's version of the song peaked at number 59 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles and 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".
* American country music singer Charles Wesley Godwin covered the song through Amazon Original Music in 2024.

## 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. ^ "RPM Top Singles - Volume 21, No. 17". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
7. ^ "RPM Adult Contemporary - Volume 21, No. 13". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
8. ^ "RPM Country Singles - Volume 21, No. 12". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
9. ^ "Gordon Lightfoot – Sundown" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
10. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Gordon Lightfoot". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
11. ^ "Top 40". Top40.nl. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
12. ^ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
13. ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
14. ^ "Gordon Lightfoot | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
15. ^ "Gordon Lightfoot Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
16. ^ "Gordon Lightfoot Chart History: Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
17. ^ "Gordon Lightfoot Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
18. ^ "Gordon Lightfoot Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
19. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1974". Kent Music Report. December 30, 1974. Retrieved January 15, 2022 - via Imgur.
20. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
21. ^ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1974". Retrieved 26 September 2018.
22. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1974/Top 100 Songs of 1974". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
23. ^ "American single certifications – Gordon Lightfoot – Sundown". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
24. ^ "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

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template