Album version
Hmmm
Woahhh
Woahhh
Woahhh
Woahhh
Woahhh
Well I'm riding down Kingsley figuring I'll get a drink
Well I turn the radio up loud so I don't have to think at all
And I take her to the floor looking for a moment when the world seems right
And I tear into the guts, hmmm, of something in the night
Well you're born with nothing, and better off that way
Soon as you've got something they send someone to try and take it away
Well you can ride this road 'till dawn without another human being in sight
Yeah just kids wasted on, hmmm, something in the night
Woah nothing is forgotten or forgiven, when it's your last time around, hm
And I got stuff running 'round my head that I just can't live down
When we found the things we loved, they were crushed and dying in the dirt
We tried to pick up the pieces, and get away without getting hurt
But they caught us at the state line, and burned our cars in one last fight
And left us running burned and blind, hmmm, chasing something in the night
Woahhh
Woahhh
Woahhh
Woah yeah
Woahhh
So!
SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on his 1978 album Darkness On The Edge Of Town. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's album version of SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT as released in 1978.
SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT appeared for the first time on 01 Aug 1976 when it was performed live in concert at Monmouth Arts Centre in Red Bank, NJ. Between that date and its mid-1977 studio recording, the song lyrically evolved through several versions. This leads to the conclusion that SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT was written shortly before 01 Aug 1976.
During The Lawsuit Tour (August 1976 to March 1977), SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT evolved lyrically through several versions:
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Despite the marvelous reception received by both Born To Run and the tour which followed, the relationship between Bruce Springsteen and his now former manager and producer Mike Appel was deteriorating. In July 1976 the storm broke; Mike Appel wrote to Springsteen saying that he would not allow Jon Landau (Springsteen's friend and co-producer of Born To Run) to produce the next album, citing a particular paragraph from their original agreement. Bruce replied on 27 Jul 1976 by firing manager Mike Appel and suing him and his management company Laurel Canyon Ltd. in Federal Court in Manhattan, claiming fraud, breach of trust, and undue influence. Appel countersued on 29 Jul 1976 in New York State Supreme Court, asking the court to prohibit Springsteen and Jon Landau from working together in studio. Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band were slated to enter the studio that year for the recording of a new album, except that on 15 Sep 1976 the judge in the lawsuits case ruled that Springsteen was enjoined from any further recording with Columbia Records until Appel's suit was resolved. This would drag for about a year.
Meanwhile, Springsteen continued gigging, and in the process broke his self-imposed rule of not playing the larger arenas. This was basically because he was not able to put a record out, and it was the only way his fans would be able to hear him at all.
Bruce Springsteen reached a final settlement in his yearlong litigation with Mike Appel on 28 May 1977. Effectively this meant that for the first time in a year Springsteen was able to go into a studio and record. The Darkness On The Edge Of Town recording sessions kicked off in early June 1977 at Atlantic Studios in New York City, NY, and later shifted to The Record Plant in New York City, NY. Springsteen had a considerable amount of new material, but the songs were in various stages of writing completion. Consequently many of the songs were shaped over the course of numerous sessions spanning several months.
The sessions at Atlantic Studios were only two or three weeks old when problems surfaced. Springsteen didn't like the sound he was getting from the studio, particularly the drums. On top of that Atlantic Studios did not offer a particularly comfortable or livable environment for the musicians. A decision was taken to shift operations to the nearby Record Plant where most of the Born To Run album had been recorded. However financial commitments to Atlantic Studios were already made, and on such short notice it was hard to find un-booked studio time at the popular Record Plant. Consequently the Jul-Aug 1977 period saw Springsteen and the band recording at both studios, but mostly Atlantic Studios. From September to late December, all the recording seems to have taken place at The Record Plant, where all the recordings issued on the original album emanate from.
The actual recording sessions for Darkness On The Edge Of Town were completed by early January 1978. The mixing sessions began in early January 1978 and dragged on until late March. There was a tremendous amount of different mixes considered, with Springsteen changing his mind on the mix of THE PROMISED LAND as late as early April.
Darkness On The Edge Of Town was released on Columbia Records on 02 Jun 1978. It was produced by Bruce Springsteen and Jon Landau.
The album features 10 new Springsteen compositions and clocks at 42:55.
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Other versions of SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT were also officially released.
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SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT is known to have been performed at least 36 times during what is known as The Lawsuit Tour (62 know dates, August 1976 to March 1977). Some of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song may have been played on some more dates during the Lawsuit Tour. The live 07 Feb 1977 version of SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT was released on the Palace Theatre, Albany 1977 official live download in 2017. The live 08 Feb 1977 version of SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT was released on the Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY 1977 official live download in 2017.
In preparation for the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour, SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT is known to have been practiced on 19 May 1978 at Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ, during the only known/confirmed private rehearsal prior to the tour's start.
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SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT was performed off-tour on 13 Dec 2009 at Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ, during the taping of Darkness On The Edge Of Town, Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park 2009 homes video, which was included on The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story box set in 2010. See the live 13 Dec 2010 version for more details.
Bruce Springsteen's album version of SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT appears in one movie.
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At least 5 artists have recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT.
List of available versions of SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT on this website:
SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT [Album version]
