Sundown (Gordon Lightfoot song)



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

"Sundown" reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and easy listening charts and No. 13 on the Hot Country singles chart, 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
The song's lyrics seem to describe a troubled romantic relationship, with the narrator recounting an affair with a "hard-loving woman [who's] got me feeling mean".

There are rumours that "Sundown" was inspired by Lightfoot's then girlfriend, Cathy Smith, later more infamously known for her involvement in the 1982 drug-related death of actor John Belushi. Lightfoot has commented in interviews that Smith was "the one woman in my life who most hurt me".

Other versions

 * The musical project/collaboration of singer-songwriters Elwood covered the song in 2000. This version peaked (July 8, 2000) at #33 on Billboard's "Modern Rock Tracks' chart.
 * 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).
 * American-Canadian country artist Jesse Winchester covered this on Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot (2003)
 * Country singer Toby Keith included a live cover version on the deluxe edition of his album Bullets in the Gun (2010).
 * Canadian rock musician Luke Doucet covered it on the album Steel City Trawler (2010).
 * French singing duo Marie-Ève Janvier and Jean-François Breau covered the song in French as "L'amour c'est comme l'été", on the compilation album Quand le country dit bonjour... (2012).
 * Ed Kuepper covered the song, including it on his greatest hits album

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


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

In other media

 * "Sundown" is the ending song of The Blacklist season 1, episode 13: "The Cyprus Agency (No. 64)" (January 27, 2014).
 * The song entered the Amazon UK chart at number 97 on 18 March 2014, after The Blacklist episode, "The Cypress Agency (No. 64)" was shown on UK television.
 * "Sundown" is featured after the opening credits of Supernatural Season 10, Episode 5 "Fan Fiction" (November 11, 2014).