Although his recording career was cut short by an early death, Carr left behind a large body of work. He had a long-time partnership with guitarist Scrapper Blackwell. His light bluesy piano combined with Blackwell's melodic jazz guitar to attract a sophisticated black audience. Carr's vocal style moved blues singing toward an urban sophistication, influencing such singers as T-Bone Walker, Charles Brown, Amos Milburn, Jimmy Witherspoon, Ray Charles among others.
Count Basie and Jimmy Rushing used some of Carr's songs and Basie's band shows the influence of Carr's piano style.
His music has been covered by notable artists such as Robert Johnson, Ray Charles, Big Bill Broonzy, Moon Mullican, Champion Jack Dupree, Lonnie Donegan and Memphis Slim.
Carr died of nephritis shortly after his thirtieth birthday.
When the Sun Goes Down
Leroy Carr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 lover′s 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, wondering and thinking
Why the one that you love
Would 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 sets 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'
Goodbye old sweethearts 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, babe
When the sun goes down
When the sun goes down
The song "When the Sun Goes Down" by Leroy Carr is a classic blues track that delves into the feelings of loneliness and heartbreak that can come with being separated from a loved one. The singer in the song appears to be in pain, as he talks about missing his lover and feeling alone when the sun goes down. Carr's slow, melancholy style of blues adds to the sense of sadness and introspection that permeates the song.
The opening lines of the song set the mood for the rest of the piece, bringing in themes of separation and loneliness that will be echoed throughout. The singer describes the feeling of missing someone, which is magnified in the evening when the sun goes down. He wonders aloud about the pain of being alone, and the lyrics seem to be searching for some sort of answer or resolution.
The second stanza of the song continues the exploration of the theme of heartbreak, as the singer recounts a time when he lay awake at night, thinking about the pain of being betrayed by the one he loves. Here, the melody and delivery of the lyrics become even more plaintive, drawing the listener into the singer's sorrowful state of mind.
Overall, "When the Sun Goes Down" is a beautiful example of the blues at its best, exploring complex emotions in a way that is both raw and deeply affecting.
Line by Line Meaning
In the evening, in the evening, mama
At night, mama
When the sun goes down
When the day comes to an end
In the evening, baby
At night, baby
Well, ain't it lonesome
Isn't it sad
Ain't it lonesome, babe
Isn't it sad, baby
When your lover's not around?
When your beloved is not present?
Last night, I laid a-sleeping
Last night, I was sleeping
I was thinking to myself
I was lost in thought
Well, wondering and thinking
Contemplating
Why the one that you love
Why the person you love
Would mistreat you for someone else?
Would treat you poorly for another person?
The sun rises in the east
The sun comes up in the east
An' it sets up in the west
And it goes down in the west
It's hard to tell, hard to tell
Difficult to discern
Which one will treat you the best
Which one will treat you kindly
Goodbye old sweethearts and pals
Farewell old loves and friends
Yes, I'm going away
I'm leaving
But I may be back to see you again
But I might return to see you in the future
Some old rainy day
On a future day when it rains
Yea-ah'
Yeah
Ooo-ee, hoo-wee'
An expression of excitement or enthusiasm
Hee, hoo-oh'
Another expression of excitement or enthusiasm
Yea-hi'
Yeah
Hoo, hoo-eee'
Another expression of excitement or enthusiasm
In the evening, in the evening, babe
At night, babe
When the sun goes down
When the day comes to an end
Writer(s): Leroy Carr, Don Raye
Contributed by Sydney K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Arjun Upadhya
In the evening, In the evening
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.
=========================
Odin029
Leroy Carr might be one of the best songwriters who most people have never heard of. Lots of people who like blues don't know that he wrote this song, Blues at Sunrise, How Long and so many others. Plus he's from my hometown...
NoRosesForMe
Broonzy had his OWN thing. HE was unique and very intelligent -contrary to what some think or what some reviews have said. Broonzy is very very important. But I adore Carr's version just as much because they are different. THAT is the key. All the greats had their own thing, own sound,,,and wait a minute! Broonzy was a guitar player! SO,,of course its not the same. THAT is music man. REAL music from real people who had their OWN sounds.
Charlleyw
Well damn. It seems that this song predates "Love In Vain" by NINE YEARS.
Mico Veliki
@Yuri Danylko yeah execpt Robert made a career of ripping tunes AND lyrics of other people. But I gotta give it to him what a ear. Remeber there wasnt youtube tabs notes and slowing down videos in the 30s what you heard is what you get.
Yuri Danylko
@Kyle Hersey Robert johnson. Honestly people who compare blues melodies and think it has some connection are pretty stupid. It's pretty hard to come up with new things when you're working with 3 chords
Kyle Hersey
Charlleyw lol by who?
Arjun Upadhya
In the evening, In the evening
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.
=========================
busessuck1
A good quality version is on The Roots of Robert Johnson CD
Ricky Muse
no doubt about it "Love in Vain" by Robert Johnson is the same melody....
Ricky Muse
@Joaquin Carrasco Zavala Ray Charles sings the shit out of this song!