He was born in Hamburg, Germany, and studied at the School of Music there. A multi-instrumentalist, he was hired by Hans Busch to play with his orchestra before serving as a bandsman in the German Navy during World War II. He later formed his own big band, toured with them, then worked as an arranger and producer, making hit records with Freddy Quinn and Ivo Robic. In 1961, he hired The Beatles to back Tony Sheridan on "My Bonnie (Lies Over the Ocean)," "When the Saints Go Marching In," "Ain't She Sweet" and "Cry for a Shadow," in a session for Polydor. These turned out to be the Beatles' first commercial recordings. When Beatles manager Brian Epstein asked Kaempfert about further promoting The Beatles, Kaempfert informed Epstein that the company was only interested in The Beatles as Tony Sheridan's backup group. (It also turned out British Decca executive Dick Rowe turned them down in favor of local beat combo Brian Poole and the Tremeloes.) He then released The Beatles from their contract with Polydor.
Intro: Strangers in the Night
Bert Kaempfert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Exchanging glances
Wandering the night
What were the chances
We'd be sharing love
Before the night was through
Something in your eyesWas so inviting
Something in your smile
Was so exciting
Something in my heart
Told me I must have you
Strangers in the night
Two lonely people
We were strangers in the night
Up to the moment
When we said our first hello
Little did we know
Love was just a glance away
A warm embracing dance away
And ever since that night
We've been together
Lovers at first sight
In love forever
It turned out so right
Strangers in the night
Two lonely people
We were strangers in the night
Up to the moment
When we said our first helloLittle did we know
Love was just a glance away
A warm embracing dance away
For strangers in the night
The lyrics to Bert Kaempfert's song, Strangers in the Night, tells the romantic story of two strangers who happen to cross paths in the night and fall in love unexpectedly. The song begins by setting the scene where two people exchange glances while wandering the night. Despite being strangers, they end up sharing love before the night ends, which was an unlikely occurrence given the fate of their chance meeting. Something in the woman's eyes, smile and the man's heart told them that they must have each other.
The composition expresses the significant role played by destiny as the man and woman, both lonely, were brought together on that night, which turned out to be the beginning of an enduring love story. More interestingly, the lyrics portray the realization that love was just a glance away, a warm, embracing dance away for strangers in the night. The chorus repeats the message of two lonely people who found love in each other when they said their first hello, even though they were strangers in the night.
Overall, the lyrics to Strangers in the Night tell a story of hope and unexpected love that arises when two people least expect it. As strangers, they had no idea that they would end up spending their lives together, but the chance meeting and immediate connection changed their lives forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Strangers in the night
Two people who were previously unknown to each other meet each other in the nighttime
Exchanging glances
Both individuals are making eye contact
Wandering the night
Both individuals are aimlessly walking around in the dark
What were the chances
The probability of these two individuals meeting was very low
We'd be sharing love
By the end of the night, these two people will have a romantic relationship
Before the night was through
This romantic relationship will happen before the night is over
Something in your eyes
The expression on your face is drawing me in
Was so inviting
It made me want to approach you
Something in your smile
Your smile made me feel excited
Was so exciting
I was intrigued by your smile
Something in my heart
My intuition
Told me I must have you
I knew that I wanted to be with you
Two lonely people
Both individuals were alone in the world
Up to the moment
It wasn't until this exact moment
When we said our first hello
When we first spoke to each other
Little did we know
We had no idea
Love was just a glance away
Our romantic relationship was very close and almost happened immediately
A warm embracing dance away
We just needed to get closer to each other and embrace to start our romance
And ever since that night
Since that night
We've been together
We have been in a romantic relationship
Lovers at first sight
We fell in love with each other immediately
In love forever
Our love has lasted a very long time
It turned out so right
Our romantic relationship is going perfectly
For strangers in the night
Even though we were previously strangers, we were able to fall in love with each other quickly
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bert Kaempfert, Charles Singleton, Eddie Snyder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind