Phillips began her musical career as a vocalist in the early 1980s, singing background parts for Christian artists such as Mark Heard, Randy Stonehill, and others. After a short time, Phillips was signed to a solo contract with Myrrh Records (under her given name) where she went on to record four Christian pop albums: Beyond Saturday Night, Dancing with Danger, Black & White in a Grey World, and, The Turning, which teamed her with producer and future husband T-Bone Burnett. Throughout the Myrrh period, Phillips wrote more and more of her own songs and several were Top 10 singles on Christian radio.
Since Cyndi Lauper was popular at the time and also had an high-pitched, idiosyncratic vocal style, Myrrh insisted on promoting her as "the Christian Cyndi Lauper." Phillips was never comfortable with this image, and it was a bone of contention between her and the label. She began using the name "Sam" professionally in 1988 when she left Myrrh Records and signed with Virgin Records, partially in order to distance herself from her somewhat embarrassing Myrrh-imposed persona.
Like many Christian artists before her, she expanded into more secular content at the new label. She released The Indescribable Wow, which featured the orchestrations of Van Dyke Parks. Cruel Inventions, which was released in 1991, included a guest appearance from close friend Elvis Costello, and she (with her husband) supported Costello on his 1991 tour. 1994's Martinis & Bikinis was widely praised by music critics and was even nominated for a Grammy Award; this was Phillips' first nomination.
In 1995, Phillips made her silver screen debut in the Bruce Willis blockbuster Die Hard With a Vengeance, in which she played a mute terrorist. She was originally supposed to have a speaking part in the film but it was decided that her character would be silent, since it made her appear much more imposing and lethal, although it also placed her in a more stereotypically femme fatale role at the same time.
In 1996, Phillips released Omnipop (It's Only a Flesh Wound Lambchop), which was more experimental musically and ended up being her worst-selling album to date. After releasing a contractual obligation "best-of" album for Virgin in 1999, the label dropped Phillips from their roster.
In 2001, Phillips signed with Nonesuch Records and released a stripped-down acoustic album called Fan Dance, which featured some of the most critically acclaimed songwriting of Phillips' career. Van Dyke Parks contributed string arrangements for a track or two. Phillips also began writing music for and scoring the television series Gilmore Girls, and even appeared on-screen during the final episode of season six, performing Taking Pictures. In 2004 she released A Boot and a Shoe, another collection of acoustic cabaret songs in the same vein as her previous album.
Sam returned with a new album don't do anything in 2008. In October 2009 Sam launched Long Play, an exclusively web-based membership site which promised subscribers 5 digital EPs and 1 full-length digital album over the course of about one year. A physical "best of" compilation of Long Play songs, titled Solid State, was released in June 2011.
All Night
Sam Phillips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then you
Disappeared
Last night,
When you killed the light
Words we didn't say
Your eyes they took us
And we were ready for it
Came out behind me
Grabbed my wrists
In the dark
An' he said
Don't look at what
You can't see
Now all night
All night
I've been looking for you
All night
All night
All night
I've been looking for you
All night
Doesn't matter what I
Tell myself
The flame is small,
But it burns it all
Sleepless questions
And some sly suggestions
That I could fly
If I could only fall
I've been wanting to touch you
Since we met
You don't give a girl
A chance to forget
And all night
All night
I've been looking for you
All night
All night
All night
I've been looking for you
All night
Long straight lines
And lovely wines
Out in the night
Where you took the light
You're all around
But I haven't found you
You're comin' in
Right through my skin
Oh! Come right
What do you need
Where will all this trouble lead
All night
All night
I've been looking for you
All night
All night
All night
I've been looking for you
All night
All night
All night
I've been looking for you
All night
All night
All night
I've been looking for you
All night
The song "All Night" by Sam Phillips tells a story of desire, longing, and anticipated intimacy. The lyrics are rather cryptic, but they also imply a certain danger that adds to the overall sense of tension. The singer is searching for someone who disappeared after they shared an intimate moment. The lyrics reveal that this person has a certain power over the singer, as their presence is strongly felt even when they are not physically present.
The song starts with the singer looking for their significant other who has disappeared, and they can't seem to find them. The words they didn't say and the looks they shared when they were physically close, created an electric anticipation for the singer. The song takes a more concerning turn as the singer recalls a moment when someone grabbed their wrists in the dark and advised them not to look at what they couldn't see. Despite this, the singer's search continues all night long, and they convey the intensity of the feelings they are experiencing. The possibility of reunion is palpable, but it is fraught with uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard you were hear
I was informed that you were around
Then you
After that, you
Disappeared
Vanished or went away
Last night,
On the previous night,
When you killed the light
When you turned off the lights
Words we didn't say
Things we didn't express through speech
Your eyes they took us
Your gaze led us
Down to want
Toward desire
And we were ready for it
And we were prepared for that
Came out behind me
Came out from behind me
Grabbed my wrists
Took hold of my wrists
In the dark
While in the absence of light
An' he said
And he uttered
Don't look at what
Do not stare at that which
You can't see
Is not visible to you
Now all night
During the whole night
All night
The entire night
All night
Throughout the night
I've been looking for you
I've been searching for you
Doesn't matter what I
It is irrelevant what I
Tell myself
Confess or say to myself
The flame is small,
The fire is not very big,
But it burns it all
But it consumes everything
Sleepless questions
Restless inquiries
And some sly suggestions
And some insidious hints
That I could fly
That I am capable of soaring
If I could only fall
If only I can take a leap
I've been wanting to touch you
I have been yearning to feel you
Since we met
Ever since our interaction
You don't give a girl
You don't give a lady
A chance to forget
An opportunity to let go
Long straight lines
Long parallel strokes
And lovely wines
And delightful beverages
Out in the night
Outside in the darkness
Where you took the light
Where you captured the brightness
You're all around
You're present everywhere
But I haven't found you
But I haven't located you
You're comin' in
You're entering
Right through my skin
Directly through my skin
Oh! Come right
Oh! Come directly
What do you need
What are your requirements
Where will all this trouble lead
What is the destination of all this commotion
All night
Throughout the night
All night
The entire night
All night
The entire night
I've been looking for you
I've been searching for you
All night
Throughout the night
All night
The entire night
All night
The entire night
I've been looking for you
I've been searching for you
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Leslie Phillips
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind