The four original members were Cyrus Faryar, Henry Diltz, Chip Douglas, and Stan White. They formed the quartet in Honolulu in 1962, when Faryar returned from the mainland after a period singing with Dave Guard's Whiskeyhill Singers. The newly-named Modern Folk Quartet - its name taken as a conscious parallel with the Modern Jazz Quartet - then moved to Los Angeles and became regulars at The Troubadour club. However, White then became ill, and was replaced by local singer Jerry Yester.
Managed by Herb Cohen (later manager of Frank Zappa, Tim Buckley and others) the quartet recorded their first album in 1963, produced by Jim Dickson (later manager of the Byrds). In November of this same year, they appeared as themselves in the Warner Bros. film, Palm Springs Weekend (in the sequence at Jack's Casino) and are shown singing two songs, “The Ox Driver’s Song” and one currently unidentified song.
The Quartet released a second album in 1964 that included early songs by Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, John Stewart and Chet Powers (aka Dino Valente). Over the next two years they continued to perform but did little recording. A final session with Phil Spector yielded "This Could Be the Night" (cowritten by Spector and Harry Nilsson), which was used as the theme to the rock concert film The Big TNT Show.
The MFQ disbanded in 1966, and the various members went on to develop their own careers. They re-formed between 1975 and 1978, and again in the 1980s, becoming the Modern Folk Quintet when Yester's brother Jim, formerly of The Association, joined in 1988. After a 12-year break they reformed again in 2003 for a tour of Japan, where they have remained popular.
This Could Be The Night
The Modern Folk Quartet Lyrics
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All of these nights that we've been awaiting
Something tells me that the time is getting right
Each time we kiss it takes a little bit longer
And my love for you gets a little bit stronger
And I feel like I'm-a-sittin' on dynamite
So this could be the night
The night I've waited for
This could be the night
I'm gonna give her all my love and more
When it comes to lovin' she's a natural master
And each night she's there well my heart beats faster
Deep down inside I know the best is yet to come
Oh oh gonna pick her up about a quarter to seven
I know were gonna take a little trip to heaven
And if it's love she wants then I'm gonna give her some
So this could be the night
The night I've waited for
This could be the night
I'm gonna give her all my love and more
So this could be the night
The night I've waited for
This could be the night
I'm gonna give her all my love and more
In "This Could Be The Night" by The Modern Folk Quartet, the singer reflects on the nights he has spent dating and waiting for the right moment with his lover. He feels that the time is now finally right and that he is sitting on "dynamite." As they kiss, his love for her grows stronger, and he knows that the best is yet to come. He plans to pick her up at a quarter to seven, and he believes that they will take a trip to heaven. He is ready to give her all his love and more.
The lyrics express the singer's anticipation and excitement as he prepares to take his relationship with his lover to the next level. The use of the metaphor of sitting on dynamite suggests that the tension and anticipation between the couple is explosive, and there is a sense of urgency to their desire. The repetition of the phrase, "this could be the night," creates a sense of hope and possibility, emphasizing the importance of the moment. The use of the image of taking a trip to heaven suggests a sense of transcendence and spirituality that comes with the physical act of love.
Line by Line Meaning
All of these nights that we've been a dating
We've been spending a lot of time together
All of these nights that we've been awaiting
We've been waiting for the right time to take things further
Something tells me that the time is getting right
I have a feeling that tonight is the night
Each time we kiss it takes a little bit longer
Our feelings for each other are getting stronger
And my love for you gets a little bit stronger
My feelings for you are growing stronger
And I feel like I'm-a-sittin' on dynamite
I feel like this is a very exciting and explosive moment
So this could be the night
Tonight might be the night we've been waiting for
The night I've waited for
I've been waiting for this moment for a long time
I'm gonna give her all my love and more
I'm going to show her how much I love her
When it comes to lovin' she's a natural master
She's really good at showing her love
And each night she's there well my heart beats faster
I get really excited when I'm with her
Deep down inside I know the best is yet to come
I have a feeling that our relationship will only get better from here on out
Oh oh gonna pick her up about a quarter to seven
I'm going to pick her up at 6:45
I know were gonna take a little trip to heaven
We're going to have an amazing time together
And if it's love she wants then I'm gonna give her some
If she wants love, I'll give her all the love she can handle
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DONALD HAYWOOD, JERRY WINSTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind