Lyrics
Did I live with love and grace,
And dry the tears from some small face?
Did I drink the sunlight in,
And look at losing as a win?
Did I take the highest road?
Did I repay the debt I owed?
Search me, search me, now I pray
And wash my every sin away!
Before the purple sunset skies,
Before the carpe diem dies;
Before I close my eyes to sleep and pray,
Dear Lord my soul to keep.
Before I reach the end of day
I've got to know I've walked your way?
Before the darkness shades the ground, before the sun goes down.
Did I keep my word today,
and mean the things you heard me say?
Did I make sincere amends to those I wronged, my kin and friends.
Did I seek to be more real
And verbalize the things I feel?
Did I think on what is good
and help my brother when I could?
Before the purple sunset skies,
Before the carpe diem dies;
Before I close my eyes to sleep and pray,
Dear Lord my soul to keep.
Before I reach the end of day
I've got to know I've walked your way?
Before the darkness shades the ground, before the sun goes down.
As I reflect I must confess
That I might not have passed the test.
And I fell short in everything,
For my poor flesh is limiting.
And I regret my whole life through
I did not spend much time with you.
But if there's time and one more breath,
One more hour of daylight left?
Before the purple sunset skies,
Before the carpe diem dies;
Before I close my eyes to sleep and pray,
Dear Lord my soul to keep!
Before I reach the end of day
I've got to know I've walked your way?
Before the darkness shades the ground,
before the sun goes down.
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
“Before the Sun Goes Down” frames the end of a day as an occasion for honest spiritual examination. Its questions move through love, truthfulness, reconciliation, generosity, and care for others before turning directly to confession. The repeated request to be searched and washed places moral reflection before God, not merely before personal standards. Each sunset therefore carries both urgency and an opportunity to seek mercy.
The song closely echoes the prayer in Psalm 139 that asks God to search the inner life and lead it rightly. Its admission of falling short also fits the biblical pattern of confession and cleansing, while the title recalls the instruction not to let the sun set on unresolved anger. The final verse does not pretend that the day was flawless. Instead, it acknowledges human limitation and asks whether the remaining time can still be devoted to God. That movement from examination to confession gives the song its sober but hopeful direction.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 139:23-24 The psalm asks God to search the heart and lead the faithful in the everlasting way.
- 1 John 1:9 John connects confession of sin with divine forgiveness and cleansing.
- Ephesians 4:26 Paul warns against allowing the sun to set while anger remains unresolved.