Sundown (Gordon Lightfoot song)

"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	Gordon Lightfoot
Producer	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

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]

Red Shea recorded the lead guitar and solo parts on his tobacco sunburst 1969 Gibson Les Paul Custom with Bigsby vibrato bar into a cranked Fender Silverface Twin Reverb with the tremolo on a low setting.

Personnel

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

• Gordon Lightfoot: lead and backing vocals, twelve-string acoustic guitar
• Red Shea: electric lead guitar
• Terry Clements: acoustic lead guitar
• John Stockfish: bass guitar
• Jim Gordon: drums

Chart performance

Weekly charts 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 [18] 2 2023 weekly chart performance for "Sundown" Chart (2023) Peak position US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [19] 11

The handwritten lead sheet for the song (now located in Massey Hall) Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for "Sundown" Chart (1974) Rank Australia (Kent Music Report) [20] 35 Canadian RPM Top Singles [21] 3 South Africa [22] 4 US Billboard Hot 100 [23] 27 US Cashbox Top 100 32

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [24]	Gold	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

• 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. ^[25]
• 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

• 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

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 . 17 July 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
7. "RPM Adult Contemporary - Volume 21, No. 13". Library and Archives Canada . 17 July 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
8. Canada, Library Archives (17 July 2013). "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. "The weekly South African Singles chart history: SUNDOWN – GORDON LIGHTFOOT". SA Singles Charts. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
19. "Gordon Lightfoot Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
20. "National Top 100 Singles for 1974". Kent Music Report. December 30, 1974. Retrieved January 15, 2022– via Imgur.
21. "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
22. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1974" . Retrieved 26 September 2018.
23. "Top 100 Hits of 1974/Top 100 Songs of 1974". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
24. "American single certifications – Gordon Lightfoot – Sundown". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved August 15, 2024.
25. "Elwood - Chart history". Billboard. 2000-07-08. Retrieved 2016-10-10.

External links

• Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown on YouTube