As well, it nearly took him that long to find his own style. Hiatt began his solo career in 1974, and over the next decade he ran through a number of different styles from rock & roll to new wave-esque pop before he finally settled on a rootsy fusion of rock, country, blues, and folk with his 1987 album 'Bring the Family'. Though the album didn't set the charts on fire, it became his first album to gain some major commercial success, and several of the songs on the record became hits for other artists, including the aforementioned Raitt and Milsap. Following its success, Hiatt became a reliable hit songwriter for other artists, and he developed a strong cult following that continued to gain strength into the mid-90s.
While he was growing up in his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana, Hiatt played in a number of garage bands. Initially, he was inspired by the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, and the music of those two artists would echo strongly throughout his work. Out of all the bar bands he played with in the late 60s, a group called The White Ducks was the one that received the most attention. Following his high-school graduation, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 18, where he landed a job as a songwriter for Tree Publishing.
For the next several years, he wrote and performed at local clubs and hotels. Within a few years, his songs were being recorded by several different artists, including Conway Twitty, Tracy Nelson, and Three Dog Night, who took Hiatt's "Sure as I'm Sittin' Here" to number 16 in the summer of 1974. Eventually, his manager secured him an audition at Epic Records, and the label signed him in 1974, releasing his debut album, Hangin' Around the Observatory, later that year. Despite their critical acclaim, neither Hangin' Around the Observatory nor its 1975 follow-up Overcoats sold many copies, and he was dropped by the label. By the end of the year, Tree Publishing had let him go as well.
Following his failure in Nashville, Hiatt moved out to California. By the summer of 1978 he had settled in Los Angeles, where began playing in clubs, opening for folk musicians including Leo Kottke. With Kottke's assistance, Hiatt hired a new manager, Denny Bruce, who helped him secure a record contract with MCA Records. Slug Line, his first record for MCA, was released in the summer of 1979. Where his first two records were straight-ahead rock & roll and folk-rock, Slug Line was in the new wave vein of angry English singer/songwriters like Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, and Joe Jackson, as if Hiatt was vying for the role of the American angry young man. The new approach earned some strong reviews, yet it failed to generate any sales. Two Bit Monsters, his second MCA album, faced the same situation. Although it was well-received critically upon its 1980 release, it made no impression on the charts, and the label dropped him.
Apart from working on Two Bit Monsters, Hiatt spent most of 1980 as a member of Ry Cooder's backing band, playing rhythm guitar on the Borderline album and touring with the guitarist. Hiatt stayed with Cooder throughout 1981, signing a new contract with Geffen Records by the end of the year. Produced by Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex), his Geffen debut All of A Sudden was released in 1982, followed by the Nick Lowe/Scott Matthews & Ron Nagel-produced Riding With the King in 1983. As with his previous records for Epic and MCA, neither of his first two Geffen releases sold well. By this time, Hiatt's personal life was beginning to spin out of control as he was sinking deep into alcoholism. Around the time he completed 1985's Warming Up to the Ice Age, his second wife committed suicide. Following the release of Warming Up to the Ice Age, Hiatt was dropped by Geffen. By the end of 1985, he had entered a rehabilitation program. During 1986, he remarried and signed a new deal with A&M Records.
For his A&M debut, Hiatt assembled a small band comprising his former associates Ry Cooder (guitar), Nick Lowe (bass), and Jim Keltner (drums). Recorded over the course of a handful of days, the resulting album, Bring the Family, had a direct, stripped-down rootsy sound that differed greatly from his earlier albums. Upon its summer 1987 release, Bring the Family received the best reviews of his career and, for once, the reviews began to pay off, as the album turned into a cult hit, peaking at 107 on the U.S. charts; it was his first charting album. Hiatt attempted to record a follow-up with Cooder, Lowe, and Keltner, but the musicians failed to agree on the financial terms for the sessions. Undaunted, he recorded an album with John Doe, David Lindley, and Dave Mattacks, but he scrapped the completed project, deciding that the result was too forced. Hiatt's final attempt at recording the follow-up to Bring the Family was orchestrated by veteran producer Glyn Johns, who had him record with his touring band, the Goners. Despite all of the behind-the-scenes troubles behind its recording, the follow-up album, Slow Turning, actually appeared rather quickly, appearing in the summer of 1988.
Slow Turning, like Bring the Family before it, received nearly unanimous positive reviews and it was fairly well-received commercially, spending 31 weeks on the U.S. charts and peaking at 98. Within the next year, Hiatt successfully toured throughout America and Europe, strengthening his fan base along the way. Inspired by the success of Hiatt's two A&M albums, Geffen released the compilation Y' All Caught? The Ones That Got Away 1979-85 in 1989. That same year, other artists began digging through Hiatt's catalog of songs, most notably Bonnie Raitt, who covered "Thing Called Love" for her multi-platinum comeback album, Nick of Time.
In 1990, Hiatt returned with Stolen Moments, which was nearly as successful as Slow Turning, both critically and commercially. "Bring Back Your Love to Me," an album track from Stolen Moments that was also recorded by Earl Thomas Conley, won BMI's 1991 Country Music Award. By the time "Bring Back Your Love to Me" won that award, it had become a standard practice for artists to cover Hiatt's songs, as artists as diverse as Bob Dylan, Ronnie Milsap, Suzy Bogguss, and Iggy Pop all covered his songs in the early '90s. In 1993, Rhino Records released Love Gets Strange: The Songs of John Hiatt, which collected many of the cover versions that were recorded during the '80s and '90s.
During 1991, the group that recorded Bring the Family — Hiatt, Cooder, Lowe, and Keltner — re-formed as a band called Little Village, releasing their eponymous debut in early 1992. Based on the success of Bring the Family and Hiatt's A&M albums, expectations for Little Village were quite high, yet the record and its supporting tour were considered a major disappointment. Later, the individual members would agree that the band was a failure, mainly due to conflicting egos.
Hiatt decided to back away from the superstar nature of Little Village for his next album, 1993's Perfectly Good Guitar. Recorded in just two weeks with a backing band comprised of members of alternative rock bands School of Fish and Wire Train, the album was looser than any record since Bring the Family, but it didn't quite have the staying power of its two predecessors, spending only 11 weeks on the charts and peaking at number 47. The following year, he released his first live album, Hiatt Comes Alive at Budokan? Hiatt left A&M Records after the release of the record, signing with Capitol Records the following year.
Walk On, Hiatt's first Capitol album, was recorded during his supporting tour for Perfectly Good Guitar and featured guest appearances by the Jayhawks and Bonnie Raitt. Walk On entered the charts at 48, but slipped off the charts in nine weeks, indicating that his audience had settled into a dedicated cult following. Fittingly, after 1997's Little Head quickly came and went in the marketplace, Hiatt parted ways with Capitol, and his next album, 2000's Crossing Muddy Waters was released on the established independent imprint Vanguard Records. After a second album with Vanguard, The Tiki Bar Is Open, Hiatt alligned himself with another independent label, New West, for the release of his 2003 set Beneath This Gruff Exterior. Master of Disaster, along with CD and DVD versions of Live from Austin, TX followed in 2005.
Same Old Man followed in 2008; then The Open Road in 2010.
Lipstick Sunset
John Hiatt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Smeared across the August sky
There's a bitter sweet perfume
Hanging in the fields
The creek is running high
And I left my lover waiting
In the dawn somewhere to wonder why
All her sweet dreams would fade
To a lipstick sunset
Well, a radio was playing
And that ol' summer heat was on the rise
I just had to get away
Before some sad old song
Brought tears to my eyes
And Lord I couldn't tell her
That her love was only killing me
By the end of the day
All her sweet dreams would fade
To a lipstick sunset
Well it's pretty as a picture baby
Red and blushing just before the night
Maybe love's like that for me
Maybe I can only see
As you take away the light
So hold me in the darkness
We can dream about the cool twilight
'Til the dawning of the day
When I make my getaway
To a lipstick sunset
There will come another day
When I make my getaway
To a lipstick sunset
There will come another day
Then I'll make my getaway
To a lipstick sunset
The song Lipstick Sunset by John Hiatt is a melancholic reflection on a romance that has lost its passion but is still difficult to let go of. The title itself is a metaphor, wherein the lipstick sunset symbolizes a moment of beauty and glamour that is superficial and fleeting, much like the love that the singer is trying to escape. The first verse describes the landscape of August, where the creek is running high and the air is filled with a bittersweet perfume, heightening the senses and amplifying the nostalgic mood. Yet, the singer is not enjoying this beauty but rather running away from his lover, leaving her waiting in the dawn to wonder why. He knows that by the end of the day, her sweet dreams of romance and togetherness will fade away just like the lipstick sunset.
The second verse introduces a radio playing a sad old song, which highlights the theme of the fleeting nature of love. The singer realizes that he can’t stay with his lover anymore, as her love is killing him slowly. He cannot bear to see her dreams fade away to a lipstick sunset, and so he decides to make his getaway. However, in the final verse, he talks about how he still wants to hold onto something, to dream about the cool twilight with his lover. The song ends with the hope that someday he will make his getaway to a lipstick sunset.
In conclusion, Lipstick Sunset is a poignant portrayal of the end of a love affair. The singer is trying to find a way out of a relationship that has lost its luster, but at the same time, he is grappling with the complex emotions of guilt, loss, and the fear of loneliness. The song’s symbolism of the lipstick sunset and the August landscape creates a vivid sensory experience that adds to the song’s powerful emotional impact.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a lipstick sunset
The sunset has a gorgeous, feminine appearance
Smeared across the August sky
The sunset is stretched or spread over the sky in a way that it seems like it's smudged
There's a bitter sweet perfume
A strong, sweet fragrance that is both pleasant and painful
Hanging in the fields
The scent is present and surrounding them
The creek is running high
The water is flowing at a higher rate than usual
And I left my lover waiting
I departed from my partner without notice or explanation
In the dawn somewhere to wonder why
In the early hours of the morning, they were left to question why I had gone
By the end of the day
Many hours later, towards the evening
All her sweet dreams would fade
Her innocent hopes and aspirations would be gone
To a lipstick sunset
In the end, all that would remain would be the image of the sunset
Well, a radio was playing
A device was emiting sounds melodically
And that ol' summer heat was on the rise
Sweltering temperatures started to increase noticeably
I just had to get away
I felt compelled to depart the area
Before some sad old song
Prior to a sorrowful tune
Brought tears to my eyes
Before causing me to cry and feel sad
And Lord I couldn't tell her
I was unable to express my feelings to my lover
That her love was only killing me
The emotion she had for me was too strong and became overwhelmingly painful
Well it's pretty as a picture baby
The image is exceptionally beautiful
Red and blushing just before the night
The sunset is a vivid reddish color, appearing to be blushing as the sky approaches night time
Maybe love's like that for me
Perhaps that's the way I perceive love
Maybe I can only see
Perhaps my ability to understand is limited
As you take away the light
The ending marks the departure of light and what it represents for me, such as love or hope
So hold me in the darkness
Please embrace me in the gloomy night
We can dream about the cool twilight
Together we can imagine the colder, dusk time of day
'Til the dawning of the day
Until a new day arrives
When I make my getaway
The morning marks a new opportunity for me to leave
To a lipstick sunset
To once again reach a point where all that remains is a beautiful memory
There will come another day
Sometime in the future, things will start afresh
When I make my getaway
I take the chance to leave and begin again
To a lipstick sunset
To once again reach a point where all that remains is a beautiful memory
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN HIATT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mickthenick1
1985: I happened to meet a rather young Mr Hiatt at a VERY small concert venue, Enschede, The Netherlands. after a fabulous concert with maybe 200 people. Him at the piano, Loudon Wainwright III on guitar. Right after, I met a small, firm, yet timid person, looking weary with those dark eyes, ready to laugh the world away.
I told him how I'd loved the concert, and asked him to sign the concert's poster. He asked who'd it be for. I told him my name. He said "Michelle who?" and wrote "For Michelle, who is belle?". I told him how happy I was that he found a record company - Geffen - that would release his songs. He - wearily - said that he was happy, too.
1987: My first Sony Walkman. The dark night, the intimate music. I had this party until late at night, and now I am riding my bike through Haarlem (the Dutch city after which 'Harlem' is called). For the first time in my life, I am out on the road while hearing good music into my ears. Today it may be hard to imagine. but it was special back then. I can picture the very same lane I was riding, and listened to John's new 'Bring the Family' album. And then "Lipstick Sunset" comes up, with Ry Cooder's guitar solo.
I had to stop by the side of the road. Had to take that song in. Wipe away the tears.
As of today, I cannot hear the song without shedding a tear. I have programmed myself to it. It's a good tear, I know, and I'm not alarmed. But I am humbled. This music just goes down to my very soul. And it will go on to do so, however stupid, petty, sentimental - just give it a name - the song is. But I am happy to have learned about Mr. Hiatt's music. Bless you, Sir.
@lesheath6216
He's one of the greatest songwriters ever!
@thomasdemartino6109
There’s just songs, and then there’s this masterpiece. Right up there with anything Sonny Landreth or David Lindley ever threw on vinyl. Here’s to Ry, for taking an already perfect song, and adding color to that sunset.
@jeffgunther4582
Ry Cooder’s slide work on this song is sublime
@pretorious700
Indeed.
@curbmassa
Takes my breath away every single time. It did in '87 when I bought it on vinyl, still does today.
@josbruls
Ry Cooder's slide riffs seem to disappear into eternity.
@ninonero2105
Exactly my friend.. and it came from the eternity..
Peace ✌
@josbruls
@Nino Nero Thanks, peace!
@kendraaylett6058
I love this song! It’s our wedding song and Hiatt is our first sons middle name. May his music carry on through our children.
@Petercetera-1
Hello I really do appreciate you for being a big fan thank you for your wonderful comments on my post it really means a lot to me.I sincerely hope you never stop listening to my music…..❤️❤️❤️