Lipstick Sunset – SOLD – Prints Available

Print available for this painting

There is a Lipstick Sunset. Smeared across the August sky.

These are the first lyrics to John Hiatt’s song “Lipstick Sunset” from his Bring the Family album. For, the song was the fourth track on this album which was released in 1987.

The album was Hiatt’s first real commercial success and featured the best “house-band” ever; John Hiatt, Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe and Jim Keltner. Indeed, there are so many great John Hiatt songs on this album. For instance, you can find “Memphis in the Meantime”, “Have a Little Faith in Me”, and Thing Called Love. Of course, I am also partial to many other Hiatt songs. Such as, “Riding with the King”, Smashing a Perfectly Good Guitar”, and “Tennessee Plates”.

John Hiatt and Ry Cooder

Alternatively, Lipstick Sunset is the perfect combination of Hiatt’s voice and Cooder’s slide guitar. Even, the song features a solo by Ry Cooder and his slide guitar. It seems John has gone through many a guitarist. For, he said this while being interviewed by Mark Coenen “… I almost look at the guitar player almost like my duet partner, you know? The guitar always provides the counterpoint for the vocal. I don’t know why it is but it’s a high rate of attrition, guitar players in my bands.” Nevertheless, I love the version of this song featuring the magnificent Ry Cooder. Here is the link if you would like to listen to the song – John Hiatt You Tube

One day while I was in my studio painting and listening to music as I usually do, I heard John Hiatt singing this song. I immediately knew I would have to create a painting to fit the song’s title which I love.

Is the song a reflection of love, or lost-love regret? This unique bold acrylic painting is my interpretation of the song with its many shades of red screaming out loud but enhanced and offset by the golds and blues limited appearance. For as the last versus of the song says,

“There will come another day
Then I’ll make my getaway
To a lipstick sunset”

 

Lipstick Sunset Lyrics

John Hiatt

There’s a lipstick sunset
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
By the end of the day
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

Dare to Feel

Red

Read more art inspirational stories by Red – gallery.

Follow Red www.facebook.com/StrokesbyRed or @strokesbyredartist