Joan Armatrading MBE (born Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading in Basseterre, Sa… Read Full Bio ↴Joan Armatrading MBE (born Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading in Basseterre, Saint Kitts on 9 December 1950) and brought up in Birmingham, England, is a British singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

Armatrading has mixed eclectic musical styles over decades of recording and performing. She has had several British hit singles, the biggest of which were "Love & Affection", "Me Myself I", and "Drop the Pilot". Her music is generally pop, with forays into rock, folk, jazz, and even reggae. Her popularity is primarily as an album artist.

She gained a new audience following her writing and performing "The Flight of the Wild Geese", which was used during the opening and end titles for the 1978 film The Wild Geese.

Armatrading first performed in a concert at Birmingham University for her brother at the age of about 16 (circa 1966). She only knew her own songs, but her brother asked her to perform something that would be familiar to the audience; she chose "The Sound of Silence".[9] She then performed her own songs around the local area with a friend from school, and played bass and rhythm guitar at local clubs.

One Night
Joan Armatrading Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I only see
The side of you you want to show
How do I know
How much to let my feelings go

'Cause every night
I have the same good dream
You making love

And the face I see

Looks like me
When you hold me tight
It seems so real

Oh babe I know
I could make you stay
If I could have
One night
And I know I could make you stay

Ready for love
Don't you think of safety first
Be a hero
You could take a chance on me

'Cause every night
Here comes my favorite dream
You making eyes
And that courting stance

Is right at me
When you hold me tight
It's all so real

Oh babe I know
I could make you stay
If I could have

One night
And I know I could make you stay

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Joan Armatrading's song "One Night" talk about a person's desire to have a romantic encounter with someone they desire. The song's protagonist can only see the side of the person that they show, and there is uncertainty in how much they should express their feelings for them. The singer has recurring dreams of being intimate with this person, where the person they desire makes love with them, and they end up seeing their own face in the dream. The dream seems so real to the singer that they believe if they could have just one night with the person they desire, they could make them stay.

The lyrics capture the intense longing of a person wanting to be with someone they desire but can't have. The singer of the song knows they have the potential to make the person stay for good, but they're uncertain whether the feelings are mutual or not. Joan Armatrading's hauntingly beautiful voice perfectly portrays the emotions of the singer, making it a song that resonates with many people who have ever been in a similar situation.

Line by Line Meaning

I only see
I can only see the version of you that you present to me

The side of you you want to show
You only show me the parts of yourself that you want me to see

How do I know
I don't know for sure

How much to let my feelings go
How much of myself should I reveal and allow myself to care for you?

'Cause every night
Because every single night

I have the same good dream
I dream the same pleasant dream

You making love
You making love to me

And the face I see
And the face I see is mine

Looks like me
Literally, the face I see is my own

When you hold me tight
When you wrap your arms around me

It seems so real
It feels like it's actually happening