"Night" is a song by

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

which first appeared on the ''

Born to Run ''Born to Run'' is the third studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. Co- produced by Springsteen with his manager Mike Appel and the producer Jon Landau, its recordin ...

'' album in

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

. Although this is one of the lesser known songs from ''Born to Run'', "Night" has become somewhat of a stage favorite for the

E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band that has been the primary backing band for rock musician Bruce Springsteen since 1972. In 2014, the E Street Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For the bulk of Springsteen's recordin ...

. The song was not immediately played during the 1975 portions of the Born to Run Tour, but later became a frequent set-opener, especially during the 1976 and 1977 legs. It was still sometimes being used as an opening song decades later during the 2007–2008 Magic Tour. The mood of the music is mostly exciting as are the lyrics which have a romantic quality as well. The music is propelled by Gary Tallent's

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

. It is similar to the album's famous

title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...

in that both songs deal with men and their fast cars. The lyrics mostly describe the central character as a blue collar worker who, after working a full day, runs off into the night to go drag racing and search for the love of a woman. For the protagonist, the only freedom and joy comes when he is on the highway, and he lives for the nights and weekends when he can escape work. Like a couple of other songs on ''Born to Run'', "

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, from his 1975 album '' Born to Run''. Content The song tells the story of the formation of the E Street Band. The meaning of the title is unclear. Springste ...

" and " She's the One", the story of the relationship is told in a flashback. The desperation and darkness of the lyrics makes a strong contrast with some of the other songs on the ''Born to Run'' album, which glorify night life. Although "Night" and "Born to Run" show Springsteen beginning to deal seriously with

blue collar A blue-collar worker is a person who performs manual labor or skilled trades. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involve manufacturing, retail, warehousing, mining, carpentry, electrical work, custodia ...

protagonists, he would develop the theme further on his next album, ''

Darkness on the Edge of Town ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' is the fourth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on June 2, 1978, by Columbia Records. The album was recorded after a series of legal disputes between Springsteen and his ...

'', in which he would portray additional facets of blue collar working life on songs such as "

Badlands Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded."Badlands" in '' Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 47. They are characterized by steep slopes, ...

", "Adam Raised a Cain", " The Promised Land", "

Prove It All Night "Prove It All Night" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on May 23, 1978, as the first single from his fourth studio album ''Darkness on the Edge of Town''. Content The protagonist promises to prove his love ...

" and, especially, "Factory". This central theme would later be explored on '' The River'', especially in the song "

Out in the Street Out or OUT may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Out'' (1957 film), a documentary short about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 * ''Out'' (1982 film), an American film directed by Eli Hollander * ''Out'' (2002 film), a Japanese ...

", and became a focus of Springsteen's post-''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' songwriting dealing with working class characters leading dead-end lives. In 1979, it was released as the B-side of the "

Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" is a 1973 song by Bruce Springsteen, from his '' The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle'' album, and is especially famed as a concert number for Springsteen and The E Street Band. The song, which clocks in at ...

" single in Europe. The song was recorded in a style similar to the album's title track "Born to Run". Springsteen wanted to emulate record producer

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (December 26, 1939 – January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter who is best known for pioneering recording practices in the 1960s, followed by his trials and conviction for murder in the 2000s. S ...

Wall of Sound The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of session m ...

technique where multiple instruments played at the same time with their sounds bleeding into each other's microphones. The result is a "wash" of sound where some individual instruments are difficult to define, yet blend in to create a dense orchestral ambiance.

Personnel

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon: *

– vocals, guitar *

Garry Tallent Garry Wayne Tallent (born October 27, 1949), sometimes billed as Garry W. Tallent, is an American musician and record producer, best known for being the bass player and a founding member of the E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen's primary backing ...

– bass *

Max Weinberg Max Weinberg (born April 13, 1951) is an American drummer and television personality, most widely known as the longtime drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and as the bandleader for Conan O'Brien on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' an ...

– drums *

Roy Bittan Roy J. Bittan (born July 2, 1949) is an American musician best known as a long-time member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. Nicknamed "The Professor", Bittan joined the E Street Band in 1974. He plays the piano, organ, accordion and synth ...

– piano, harpsichord, glockenspiel *

Clarence Clemons Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr. (January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011), also known as The Big Man, was an American saxophonist. From 1972 until his death in 2011, he was the saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. Clemons rel ...

– saxophone

External links

Lyrics at official Springsteen site

References

{{authority control Songs about nights 1975 songs Bruce Springsteen songs Songs written by Bruce Springsteen Song recordings produced by Jon Landau Song recordings produced by Bruce Springsteen Song recordings with Wall of Sound arrangements