When The Sun Goes Down
Gary Clark Jr Lyrics

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In the evening, mama
When the sun goes down
In the evening, baby
When the sun goes down
Well, ain't it lonesome
Ain't it lonesome, babe
When your love is not around?
When the sun goes down

Last night, I laid a-sleeping
I was thinking to myself
Last night, I laid a-sleeping
I was thinking to myself
Well, what I been thinking
Is why that the one that you love
Will mistreat you for someone else?
When the sun goes down

The sun rises in the east
An it sets up in the west
The sun rises in the east, mama
An it set's in the west
Well, it's hard to tell, hard to tell
Which one will treat you the best
When the sun goes down

'Yea-ah'
'Ooo-ee, hoo-wee'
'Yea-ah'
'Hee, hoo-oh'
'Yea-hi'
'Hoo, hoo-eee'

Good-bye old sweetheart and pals
Yes, I'm going away
But I may be back to see you again
Some old rainy day
Well, in the evening, in the evening

When the sun goes down
When the sun goes down.

Overall Meaning

"When the Sun Goes Down" is a blues song by American musician Gary Clark Jr. The song talks about the feeling of loneliness and heartbreak when love is not around. The opening lines, "In the evening, mama, when the sun goes down, in the evening baby, when the sun goes down," is a common blues trope that is used to convey a sense of despair and melancholy. The repetition of the phrase throughout the song emphasizes the feeling of loneliness that the singer is experiencing.

The second verse of the song begins with the lines, "Last night I laid a-sleeping, I was thinking to myself," and goes on to talk about the pain of being mistreated by someone you love. The line, "Why that the one that you love will mistreat you for someone else?" conveys the universal feeling of betrayal that many people experience in their romantic relationships. The final verse of the song talks about the uncertainty of life and how it's hard to know which path to take. The line, "Well, it's hard to tell, hard to tell which one will treat you the best when the sun goes down," is a reminder that life is full of ups and downs, and one can only hope that they will make the right choices.

Line by Line Meaning

In the evening, mama
At night, mother

When the sun goes down
When the day turns to night

In the evening, baby
At night, dear

Ain't it lonesome
Isn't it lonely

Ain't it lonesome, babe
Isn't it lonely, dear

When your love is not around?
When your loved one is not with you?

Last night, I laid a-sleeping
Last night, I was sleeping

I was thinking to myself
I was pondering by myself

Well, what I been thinking
Well, what I have been pondering

Is why that the one that you love
Is why the one you love

Will mistreat you for someone else?
Will mistreat you for another person?