Sundown (Gordon Lightfoot song)

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"Sundown" is a song by Canadian folk artist Gordon Lightfoot, from the eponymous album, released as a single in March 1974.
"Sundown" reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and easy listening charts and number thirteen on the Hot Country singles chart, as well as number one in Canada on RPMs national singles chart. It was Lightfoot's only single to reach number one 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".
==Chart performance==
===Weekly charts===
Chart (1974) 	Peakposition
Australian Kent Music Report 	4
Canadian RPM Top Singles 	1
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary 	2
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 	4
German Singles Chart 	30
Irish Singles Chart 	14
Netherlands 	16
New Zealand (Listener) 	2
UK Singles Chart 	33
US Billboard Hot 100 	1
US Billboard Easy Listening 	1
US Billboard Hot Country Singles	13
===Year-end charts===
Chart (1974) 	Rank
Australian KMR 	35
Canadian RPM Top Singles	3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 	27
U.S. Cashbox Top 100 	32
==Other versions==
* The musical project/collaboration of singer-songwriters Elwood covered the song in 2000. This version peaked (July 8, 2000) at #33 on Billboards "Modern Rock Tracks' chart.
* American country music singer Deryl Dodd's version of the song peaked at #59 on Billboards 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).
== 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==
==External links==
* 
Category:1974 songs
Category:1974 singles
Category:Gordon Lightfoot songs
Category:Deryl Dodd songs
Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Category:Billboard Adult Contemporary number-one singles
Category:Reprise Records singles
Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles
Category:Song recordings produced by Lenny Waronker
Category:Songs written by Gordon Lightfoot