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Template:Refimprove Template:Infobox single "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[1] and number thirteen on the Hot Country singles chart,[2] as well as number one in Canada on RPMTemplate:'s 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".Template:Citation needed

Chart performance[]

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Weekly charts[]

Chart (1974) Peak
position
Australian Kent Music Report [3] 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 [4] 16
New Zealand (Listener) [5] 2
UK Singles Chart 33
US Billboard Hot 100 1
US Billboard Easy Listening 1
US Billboard Hot Country Singles 13

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Year-end charts[]

Chart (1974) Rank
Australian KMR [6] 35
Canadian RPM Top Singles [7] 3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [8] 27
U.S. Cashbox Top 100 32

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Other versions[]

  • The musical project/collaboration of singer-songwriters Elwood covered the song in 2000. This version peaked (July 8, 2000) at #33 on BillboardTemplate:'s "Modern Rock Tracks' chart.[9]
  • American country music singer Deryl Dodd's version of the song peaked at #59 on BillboardTemplate:'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).[10]
  • 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.Template:Citation needed
  • "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[]

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External links[]

  • Template:MetroLyrics song

Template:Gordon Lightfoot


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