Share the Sundown Chords and Strumming:
Did You Know?
Sundown was released in 1974 and is the single from the album with the same name. It's Gordon's only song to reach number 1.
About writing the Sundown he 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?'
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Difficulty Level Of Original Recorded Song: Orange Pick
Most Advanced Rhythm: Yellow Pick
Most Advanced Chord Change: Orange Pick (Yellow Pick when played with open anchor chords only)
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Yellow Pick Level
Sundown Chords And Strumming, Gordon Lightfoot
Open Chords: (Capo fret 2)
Open D chord
Open A chord
Open E chord
Open E7 chord - 020100
Open B7 chord - x21200
Strumming:
"Driver/Passenger":
|B D D U D U| U D U U D U|
"& Skank*": |B U U U D U|
"Straight 8s": |D U D U D U D U|
Tempo: 106 bpm Key: F#
Intro -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
(Driver/Passenger / Driver/Passenger)
|E7 - - - |E7 - - - |E7 - - - |E7 - - - |
(& Skank*/& Skank*/ & Skank*/ & Skank*)
Verse 1 -
|E - - - |E - - - |B7 - - - |E - - - |
I can (E)see her lying back in her (E)satin dress
In a (B7)room where you do what you (E)don't confess
Chorus -
| |E - - - |A - - - |D - - - |E - - - | | x 2 |E - - - |
(E) Sundown, you (A)better take care
If I (D)find you been creeping 'round (E)my back stairs
(E) Sundown, you (A)better take care
If I (D)find you been creeping 'round (E)my back stairs (E)
Verse 2 -
|E - - - |E - - - |B7 - - - |E - - - |
She's been (E)looking like a queen in a (E)sailor's dream
And she (B7)don't always say what she (E)really means
Chorus -
| |E - - - |A - - - |D - - - |E - - - | | x 2
| |E - - - | | x 3
(E) Sometimes I (A)think it's a shame
When I (D)get feeling better, when I'm (E)feeling no pain
(E) Sometimes I (A)think it's a shame
When I (D)get feeling better, when I'm (E)feeling no pain (E) (E) (E)
Verse 3 -
|E - - - |E - - - |B7 - - - |E - - - |
I can (E)picture every move that a (E)man could make
Getting (B7)lost in her loving is your (E)first mistake
Chorus -
| |E - - - |A - - - |D - - - |E - - - | | x 2 |E - - - |
(E) Sundown, you (A)better take care
If I (D)find you been creeping 'round (E)my back stairs
(E) Sometimes I (A)think it's a sin
When I (D)feel like I'm winning, when I'm (E)losing again (E)
Middle 8 -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
(Driver/Passenger / Driver/Passenger)
| |E7 - - - |E7 - - - |E7 - - - |E7 - - - || x 2
(& Skank*/& Skank*/ & Skank*/ & Skank*)
|E - - - |E - - - |
(Driver/Passenger )
Verse 4 -
|E - - - |E - - - |B7 - - - |E - - - |
I can (E)see her looking fast in her (E)faded jeans
She's a (B7)hard-loving woman, got me (E)feeling mean
Chorus -
| |E - - - |A - - - |D - - - |E - - - | | x 3 |E - - - |
|E - - - |A - - - |D - - - |E - - - | |
(E) Sometimes I (A)think it's a shame
When I (D)get feeling better, when I'm (E)feeling no pain
(E) Sundown, you (A)better take care
If I (D)find you been creeping 'round (E)my back stairs
(E) Sundown, you (A)better take care
If I (D)find you been creeping 'round (E)my back stairs (E)
(E) Sometimes I (A)think it's a sin
When I (D)feel like I'm winning, when I'm (E)losing again
Outro -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
(Driver/Passenger / Driver/Passenger)
Final Chord Strum: E
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Orange Pick Level
Sundown Chords And Strumming, Gordon Lightfoot
Open Chords: (Capo fret 2)
Open D chord
Open A chord
Open E chord
Open E7 chord - 020130
Open B7 chord - x21202
Strumming:
"Driver/Passenger":
|B D D U D U| U D U U D U|
"& Skank*": |B U U U D U|
"Straight 8s": |D U D U D U D U|
Tempo: 106 bpm Key: F#
Intro -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
(Driver/Passenger / Driver/Passenger)
|E7 - - - |E7 - - - |E7 - - - |E7 - - - |
(& Skank*/& Skank*/ & Skank*/ & Skank*)
Verse 1 -
|E - - - |E - - - |B7 - - - |E - - - |
I can (E)see her lying back in her (E)satin dress
In a (B7)room where you do what you (E)don't confess
Chorus -
| |E - - - |A - - - |D - - - |E - - - | | x 2 |E - - - |
(E) Sundown, you (A)better take care
If I (D)find you been creeping 'round (E)my back stairs
(E) Sundown, you (A)better take care
If I (D)find you been creeping 'round (E)my back stairs (E)
Verse 2 -
|E - - - |E - - - |B7 - - - |E - - - |
She's been (E)looking like a queen in a (E)sailor's dream
And she (B7)don't always say what she (E)really means
Chorus -
| |E - - - |A - - - |D - - - |E - - - | | x 2
| |E - - - | | x 3
(E) Sometimes I (A)think it's a shame
When I (D)get feeling better, when I'm (E)feeling no pain
(E) Sometimes I (A)think it's a shame
When I (D)get feeling better, when I'm (E)feeling no pain (E) (E) (E)
Verse 3 -
|E - - - |E - - - |B7 - - - |E - - - |
I can (E)picture every move that a (E)man could make
Getting (B7)lost in her loving is your (E)first mistake
Chorus -
| |E - - - |A - - - |D - - - |E - - - | | x 2 |E - - - |
(E) Sundown, you (A)better take care
If I (D)find you been creeping 'round (E)my back stairs
(E) Sometimes I (A)think it's a sin
When I (D)feel like I'm winning, when I'm (E)losing again
(E)
Middle 8 -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
(Driver/Passenger / Driver/Passenger)
| |E7 - - - |E7 - - - |E7 - - - |E7 - - - || x 2
(& Skank*/& Skank*/ & Skank*/ & Skank*)
|E - - - |E - - - |
(Driver/Passenger )
Verse 4 -
|E - - - |E - - - |B7 - - - |E - - - |
I can (E)see her looking fast in her (E)faded jeans
She's a (B7)hard-loving woman, got me (E)feeling mean
Chorus -
| |E - - - |A - - - |D - - - |E - - - | | x 3 |E - - - |
|E - - - |A - - - |D - - - |E - - - | |
(E) Sometimes I (A)think it's a shame
When I (D)get feeling better, when I'm (E)feeling no pain
(E) Sundown, you (A)better take care
If I (D)find you been creeping 'round (E)my back stairs
(E) Sundown, you (A)better take care
If I (D)find you been creeping 'round (E)my back stairs (E)
(E) Sometimes I (A)think it's a sin
When I (D)feel like I'm winning, when I'm (E)losing again
Outro -
|E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |E - - - |
(Driver/Passenger / Driver/Passenger)
Final Chord Strum: E
Sundown Videos
Sundown Lyrics
I can see her lying back in her satin dress
In a room where you do what you don't confess
Sundown, you better take care
If I find you been creeping 'round my back stairs
Sundown, you better take care
If I find you been creeping 'round my back stairs
She's been looking like a queen in a sailor's dream
And she don't always say what she really means
Sometimes I think it's a shame
When I get feeling better, when I'm feeling no pain
Sometimes I think it's a shame
When I get feeling better, when I'm feeling no pain
I can picture every move that a man could make
Getting lost in her loving is your first mistake
Sundown, you better take care
If I find you been creeping 'round my back stairs
Sometimes I think it's a sin
When I feel like I'm winning, when I'm losing again
I can see her looking fast in her faded jeans
She's a hard-loving woman, got me feeling mean
Sometimes I think it's a shame
When I get feeling better, when I'm feeling no pain
Sundown, you better take care
If I find you been creeping 'round my back stairs
Sundown, you better take care
If I find you been creeping 'round my back stairs
Sometimes I think it's a sin
When I feel like I'm winning, when I'm losing again
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