SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT

Live 13 May 1976 version

The night was dark... Raining out...

Crazy Janey and her mission man were back in the alley tradin' hands
'Long came Wild Billy with his friend G-Man, dressed up for Saturday night
Billy slammed on his coaster brakes
Said, "Hey, anybody wanna go on up to Greasy Lake?
It's about a mile down on the dark side of route eighty-eight
I got a bottle of rose, let's try it
We'll pick up Hazy Davy and Killer Joe, I'll take you all out to where gypsy angels go
Built like light
And they dance like spirits in the night" (all night)
All night (all night)
Well, baby don't know what it do to you
Like a spirit in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
Stand up and let it shoot right through you

Now this Wild Billy was a crazy cat, and he shook some dust out of his coonskin cap
Cried, "Trust some of this, it'll show you where you're at, at least it'll help you really feel it"
Well, by the time we made it up to Greasy Lake, I had my head out the window; Janey's fingers were in the cake
I think I really dug her; I was too loose to fake
Said, "I'm hurt," she said, "Honey, let me heal it"
We danced all night to a soul fairy band
She kissed me just right like only a lonely angel can
Felt just right, just as soft as a spirit in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
Well, baby don't know what it do to you
Like a spirit in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
Stand up and let it shoot right through you
Big Man!
Play it!
Whoa!

Play it!

Oh!

Now the night grew bright, the stars threw light on Billy and Davy
Dancin' in the moonlight
They were down near the water in a stone mud fight
Killer Joe passed out on the lawn

Hazy Davy got really hurt, he crawled into the lake in just his socks and a shirt
Me and Crazy Janey were makin' love in the dirt, singin' our birthday song
And Janey said, "Hey, little brother, don't you think it's time that we go?"
So we closed our eyes and said goodbye to gypsy angel row, felt just right
Bam!
We moved like spirits in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
Oh, baby don't know what it do to you
Like a spirit in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
Stand up and let it shoot right through you
Like a spirit in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night (all night)

Baby, that's right
Like a spirit in the night
Like a spirit in the night
Like a spirit in the night

Just land!

Info

The above lyrics are for the live 13 May 1975 performance of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT at Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans, LA, during the so-called Chicken Scratch Tour. The song was played in its traditional full-band arrangement, and includes a snipped of the opening lines from the traditional song STAGGER LEE in the introduction.

Promotional poster for the 13 May 1976 show at Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, LA

Ticket stub for the 13 May 1976 show at Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, LA

This tour (35 know dates, March to May 1976) was nicknamed the "Chicken Scratch Tour" by the road crew because of the high proportion of secondary markets in the South.

Credits

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.

Available Versions

List of available versions of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT on this website:

Page last updated: 18 Jan 2016