They left for San Francisco in 1959, where they met Mort Lewis, Dave Brubeck's manager. Lewis became their manager and later that year secured them a contract with Columbia Records. Their second single, "Greenfields," released in January 1960, hit #2 on the pop charts, and their first album, Brothers Four, released toward the end of the year, made the top 20. Other highlights of their early career included singing their fourth single, "The Green Leaves of Summer," from the John Wayne movie The Alamo, at the 1961 Academy Awards, and having their second album, BMOC/Best Music On/Off Campus, go top 10. They also recorded the theme song for the ABC television series Hootenanny, "Hootenanny Saturday Night," in 1963.
The British Invasion and the ascendance of such folk musicians as Bob Dylan put an end to the Brothers Four's early period of success, but they kept performing and making records, doing particularly well in Japan and on the American hotel circuit.
The band attempted a comeback by recording a highly commercial version of Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." But the band was unable to release it because of licensing issues, and The Byrds eventually stole their thunder by releasing their heralded version.
Mike Kirkland left the group in 1969, and was replaced by Mark Pearson, another University of Washington alumnus. In 1971, Pearson left and was replaced by Bob Haworth, who stayed until 1989 and was replaced by a returning Pearson. Dick Foley left the group in 1990 and was replaced by Terry Lauber. Despite all the changes and having spent 47 years in the business, the group is still active today (2004).
When the Sun Goes Down
The Brothers Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
every night, when the sun goes down
every night, when the sun goes down
hang my head, and mournful cry:
You're gone!
You're gone!
My own true love, you're gone!
Our love was true on that yesterday;
The love we knew on that yesterday
has grown cold; you're gone away.
Now I'm alone in this empty town;
I'm so alone in this dreary town,
and I call for my own true love,
every night, when the sun goes down:
You're gone!
You're gone!
My own true love, you're gone!
My own true love, you're gone!
The Brothers Four's song "When The Sun Goes Down" is a melancholic ballad that reminisces about a past love that is now gone. The song starts with the singer repeatedly singing the phrase "Every night, when the sun goes down," which suggests that the singer is caught in a cycle of sadness that is brought on by the night. As the song progresses, it is revealed that the source of the singer's sadness is the absence of their true love. The singer mournfully cries and hangs their head because they miss their love, who has left them alone.
The second verse takes the listener back to a time when the love between the singer and their true love was new and true. However, the love they once shared has grown cold, and their love has gone away. The third verse reveals that the singer is now alone in an empty town and feels dreary. Every night, the singer calls out for their true love when the sun goes down, but they are met with silence. The singer ends the song by repeating the phrase "My own true love, you're gone," emphasizing the depth of their loss.
Overall, "When The Sun Goes Down" is a simple but powerful song that captures the pain of losing someone you love. The repetitive nature of the lyrics emphasizes the cycle of sadness that the singer is trapped in, and the mournful tone of the song perfectly captures the emotions of heartbreak and loneliness.
Line by Line Meaning
Every night, when the sun goes down
At the end of every day, when the sun sets
every night, when the sun goes down
This happens every day without fail
every night, when the sun goes down
The same pattern occurs day after day
hang my head, and mournful cry:
I feel sad and express my sorrow openly
You're gone!
You are no longer here by my side
You're gone!
You have left me alone
My own true love, you're gone!
The person I loved dearly is no longer with me
Our love was new on that yesterday;
Our relationship was just beginning not long ago
Our love was true on that yesterday;
The love we had was genuine in the past
The love we knew on that yesterday
The affection we shared earlier
has grown cold; you're gone away.
Now that feeling has faded, and you're not here with me
Now I'm alone in this empty town;
I find myself by myself in this deserted place
I'm so alone in this dreary town,
This place, once full of life, is now dull and lifeless
and I call for my own true love,
I yearn for someone I love, who is now absent
You're gone!
You have vanished from my life
You're gone!
You are not here anymore
My own true love, you're gone!
The person I cherish is no longer with me
Contributed by Jasmine I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.