Charles Griffes' "Evening Song" was written around 1912, at the end of his "German period." There is no date on the score; although the first performance was on March 25, 1912, and the piece is believed to have been written not too long prior to that date. The song was, however, revised by Griffes on July 11, 1912 (as Griffes stated in his diaries). It is this second version that was published in 1941 by G. Schirmer.

Composed in New York, where Griffes taught at a boys' school, this art song possesses the core of the teachings that Griffes absorbed while he studied composition in Germany during the years 1903 - 1907. The piano introduction and interlude, however, are suggestive of Debussy and the Impressionists. Griffes does use repetitive chords to keep the rhythm of the piece (which is a German Romanticism trait), while the male voice sings above in somewhat of a free verse style that at times does not seem to fit closely with the rhythm of the piano. Here there appears to be two styles intertwined: the beautiful broken chords seem like precursors of Impressionism, with the rhythm keeping with that of the German technique. The vocal melody is moody and in observance of the text.

The text speaks of two lovers who watch the sun meet the sea at dusk, and how the sun and sea kiss at the meeting—but the poem states that the lovers kiss even longer, suggesting that their love lasts longer than the heavens. And even when the night parts the sun and sea, and the earth falls into darkness, the lovers' hands and lips will never part.

The text of "Evening Song" is by Sidney Lanier (1842 - 1881), an American from the South who fought in the Civil War. It is interesting to note that Lanier was also a musician—he became first flutist with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra in 1873—and tried to write his poetry in musical metrical styles. This lends well to having Griffes' music set to the text. The text and music together, combined with both the author's and the composer's deep sense of imagery and illustration, portrays a determined love song, beautiful, yet strong and powerful in its movement. The piano and the voice rise in intensity and dynamics during the last two lines of the text, giving the song a satisfying and inspiring climax. This is one of the few songs Griffes wrote that has a lilting introduction, and also ends with the fading out of the piano's broken and blocked chords. Griffes has a tendency to end his songs with one large, loud block chord, but that is certainly not the case with "Evening Song," and this quieter ending portrays well the tenderness and meaning of the song.

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