Danny Gatton (September 4, 1945 – 4 October 1994) was a talented and enigma… Read Full Bio ↴Danny Gatton (September 4, 1945 – 4 October 1994) was a talented and enigmatic American guitarist who committed suicide at his Maryland home in 1994 while still relatively unknown to the public.

Gatton was born in Washington, DC on September 4, 1945. His father, Daniel W. Gatton Sr., was a former rhythm guitarist known for his unique percussive style, who left his musical career to raise his family in a more stable profession. The younger Gatton grew up to share his father's passion for the instrument.

Gatton's playing combined musical styles such as jazz, blues and rockabilly in an innovative fashion, and he was known by some as "the telemaster" or "the world's greatest unknown guitarist". However, he never achieved the commercial success that his talent arguably deserved. His skills were most appreciated by his peers such as Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, and his childhood idol Les Paul.

Danny Gatton made his name as a performer in the Washington, D.C. area during the 1980s, both as a solo performer and with his Redneck Jazz Explosion, in which he would trade licks with virtuoso pedal steel player Buddy Emmons over a tight bass-drums rhythm which drew from blues, country, bebop and rockabilly influences. He also backed Robert Gordon and Roger Miller.

He usually played a 1953 Fender Telecaster (Fender now manufactures a replica of his heavily customized instrument), with Joe Barden pickups and Fender Super 250L's, or Nickel Plated Steel (.010 to .046 with a .015 for the G) strings. As a slide Gatton would use a beer bottle or mug.

His technique was unorthodox, but allowed him to use all ten fingers for both picking and fretting. He always played with a jazz style teardrop pick, and was capable of intricate passages combining bluegrass, bebop, and garage sounds, executed with amazing clarity and at dizzying speeds.

The definitive biography is Unfinished Business: The Life and Times of Danny Gatton by Ralph Heibutzki.

Canadian Sunset
Danny Gatton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Once I was alone
So lonely and then
You came, out of nowhere
Like the sun up from the hills

Cold, cold was the wind
Warm, warm were your lips
Out there, on that ski trail

Where your kiss filled me with thrills

A weekend in Canada, a change of scene
Was the most I bargained for
And then I discovered you and in your eyes
I found the love that I couldn't ignore

Down, down came the sun
Fast, fast, fast, beat my heart

I knew when the sun set
From that day, we'd never ever part

Overall Meaning

Danny Gatton's song "Canadian Sunset" tells the story of a person who thought they would always be alone until they met someone unexpected. The song begins with the singer reminiscing about their past, feeling lonely and desolate before this special someone appeared "out of nowhere". The sudden appearance of this person is compared to the sun rising up over the hills, filling the singer's life with brightness and warmth.

The second verse describes a specific event that took place between the singer and their newfound love. They were skiing together when they felt a powerful connection through a kiss - this connection brought thrills of excitement to the singer. The chorus describes how the singer wasn't expecting much from their time in Canada but found something much more profound in this other person. It was in their eyes that the singer realized they had found love, something they couldn't ignore.

The song's final verse is about the sun setting, an appropriate metaphor for the end of something, in this case, a relationship. However, the singer is confident that they will never part with their loved one. The quick, beating rhythm of the final lines of the song serves to reinforce this confidence - the singer knows that this love is here to stay.

Line by Line Meaning

Once I was alone
I used to be lonely all the time

So lonely and then
It was a very tough situation, never felt such loneliness before

You came, out of nowhere
Suddenly, without his expectation, someone showed up

Like the sun up from the hills
It was like a pleasant surprise

Cold, cold was the wind
At that place, the wind was very cold

Warm, warm were your lips
But the feeling of love was so warm, it felt great

Out there, on that ski trail
On that skiing track, things were looking good

Where your kiss filled me with thrills
When Danny Gatton got a kiss, he got filled with joy and happiness

A weekend in Canada, a change of scene
Danny Gatton took a break, went to Canada for a few days to try something new

Was the most I bargained for
That was all he hoped for

And then I discovered you and in your eyes
But he ended up discovering something beautiful, someone special

I found the love that I couldn't ignore
He fell in love, couldn't keep himself from thinking about it

Down, down came the sun
The sun was going down slowly in the evening

Fast, fast, fast, beat my heart
Danny's heart was just pumping like anything

I knew when the sun set
Danny realized at that moment when the sun was setting

From that day, we'd never ever part
It was a feeling of a strong bond between them, they will never ever separate

Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Norman Gimbel, Eddie Heywood

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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