who did gordon lightfoot write the song sundown for

Gordon Lightfoot’s “Sundown” is widely understood to have been written about his then-girlfriend Cathy Smith , with the song reflecting jealousy and tension in that relationship.

Why that answer is common

• Lightfoot reportedly wrote it while worrying about Smith being out at night and possibly seeing someone else.

• Multiple later writeups and retrospectives repeat that the song’s inspiration was his relationship with her, not a general fictional character.

A little nuance

• Some sources frame it more broadly as a song about a troubled romance rather than a literal “for” one person.

• But the most commonly cited real-life inspiration is Cathy Smith.

TL;DR: It was written about Cathy Smith, Lightfoot’s girlfriend at the time.