When The Sun Goes Down By Kenny Chesney (featuring Uncle ...

Toggle navigation

• Home
• Categories
• Places
• Blog
  • Blogs Home
  • Songwriter Interviews
  • Song Writing
  • Fact or Fiction
  • They're Playing My Song
  • Music Quiz
  • Songfacts Pages
  • Songwriting Legends
  • Songfacts Podcast
  • All Titles
  • Authors
    • Amanda Flinner
    • April Fox
    • Bruce Pollock
    • Carl Wiser
    • Corey O'Flanagan
    • Dan MacIntosh
    • Developer
    • Ed Pearce
    • Greg Prato
    • Jeff Suwak
    • Jess Grant
    • Laura Antonelli
    • Leslie Michele Derrough
    • Maggie Grimason
    • Nicole Roberge
    • Roger Catlin
    • Shawna Ortega
    • Stephanie Myers
    • Trevor Morelli
• Browse
  • Songs
  • Artists
  • Places
  • Years
  • Categories

Search

When the Sun Goes Downby Kenny Chesney (featuring Uncle Kracker)

Album: When the Sun Goes Down (2004)Charted: 26 License This Song  lyricsartistfacts

Songfacts®:

• The title track of Kenny Chesney's When The Sun Goes Down album, he recorded the song as a duet with singer-songwriter Uncle Kracker. Released as a single on February 2, 2004, it spent five weeks at #1 on the Country chart.The song is right on brand for Chesney, telling the story of a night on the beach with good music and great friends.
• Better known as a hip-hop flavored rock artist, "When the Sun Goes Down" was Uncle Kracker's first appearance on the Country chart.
• "When the Sun Goes Down" was written by Nashville songwriter Brett James, whose resumé also includes writing credits for Jessica Andrews' "Who I Am" and Martina McBride's "Blessed." He later co-penned Kenny Chesney's 2009 hit "Out Last Night."
• Brett James recalled in a video interview that he was driving home in his truck having just written a song with Holly Lamar, when "this crazy little ditty" popped into his head. He thought it was "a nursery rhyme, kind of silly thing," but when he got home James "couldn't get this little earworm" out of his head. The next day, James demoed the "crazy little ditty" without having second or third verses. He didn't write them until he was actually sitting in the vocal booth."It was a 20-minute song," James said. "You hear about those, but it was a 20-minute song. I didn't take it too seriously. Just write this, it is fun, I like the idea. I put it on my record, and the next thing you know I hear Kenny and Kracker are doing it. The next thing you know, it's #1."
• Chesney paid tribute to the song's co-writer Brett James, who died in a plane crash two months earlier, when he performed "When the Sun Goes Down" at the CMA Awards in 2025. As he sang, photos of James appeared in the backdrop with the message "Thank you, we miss you."

• More songs from Kenny Chesney
• More songs from Uncle Kracker
• More songs with celestial titles
• More duets
• More songs from 2004
• Lyrics to When the Sun Goes Down
• Kenny Chesney Artistfacts

Your name as you would like it displayed Your Locaton Your Comment send your comment

Comments: 1

• Brian from Sanford NcSeptember 333years1988919353069Jante TayioYou're my day I see with my day we cover it all my day my best please marvel is mylove you my day

see more comments

More Songfacts:

True CompanionMarc Cohn

When Marc Cohn played "True Companion" to his girlfriend, she thought he was proposing. He wasn't, but he did eventually marry her.

TimberPitbull

Rihanna was Pitbull's first choice to sing on "Timber," but she wasn't available at the time so he enlisted his RCA labelmate Kesha instead.

AngieThe Rolling Stones

"Angie" was the only ballad by The Rolling Stones to hit #1 in America.

WaterlooABBA

In Belgium, where the Battle of Waterloo took place, "Waterloo" by ABBA was a huge hit, #1 for five weeks.

Truckin'Grateful Dead

"Truckin'" was written as the Grateful Dead were starting their long, strange trip, settling into a life of constant touring. They rode busses and holed up in modest hotels to stay grounded.

Livin' La Vida LocaRicky Martin

Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" was the first #1 hit created entirely in Pro Tools.

Editor's Picks

Grammar In LyricsMusic Quiz

Lyrics don't always follow the rules of grammar. Can you spot the ones that don't?

P.F. SloanSongwriter Interviews

P.F. was a teenager writing hits and playing on tracks for Jan & Dean when he wrote a #1 hit that got him blackballed.

Danny Clinch: The Art of Rock PhotographySong Writing

One of rock's top photographers talks about artistry in photography, raising funds for a documentary, and enjoying a County Fair with Tom Waits.

Music Video Director David HoganSong Writing

David talks about videos he made for Prince, Alabama, Big & Rich, Sheryl Crow, DMB, Melissa Etheridge and Sisters of Mercy.

Wolfgang Van HalenSongwriter Interviews

Wolfgang Van Halen breaks down the songs on his debut album, Mammoth WVH, and names the definitive Van Halen songs from the Sammy and Dave eras.

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"They're Playing My Song

Dean's saga began with "Ariel," a song about falling in love with a Jewish girl from New Jersey.

Songfacts® Newsletter

A monthly update on our latest interviews, stories and added songs

What's your email? SUBSCRIBE

Information

• About Us
• Terms of Service
• Our Privacy Policy
• Google Privacy Policy
• Songfacts API
• Music History Calendar
• Song Licensing
• Affiliate Disclosure
• Contact Us
• Privacy Manager

Follow Us

• Facebook
• X (Twitter)
• YouTube

Contribution

• Message Boards
• Songfacts Writers

©2025 Songfacts, LLC