Sean Harris - Vocals
Brian Tatler - Guitar
Colin Kimberley - Bass
Duncan Scott - Drums
In the Heat of the Night
Diamond Head Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walk behind me, with evil intent.
Up to the tower, I stand alone
Stripped of rank before a throne I am sent.
What befalls us in the heat of the night?
What befalls us in the heat of the night?
I taste of the wine of their joy.
Through delirium of a tortured mind
Her face gave me strength to this day.
What befalls us in the heat of the night?
What befalls us in the heat of the night?
In the heat of the night
But love deceived me, and in my despair
I recalled the ring once again
Born of Sorrow my cunning revives me,
And I took them with me enchained
What befalls us in the heat of the night?
What befalls us in the heat of the night?
In the heat of the night
The lyrics to Diamond Head's "In the Heat of the Night" are evocative and open to interpretation. At first glance, the first verse seems to set a foreboding mood, with the singer being followed by people with "evil intent" and stripped of their rank before a throne. The second verse suggests a hallucinatory experience, with the singer tasting the "wine of their joy" and deliriously seeing the face of someone (presumably a loved one) who gives him strength. The third verse seems to involve betrayal and retribution, with the singer recalling a ring and taking someone or something "enchained."
All of these images contribute to a sense of darkness and unease. The repeated refrain, "What befalls us in the heat of the night?" underscores the theme of danger and vulnerability in the nighttime. It is unclear who the singer is or what their situation is, but the song seems to be a meditation on the perils of being alone and vulnerable in the dark.
Overall, "In the Heat of the Night" is a haunting song that encourages listeners to contemplate the mysteries and dangers of the nighttime. The lyrics are open to a variety of interpretations, but they all contribute to a sense of unease and vulnerability that is compelling and thought-provoking.
Line by Line Meaning
Steely eyes of a silvery people
I'm being followed by people with sinister intentions and piercing eyes.
Walk behind me, with evil intent.
Those following me have malevolent plans.
Up to the tower, I stand alone
I'm standing by myself at the top of a tower.
Stripped of rank before a throne I am sent.
I've lost my status and been sent to face judgement before a monarchy.
Before long, behind adamantine doors,
Soon enough, I'm locked up behind impenetrable doors.
I taste of the wine of their joy.
I taste the sweet victory of my captors.
Through delirium of a tortured mind
In my agony and suffering, my mind is in disarray.
Her face gave me strength to this day.
But the memory of my loved one gives me the strength to go on.
But love deceived me, and in my despair
Still, I was betrayed by someone I loved and now find myself feeling hopeless.
I recalled the ring once again
But I find comfort in remembering a special ring.
Born of Sorrow my cunning revives me,
My sadness and desperation awaken a new intelligence within me.
And I took them with me enchained
And I escape, but not alone - I bring my captors with me as prisoners.
What befalls us in the heat of the night?
What happens to us in our moments of darkness and danger?
In the heat of the night
In those moments of danger.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: KENNY HARRIS, MARK HOLDEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DonTagliatelleRaviolli
@@BrianMay-hq8zfHE SAID "SORRY TO HEAR THAT. GET SOME HELP!", DEAR.
HOW YOU DOING, ANYWAY? IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT, LOVE? WANT ME TO FLUFF THAT CUSHION UP FOR YOU, AGAIN'?
ALRIGHT, LOVE.
HAVE YOU 'BEEN'...?
LET ME KNOW IF YA NEED ANYTHING. SEE YA LATER, LOVE. BYE!
@pinewoods2247
Steely eyes of a silvery people
Walk behind me, with evil intent
Up to the tower, I stand alone
Stripped of rank before them I'm sent
What befalls us in the heat of the night?
What befalls us in the heat of the night?
Before long, behind adamantine doors
I taste of the wine of their joy
Through delirium of a tortured mind
Her face gave me strength to this day.
What befalls us in the heat of the night?
What befalls us in the heat of the night?
In the heat of the night
But love deceived me, and in my despair
I recalled the ring once again
Born of Sorrow my cunning revives me
And I took them with me enchained
What befalls us in the heat of the night?
What befalls us in the heat of the night?
In the heat of the night
@bradleyward5459
The best band who never became HUGE
@meatjuice9081
It's even worse when you find out why they never made it big and how close they were to making it. To sum it up it quickly, they were managed by Sean Harris's mom, but were approached by the manager of Foreigner who wanted to manage Diamond Head, but the band declined. If they said yes they probably would be one of the biggest bands of the NWOBHM along with Iron Maiden
@bradleyward5459
@@meatjuice9081 I didn't know that
@bradleyward5459
@@meatjuice9081 I was a manager of a record shop when Canterbury was released.
I remember all the copies that we had were warped and all had to be returned to the record label
@benjones5929
pentagram is a close 2nd
@bradleyward5459
@@benjones5929 don't know Pentegram
@ShyHulud342
That guitar solo! Brian is criminally underrated.
@topcat4759
Recently saw him interviewed by Lars Ulrich but yes you are right they never got the credit or exposure that they deserved. I got into metal about the same time that the NWOHM started up and bands like Maiden and Leppard got all the headlines. Used to read Kerrang at school and unfortunately Diamond Head hardly got a mention.
@sinisterrayne89
You think you like this version of it listen to the MI evil album version of it
@Frank_nwobhm
I wouldn't call Brian "criminally underrated". Criminally unknown perhaps. Those who know his music and his talent would never underrate him.