In the Midnight Hour
Eric Burdon And Bon Jovi Lyrics
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They trade old licks with a beat up six
I just smile and catch the groove
Gothic girls all dress in black
Serious as heart attacks
It takes a little bit of getting used to
Lost the night forgot his name
His poor wife will sleep alone again
And it ain't hard to understand
Why she's holding on to her own hand
Chorus:
It's midnight in chelsea, midnight in chelsea
No one's asking me for favors
No one's looking for a savoir
They're too busy saving me
(repeat chorus)
I've seen a lone,sloane ranger drive
Seems her chauffeur took a dive
And sold her secrets to the sun
And later in a magazine
I finally figured what it means
To be a saint, not a queen
Two lustful lovers catch a spark
And chase their shadows in the dark
Someone's getting off tonight
Of a big red bus that's packed so tight
It disappears in a trail of light
Somewhere someone's dreaming baby it's all right...
Chorus:
It's midnight in chelsea, midnight in chelsea
No one's asking me for favors
No one's looking for a savoir
They're too busy saving me
Midnight in chelsea, midnight in chelsea
No one's pinned dreams on me
No one's asking me to bleed
I'm the man i want to be
When chelsea girls sing...
It's morning when i go to sleep
In the distant dawn a church bell rings
Another day is coming on
A baby's born, an old man dies
Somewhere young lovers kiss good-bye
I leave my soul and just move on
And wish that i was there to sing this song
Chorus:
It's midnight in chelsea, midnight in chelsea
No one's asking me for favors
No one's looking for a savoir
They're too busy saving me
It's midnight in chelsea, midnight in chelsea
No one's pinned dreams on me
No one's asking me to bleed
I'm the man i want to be
The man i want to be,the man i want to be
Midnight in chelsea
The song "In the Midnight Hour" by Eric Burdon and Bon Jovi tells the story of a midnight in Chelsea, a neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City. The song's narrative perspective is that of a narrator who observes the happenings of the night. The first stanza describes the kids in the neighborhood, who look thin and frail, playing music, and trading licks with their old guitars. The singer smiles and catches the groove, suggesting that he enjoys the music despite the poverty and hardship of the kids.
The second stanza mentions Gothic girls, who are dressed entirely in black, appearing serious as heart attacks. The singer notes that it takes a lot to adjust to the Gothic style. In the third stanza, the old man with whiskey stains on his shirt is portrayed as someone who has lost his way, forgetting his name and ending up alone. The singer empathizes with the old man's poor wife, who sleeps alone again, and holds on to her own hand. The chorus suggests that the people in the neighborhood are too preoccupied with their own struggles to ask for help or favors.
In the fourth stanza, the narrative mentions a lone Sloane Ranger, a term used to describe a certain upper-class lifestyle. The chauffeur's mysterious disappearance exposes the Sloane Ranger's secrets to the sun, implying that the singer is fascinated by such scandal. The fifth stanza describes two lovers' joy, but the line "Someone's getting off tonight" also implies a darker meaning. The final stanza describes the singer's contemplation of the cycle of life, with an old man's death and a baby's birth. He wishes he were there to sing the song, closing the circle of the narrative.
Line by Line Meaning
The kids 'round here look just like sticks
The young people in this area are very thin and malnourished in appearance
They trade old licks with a beat up six
They play simple and repetitive music on a worn-out guitar
I just smile and catch the groove
I feel the rhythm and vibe of the music and enjoy it without judgment
Gothic girls all dress in black
Young women who have a preference for dark, alternative style apparel
Serious as heart attacks
They are very intense about expressing themselves through their clothing and demeanor
It takes a little bit of getting used to
It can be difficult to understand or appreciate another person's unique style or preferences
The old man with the whiskey stains
An elderly man whose clothing is marked with alcohol spills
Lost the night forgot his name
He drank too much and can't remember what happened in the evening
His poor wife will sleep alone again
His spouse will be alone in bed since he will pass out drunk, unable to join her
And it ain't hard to understand
The situation is not difficult to comprehend
Why she's holding on to her own hand
She is Lonely and has to take care of herself
It's midnight in chelsea, midnight in chelsea
It's late at night in the Chelsea district
No one's asking me for favors
No one is making unnecessary requests of me
No one's looking for a savoir
No one I encounter is searching for a savior
They're too busy saving me
Others are focused on helping me more than I'm focused on helping them
I've seen a lone,sloane ranger drive
I have seen an upper-class woman driving around by herself
Seems her chauffeur took a dive
It appears that her driver has left her or has fallen out of favor with her
And sold her secrets to the sun
Her driver has betrayed her trust and told a tabloid newspaper her secrets
And later in a magazine
I eventually read about this situation in a print publication
I finally figured what it means
I figured out the meaning or lesson of this story
To be a saint, not a queen
It is better to live as a selfless and moral person, rather than seek power and wealth alone
Two lustful lovers catch a spark
Two people who are very attracted to each other ignite a sensual connection
And chase their shadows in the dark
The two lovers are alone in a dark place pursuing their passion without restraint
Someone's getting off tonight
Someone in this romantic setting is enjoying an intense orgasm
Of a big red bus that's packed so tight
A bus with limited space is completely full
It disappears in a trail of light
The bus leaves and everyone on board is gone, visible only by the trail it left behind
Somewhere someone's dreaming baby it's all right...
Somebody, somewhere is sleeping and having pleasant dreams
No one's pinned dreams on me
Nobody is forcing their aspirations onto me
No one's asking me to bleed
No one is demanding that I make sacrifices for their benefit
I'm the man i want to be
I am content with who I am as a person
It's morning when i go to sleep
I stay up very late into the night
In the distant dawn a church bell rings
Somewhere off in the distance, a church's bell announces early morning
Another day is coming on
A new day is beginning and is on the way
A baby's born, an old man dies
People are born and die, it's a natural cycle of life
Somewhere young lovers kiss good-bye
Two young lovers part ways after a romantic evening together
I leave my soul and just move on
I feel an emotional connection to life's cycles, but must continue living and moving forward
And wish that i was there to sing this song
I wish to be present in this moment, possibly to share this song with others
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID ALLAN STEWART, JON BON JOVI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dino vidal
Lyrics
One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you, don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice, when she's ten feet tall
And if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar has given you the call
And call Alice, when she was just small
When the men on the chessboard get up and tell you where to go
And you've just had some kind of mushroom, and your mind is moving low
Go ask Alice, I think she'll know
When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead
And the white knight is talking backwards
And the red queen's off with her head
Remember what the dormouse said
Feed your head, feed your head
Art Mealer
I remember seeing this aired originally. Thought Grace was so cool just standing there belting out the song, especially the first, White Rabbit. Stone cold. Later in an interview she said she was frozen scared and it took both songs before she started to loosen up. Perceptions. Still, her standing there motionlessly singing with defiant eyes defines cool for me.
John Jarou
I think it was lip synchnd
Jim Butler
It sounds just like the album because it is
Joe Hogan
@John Jarou It was certainly the album audio. I think that was fairly standard back then.
John Jarou
@Joe Hogan of course, i know that. i'm an old guy too.
K Woodward
Wow wild to picture seeing this as it first aired....would of absolutely blown people’s mind back in the late 60s
robofatcat
Dick Clark was so good at what he did. He never talked down Any artist no matter how different from the "norm" they where at the time.
Rumpole Del Bailey
So true. He's a pro.
T. Licht
Ist das so? In Europa ist er Unbekannt..
Sam Screwed
@T. Licht most pop comes from Sweden so, no surprise there