In the late 1960s he led a blues-rock trio called Love Sculpture, who scored a quasi-novelty hit by reworking Khachaturian's classical piece "Sabre Dance" as a speed-crazed rock number. "Sabre Dance" became a hit after garnering the enthusiastic attention of British DJ John Peel.
After Love Sculpture split, Edmunds had a number one single with "I Hear You Knocking", a Smiley Lewis cover. His only acting role followed, as a band member in the David Essex movie Stardust (1974 movie). After learning the trade of producer, culminating in a couple of singles in the style of Phil Spector, "Baby I Love You" and "Born To Be With You", he became linked with the pub rock movement of the early 1970s, producing Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe, and also The Flamin' Groovies, using a stripped down, grittier sound.
His own solo LP from that era, Subtle As A Flying Mallet, was similar in style. In 1977, the Brinsley Schwarz connection brought about a collaboration with Nick Lowe under the name Rockpile, with Billy Bremner and Terry Williams. For contractual reasons they could not record as Rockpile until 1980, but contemporary solo LPs (such as Nick Lowe's Labour of Lust and Edmunds' own Repeat When Necessary) were in fact group recordings. Dave Edmunds had more hits during this time, including Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk", Nick Lowe's "I Knew The Bride", Hank DeVito's "Queen of Hearts" ), Graham Parker's "Crawling From The Wreckage", and Melvin Endsley's "Singing The Blues" (originally a hit for Guy Mitchell).
Unexpectedly, after Rockpile relased their first LP under their own name (1980's Seconds Of Pleasure), the band split, generally attributed to tensions between Edmunds and Lowe. Edmunds spent the 1980s collaborating with and producing an assortment of artists, from Paul McCartney to King Kurt, and from The Stray Cats to Status Quo. He recorded the soundtrack for Porky's Revenge, supplying the main theme, "High School Nights", and was the musical director for a television special starring Carl Perkins, with assorted guests including George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Rosanne Cash.
On his 1983 and 1984 releases, Information and Riff Raff, Edmunds collaborated on two songs with Jeff Lynne, the lead musician of Electric Light Orchestra. He recorded less frequently after the mid 1980s.
Edmunds now lives in Wales in semi-retirement, touring Scandinavia infrequently, after surviving a quadruple bypass several years ago.
One More Night
Dave Edmunds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm too drunk to sleep,
Don't know how I'm gonna get home
I've said all my goodbyes,
I'm trying to keep,
I'm spending the evening alone
As I stumble outside
You kissed me so chastely,
That I could've cried
You smiled at me nicely,
From the top of the stairs,
And I walked out quickly,
As though to show I didn't care
And I miss you at the door
when I forget my keys
And I wish you'd come back
I'm down on my knees
It all seems such a shame
'Cause I still see your light
And I wish I could come back
And stay one more night
As I start walking
My head starts to fall
When I think what I'm leaving behind
Now the party is over,
I've nowhere to stay
I can't rest while she's on my mind
And I miss you at the door
When I forget my keys
And I wish you'd come back
I'm down on my knees
It all seems such a shame
'Cause I still see your light
And I wish I could come back
And stay one more night
And I wish I could come back
And stay one more night.
The song "One More Night" by Dave Edmunds tells the story of a man who is struggling with his emotions as he leaves a party. He is tired and drunk, and feels a sense of loneliness despite having said his goodbyes. As he stumbles outside, he is reminded of the person he wishes was with him, and he misses her. He recalls a moment when she kissed him goodbye, but he walked away quickly in an attempt to avoid showing his true feelings. Now, as he begins to walk home, he feels regret and wishes he could go back and have one more night with her.
The lyrics convey a strong sense of nostalgia and longing. The singer is aware of his own mistakes, recognizing that his behavior may have pushed the person he loves away. He misses her presence at the door, and wishes she would come back to him. The imagery of seeing her light suggests that he can still sense her presence, but he feels powerless to change the situation. The repetition of the phrase "one more night" emphasizes his desire to make things right, to have another chance to be with her.
Overall, the song presents a poignant and relatable message about the pain of regret and the longing for a second chance. Edmunds' raw and emotive vocals add to the sense of vulnerability and desperation in the lyrics, making "One More Night" a powerful ode to lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm too tired to stand up,
I am too exhausted to continue to be standing,
I'm too drunk to sleep,
My drunkenness is making it impossible for me to fall asleep.
Don't know how I'm gonna get home
I am concerned about how I will manage to get back home.
I've said all my goodbyes,
I have taken my leave from everyone.
I'm trying to keep,
At this moment, I am trying to hold myself together emotionally.
I'm spending the evening alone
By myself, I'm passing the time this evening.
The cold hits my face,
The chilly air intensely touches my face.
As I stumble outside
I exit while stumbling due to significant alcohol consumption.
You kissed me so chastely,
Your kiss was so restraint and modest.
That I could've cried
It was so touching that it compelled me to emote.
You smiled at me nicely,
Warmly, you smiled at me.
From the top of the stairs,
Your smile when you were at the top of the stairs.
And I walked out quickly,
I left hastily.
As though to show I didn't care
I departed rapidly to give off the impression I was not involved emotionally.
And I miss you at the door,
When I forget my keys, I think of you standing at the door.
When I forget my keys,
If I forget my keys and I am locked out, I am reminded of you.
And I wish you'd come back
I desire for you to come back.
I'm down on my knees
I feel acutely forlorn and helpless.
It all seems such a shame
Everything appears to be such a pity.
'Cause I still see your light
Your light seems to persist even though you're gone.
And I wish I could come back
I wish I could return.
And stay one more night
I wish I could come back and stay for an additional night.
As I start walking
I commence walking.
My head starts to fall
Before long, my head starts to slump from exhaustion.
When I think what I'm leaving behind
I get weighed down thinking of what I may be losing.
Now the party is over,
The celebration has come to an end.
I've nowhere to stay
There's no place for me to stay.
I can't rest while she's on my mind
I can't seem to find peace while thinking about her.
And I wish I could come back
I wish I could return.
And stay one more night
I wish I could come back and stay for an additional night.
And I wish I could come back
I wish I could return.
And stay one more night.
I wish I could come back and stay for an additional night.
Contributed by Liliana J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tommy Wells
on Sabre Dance (Love Sculpture)
Could you please put this song on Amazon Music?