Night and Day
Cole Porter Lyrics
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When the jungle shadows fall
Like the tick, tick, tock of the stately clock
As it stands against the wall
Like the drip, drip, drip of the raindrops
When the summer shower is through
So a voice within me keeps repeating you, you, you
Night and day, you are the one
Only you beneath the moon or under the sun
Whether near to me or far
It's no matter, darling, where you are
I think of you
Night and day, day and night, why is it so
That this longing for you follows wherever I go?
In the roaring traffic's boom
In the silence of my lonely room
I think of you
Night and day, night and day
Under the hide of me
There's an, oh, such a hungry yearning burning inside of me
And its torment won't be through
'Till you let me spend my life making love to you
Day and night, night and day
Night and day
Under the hide of me
There's an, oh, such a hungry yearning burning inside of me
And its torment won't be through
'Till you let me spend my life making love to you
Day and night, night and day
In Cole Porter's "Night and Day," the singer is overwhelmed with their love for someone, and compares it to the consistent rhythm of different elements in nature and life. The beat of the tom-tom in the jungle shadows and the tick-tock of the clock on the wall represent the steady presence of their love. The singer even compares the raindrops after a summer shower to the sound of their own repeated thoughts of their lover. No matter day or night, near or far, their thoughts always revolve around this one person, and the singer is consumed by a "hungry yearning" for their love.
The lyrics can be interpreted as an ode to the power and intensity of love, as well as the obsession and longing that can come with it. The repeated mentions of day and night emphasize the all-consuming nature of this feeling, and how it never truly goes away. The singer is tormented by their desire for their lover, and it won't be alleviated until they can spend their life making love to them.
Overall, "Night and Day" is a romantic and passionate song about the overwhelming force of love, presented through vivid comparisons to the rhythms of the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Like the beat, beat, beat of the tom-tom
When the jungle shadows fall
Just as the repeated rhythm of the tom-tom heard in the jungle when darkness prevails, I cannot seem to escape the persistent thoughts and yearning for you.
Like the tick, tick, tock of the stately clock
As it stands against the wall
Just as the steady ticking of a clock echoes against the wall, my longing for you never ceases within me.
Like the drip, drip, drip of the raindrops
When the summer shower is through
Just as the gentle drip of the rain falling after a summer shower eventually dissipates, the sound of your name continues to play in my mind.
So a voice within me keeps repeating you, you, you
A voice within my mind keeps whispering your name as if in a never-ending loop.
Night and day, you are the one
Only you beneath the moon or under the sun
Whether near to me or far
It's no matter, darling, where you are
I think of you
Throughout the night and day, you remain the only one who enters my thoughts whether you are near or far away, at any time of day under any circumstances. I can't help but constantly think of you.
Night and day, day and night, why is it so
That this longing for you follows wherever I go?
I can't fathom why, night or day, wherever I am, this unbridled yearning for you persists.
In the roaring traffic's boom
In the silence of my lonely room
I think of you
Whether surrounded by the deafening roar of traffic or in the solitude of my lonely room, my mind can't help but wander to thoughts of you.
Night and day, night and day
Under the hide of me
There's an, oh, such a hungry yearning burning inside of me
Always, I feel this insatiable, burning hunger deep inside myself, as if a vehement force persists beneath the surface no matter what time of day or night.
And its torment won't be through
'Till you let me spend my life making love to you
Day and night, night and day
I know that the only way to alleviate this anguish will be through fulfilling our love physically and intimately day and night, until our hearts are content.
Night and day
Under the hide of me
There's an, oh, such a hungry yearning burning inside of me
And its torment won't be through
'Till you let me spend my life making love to you
Day and night, night and day
This song ends as it began, with the same hopeless yearning and passionate longing for you night and day, in which an all-consuming love persists, burning inside of me until I can finally express these feelings.
Lyrics © Roba Music Verlag GMBH, Red Brick Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, O/B/O CAPASSO, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@michaelwilks6268
This shouldn't matter one way or the other, however I will state it anyway. I am a 60 year old African American male born and reared in Brooklyn New York my entire life to date. And this by far is one of my favorite songs of all time. And I'm by no stretch of the imagination bougie. But I been hearing different versions of this song in an assortment of movies since I was very, very young and it just does something for me. It's a profoundly beautiful song to me and it hits the heart strings. Mr. Porter I don't know anything about his politics or his views on race relations. But I do know this he was one hell of a song writer, one of the best.
@scotmark
I rate him as the best songwriter. And I'm a peely-wally sexygenarian Scotsman with a penchant for post-punk! 😺
@wheresyaya6792
well said, especially 'profoundly beautiful '
@mjsmcd
Music ,food,sports ,religion exist for everyone rrgardless of race or nationality
@j.deegan3029
He truly was a songwriter at a time when most people either wrote lyrics or music. This guy wrote both. He’s pretty amazing
@michaelwilks6268
@wheresyaya6792 Thank you. I'm sorry for the late response 😁 Yes some songs just touch your soul. And can even make a demon(not me, 😆) feel all warm and tingly inside. Song like Billy Joel and Barry White's, Love you just the way you are. And the Four Tops I believe In you and me. Those songs rip open my big old heart and turn me inside out. Into undulating waves of emotion that I savior the whole day from the time I first played them. And just like Night and Day puts me to sleep with a deep, calm that lasts me the entire night through. Until I start once again at the first light of the next day 😆.
@ce253
The best song of Cole Porter for eternity...When I see Fred Astaire dancing with Ginger Rogers it's a dream...a masterpiece.
@fastradioburst253
For decades now, I"ve listened to Little River Band's song, Reminiscing, and in the chorus, it talks about how they 'danced across the room' to "those Porter tunes..." with "Night and Day" sung by backing vocals. So it only took me about 40 years to finally play Night and Day by Cole Porter. Beautiful song. Loved it. Harkens back to a far better time.
@interactiveleaf
Me too
@marissab6461
That’s why I’m here too😊