Night & Day
Porter Lyrics


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Like the beat, beat, beat of the tom-tom
When the jungle shadows fall
Like the tick, tick, tock of the stately clock
As it stands against the wall

Like the drip, drip, drip of the raindrops
When the summer shower is through
So a voice within me keeps repeating you, you, you

Night and day, you are the one
Only you beneath the moon or under the sun
Whether near to me or far
It's no matter, darling, where you are
I think of you

Night and day, day and night, why is it so
That this longing for you follows wherever I go?
In the roaring traffic's boom
In the silence of my lonely room

I think of you
Night and day, night and day
Under the hide of me
There's an, oh, such a hungry yearning burning inside of me

And its torment won't be through
'Till you let me spend my life making love to you
Day and night, night and day

Night and day
Under the hide of me
There's an, oh, such a hungry yearning burning inside of me
And its torment won't be through




'Till you let me spend my life making love to you
Day and night, night and day

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Porter's song "Night & Day" paint a vivid picture of longing and desire. The song begins by comparing the rhythmic sounds of the tom-tom and the ticking clock to the repetitive thoughts that the singer has about someone special. The imagery of the raindrops and their persistent sound echoes the relentless thoughts of this person that keep appearing in the singer's mind.


The chorus, "Night and day, you are the one, only you beneath the moon or under the sun," emphasizes the all-encompassing nature of the singer's feelings. They are consumed by thoughts of this person regardless of their physical proximity. Whether near or far, it doesn't matter—the thoughts and emotions remain the same.


The second verse further explores the extent to which this longing for the person permeates the singer's life. They find themselves thinking about this person amidst the chaos of the roaring traffic and even in the silence of their own lonely room. It reflects the profound impact this individual has on the singer's every moment and their inability to escape the intensity of their feelings.


The final verse intensifies the yearning even more. The hunger and burning desire inside the singer cannot be appeased until they are able to spend their life making love to this person. The repetition of "day and night, night and day" further emphasizes the all-consuming nature of this longing.


Overall, the lyrics of "Night & Day" convey the depth and power of love and desire, depicting the overwhelming presence of someone in the singer's thoughts and emotions.


Line by Line Meaning

Like the beat, beat, beat of the tom-tom
Similar to the repetitive rhythm of a tom-tom drum


When the jungle shadows fall
During the time when shadows of the jungle appear


Like the tick, tick, tock of the stately clock
Just as the steady ticking of a grand clock


As it stands against the wall
While it remains firmly fixed on the wall


Like the drip, drip, drip of the raindrops
Similar to the constant sound of raindrops falling


When the summer shower is through
Once the rain shower of summer has ended


So a voice within me keeps repeating you, you, you
There is a voice inside me that continually echoes your name


Night and day, you are the one
Throughout both the night and the day, you are the only person


Only you beneath the moon or under the sun
It is only you who I desire, regardless of the moon or the sun


Whether near to me or far
Regardless of whether you are close or distant from me


It's no matter, darling, where you are
It doesn't matter, my dear, where you are located


I think of you
I constantly have you on my mind


Night and day, day and night, why is it so
Why is it that in both the day and night, my longing for you persists?


That this longing for you follows wherever I go?
Why does this intense desire for you accompany me wherever I travel?


In the roaring traffic's boom
Amidst the loud noise of bustling traffic


In the silence of my lonely room
Even in the quietness of my solitary room


I think of you
I find myself constantly thinking of you


Under the hide of me
Deep within my innermost being


There's an, oh, such a hungry yearning burning inside of me
There exists a passionate and insatiable desire burning intensely within me


And its torment won't be through
This torment will not come to an end


'Till you let me spend my life making love to you
Until you grant me the privilege of dedicating my life to loving you


Day and night, night and day
Both during the daytime and nighttime




Lyrics © Roba Music Verlag GMBH, Red Brick Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@michaelwilks6268

This shouldn't matter one way or the other, however I will state it anyway. I am a 60 year old African American male born and reared in Brooklyn New York my entire life to date. And this by far is one of my favorite songs of all time. And I'm by no stretch of the imagination bougie. But I been hearing different versions of this song in an assortment of movies since I was very, very young and it just does something for me. It's a profoundly beautiful song to me and it hits the heart strings. Mr. Porter I don't know anything about his politics or his views on race relations. But I do know this he was one hell of a song writer, one of the best.

@scotmark

I rate him as the best songwriter. And I'm a peely-wally sexygenarian Scotsman with a penchant for post-punk! 😺

@wheresyaya6792

well said, especially 'profoundly beautiful '

@mjsmcd

Music ,food,sports ,religion exist for everyone rrgardless of race or nationality

@j.deegan3029

He truly was a songwriter at a time when most people either wrote lyrics or music. This guy wrote both. He’s pretty amazing

@michaelwilks6268

@wheresyaya6792  Thank you. I'm sorry for the late response 😁 Yes some songs just touch your soul. And can even make a demon(not me, 😆) feel all warm and tingly inside. Song like Billy Joel and Barry White's, Love you just the way you are. And the Four Tops I believe In you and me. Those songs rip open my big old heart and turn me inside out. Into undulating waves of emotion that I savior the whole day from the time I first played them. And just like Night and Day puts me to sleep with a deep, calm that lasts me the entire night through. Until I start once again at the first light of the next day 😆.

6 More Replies...

@ce253

The best song of Cole Porter for eternity...When I see Fred Astaire dancing with Ginger Rogers it's a dream...a masterpiece.

@fastradioburst253

For decades now, I"ve listened to Little River Band's song, Reminiscing, and in the chorus, it talks about how they 'danced across the room' to "those Porter tunes..." with "Night and Day" sung by backing vocals. So it only took me about 40 years to finally play Night and Day by Cole Porter. Beautiful song. Loved it. Harkens back to a far better time.

@interactiveleaf

Me too

@marissab6461

That’s why I’m here too😊

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