Born Joan Drost in Buffalo, New York, as a child growing up Sommers would often sing to herself as a way of dealing with her difficult upbringing. Though having not received any musical training, Sommers began her career as a jazz singer in Los Angeles, California. In 1960, she recorded a demo with composer/arranger Tommy Oliver, earning her a recording contract with Warner Bros. Sommers. Her debut single, "One Boy" from the musical Bye Bye Birdie, reached #54 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Throughout the 60s, she also maintained a byline as a singer of jingles for Pepsi-Cola (specifically, "It's Pepsi, for Those Who Think Young" and "Come Alive! You're in the Pepsi Generation"), earning her the nickname of "The Pepsi Girl." Years later, she also recorded a jingle for Diet Pepsi, though her work was uncredited. Fittingly, two of her albums -- For Those Who Think Young and Come Alive! -- were named after her classic jingles.
Despite being a hit single,"One Boy" was passed over for inclusion on her debut album, Positively the Most!, whose cover touted the teenaged Sommers as "the greatest discovery in singing talent in the last fifteen years." This marked the beginning of a continuing trend for Sommers: alternating between commercial pop singles and more artistically challenging and varied albums, more often than not keeping the two completely disparate.
In 1962, "Johnny Get Angry" (co-written by legendary songwriter and lyricist Hal David) became Sommers' biggest hit, driven by an anachronistic dark bass line and unusual instrumentation such as kazoos. However, the song drew noted criticism aimed at its lyrical content, perceived by some as having sexist or masochistic overtones. The follow-up single was "When the Boys Get Together", which reached #94 on the charts, becoming her final Hot 100 single, though she would later have two songs on the Adult Contemporary charts.
In 1970, Sommers temporarily retired as a singer to focus on raising a family, making only one recording during the following decade, a soundtrack single for scrapped animation film The Peppermint Choo Choo. She resumed her career at the turn of the decade, recording the album Dream in 1980. She has maintained a sporadic career of recording and performing ever since, continuing to experiment with a variety of musical styles.
Quiet Nights
Joanie Sommers Lyrics
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Quiet cords from my guitar
Floating on the silence that surrounds us
Quiet thoughts and quiet dreams
Quiet walks by quiet streams
And the window looking on the mountains and the sea how lovely
This is where i want to be
Until the final flicker of life's ember
I who was lost and lonely
Believing life was only
A bitter tragic joke
Have found with you
The meaning of existence
Oh my love
This is where i want to be
Here with you so close to me
Until the final flicker of life's ember
I who was lost and lonely
Believing life was only
A bitter tragic joke
Have found with you
The meaning of existence
Oh my love
The lyrics of Joanie Sommers’s song “Quiet Nights” express the deep longing for a time of peace and tranquility, away from the chaos and noise of the world. With a smooth and melodic tune, the singer imagines an idyllic scene of quiet nights, quiet stars, and quiet cords from her guitar. Through this stillness, she feels a sense of freedom and peace that allows her to experience the world in a more profound way. The quietness of the night envelops her, allowing her to think and dream, to walk in silence by the streams, and to gaze at the mountains and the sea.
The song's message is about finding the meaning of existence in the loving relationship between two people who have found each other. The singer, who was once lost and lonely and thought life to be only a bitter, tragic joke, has now discovered in her lover the true meaning of life. She feels deeply connected with him, so close to her, until the final flicker of life's ember. Together, they have found a place of peace and tranquility, where they can escape the noise and chaos of the world.
Overall, Joanie Sommers’s “Quiet Nights” speaks to the universal longing for peace and love. The song portrays a sense of calm and serenity that feels elusive in the world we live in.
Line by Line Meaning
Quiet nights of quiet stars
The peacefulness of the night, under a sky full of stars
Quiet chords from my guitar
Strumming softly on the guitar, creating a soothing sound
Floating on the silence that surrounds us
Drifting along in the stillness that envelopes us
Quiet thoughts and quiet dreams
Thinking and dreaming in serenity and calmness
Quiet walks by quiet streams
Taking peaceful walks by the side of streams
And the window looking on the mountains and the sea how lovely
Admiring the scenic view of the sea and the mountains from the window
This is where i want to be
Expressing contentment with being in this exact moment and place
Here with you so close to me
Being next to the person they love, feeling their presence
Until the final flicker of life's ember
Until the end of their life, until the last spark fades away
I who was lost and lonely
Expressing feelings of being aimless and lonely in the past
Believing life was only a bitter tragic joke
Thinking of life as a cruel, heartless joke
Have found with you the meaning of existence
Finding purpose and significance in their life through the person they love
Oh my love
Expressing affection towards their partner
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gene Lees
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind