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Night of the Vampire
Roky Erickson Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning

Tonight is the night of the vampire
Tonight is the night of the vampire

If it's raining and you're running
Don't slip in mud cause
If you do you'll slip in blood
Tonight is the night of the vampire
Tonight is the night of the vampire

The moon may be full, the moon may be white
All I know is you will feel his bite
Tonight is the night of the vampire

Me castle bran Transylvania
On Saint Swithens Day he was born
Eyes stare through the darkness with no form
Maidens his bite horns

Tonight is the night of the vampire
Tonight is the night of the vampire

Never sleeps in the night
Comes out when the moon is bright
Tonight is the night of the vampire

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Roky Erickson’s “Night of the Vampire” speak of the titular creature roaming the land on a particular night, a night of dreadful anticipation. It is a warning to the living to beware, especially when running in the rain, lest they slip and fall in blood that will soon be spilled. The lyrics describe the vampire as having eyes that can be seen in the darkness, but with no recognizable form. At his Transylvanian castle, he was born on Saint Swithin’s day, and maidens would surely fall prey to his bite. In essence, the song is a tale of horror, describing the night of the vampire, his powers, and the danger he represents to humanity.


The lyrics of this song have been interpreted in many ways, but the central theme is the danger represented to humans by the vampire. The lyrics evoke a sense of terror and danger, and with his haunting vocals, Erickson takes us deep into the world of the undead. The lyrics use imagery and metaphors to paint a picture of evil, describing how the vampire comes out only when the moon is bright and never sleeps during the night. These lyrics, combined with the eerie instrumental support, create an atmosphere of dread, drawing the listener deeper into the dark world of supernatural horror.


Line by Line Meaning

Tonight is the night of the vampire
The speaker is warning that tonight is the night when the vampire is active.


If it's raining and you're running
In case it's raining and you're in a hurry,


Don't slip in mud cause
you should be careful not to slip on mud


If you do you'll slip in blood
because if you do, you may end up slipping on a vampire's blood


The moon may be full, the moon may be white
The moon could be full or white-colored


All I know is you will feel his bite
but what's certain is that you'll feel the vampire's bite


Me castle bran Transylvania
The speaker's castle is located in Bran, Transylvania


On Saint Swithens Day he was born
The vampire was born on Saint Swithen's Day


Eyes stare through the darkness with no form
The vampire's eyes seem to stare through darkness without a specific shape


Maidens his bite horns
The vampire's bite causes a mark or wound that resembles horns


Never sleeps in the night
The vampire never sleeps at night


Comes out when the moon is bright
The vampire is active when the moon is bright or full.


Tonight is the night of the vampire
The speaker is reiterating that tonight is the night when the vampire is active




Contributed by Cooper T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Rites of Ashes

Tonight is the night of the vampire
Tonight is the night of the vampire

If it's raining and you're running
Don't slip in mud cause
If you do you'll slip in blood
Tonight is the night of the vampire
Tonight is the night of the vampire

The moon may be full, the moon may be white
All I know is you will feel his bite
Tonight is the night of the vampire

Me Castle Bran Transylvania
On Saint Swithens Day he was born
Eyes stare through the darkness with no form
Maidens his bite harms

Tonight is the night of the vampire
Tonight is the night of the vampire

Never sleeps in the night
Comes out when the moon is bright
Tonight is the night of the vampire



All comments from YouTube:

Creepy Skulldini

There are moments in this song where the guitar actually sounds like a terrified scream.

MormonABDL

I'll never understand how songs like this have so little views...Come on people, learn to appreciate classics.

pheonix 5

It's just passed the one million mark, I'll have you know.

StephenAndrew777

@pheonix 5 He's probably just some rent-o-cop harassing a schizophrenic, I don't think Roky's music is so great though. Like Stevie Nicks' solo work. Meh.

pheonix 5

@StephenAndrew777 I think it's EXTRAORDINARY.

StephenAndrew777

@pheonix 5 The Black Angels said they love him and performed with him. I love them. This is beyond me, personally.

Ian Findly

NOBODY else does a FRIGHTENING song like Rocky! HE is definitely the BEST artist at horror-rock (if you like THAT kind of thing).

13 More Replies...

Purple Eyed Bat

One of the best songs ever in my opinion. Totally simplistic yet atmospheric as hell. Love these creepy songs and he was good at it.

Ian Findly

I think RAW would be a better word than "simplistic" to describe THIS song.

Jeff B

I just discovered Roky Erickson no less than 15 minutes ago... and those 15 minutes have been this song on repeat. This is incredible!!!

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