Dimming Of The Day / Dargai - Edit

This much covered Richard Thompson tune was originally recorded by the English folk singer-songwriter with his then-wife Linda Thompson on their 1975 album Pour Down Like Silver. Thompson's original version segues into a solo guitar performance of Scots composer James Scott Skinner's "Dargai."

The couple had adopted the Sufi faith the previous year and subsequently moved into a commune in London. The songs on Pour Down Like Silver reflected their new faith and this song is an example of Thompson writing in a centuries old Sufic tradition of expressing divine love in earthly terms. Though it was sung by Linda on the album, Richard Thompson has continued to feature the tune in his own live shows for many years, which indicates the song's deep personal significance.

Artists who have covered the track include the Blind Boys of Alabama, Mary Black, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris and The Corrs. In an interview with Rock's Backpages, the Blind Boys of Alabama leader Clarence Fountain said: "I like Richard's writing. We did 'The Dimming of the Day' on the album Beat The Retreat. I could sing his songs and I could see where he's coming from. His lyrics hit me just right."