Originally coming to fame in the mid-1960s singing orchestral pop ballads as the frontman of The Walker Brothers, Walker went on to a solo career balancing a light entertainment/MOR ballad approach with increasing artistic innovations in arrangement and writing. Despite a series of acclaimed albums, a disastrous drop in sales forced him back into straight Middle of the road recordings with little of his own artistic input. This in turn eventually led to a Walker Brothers reunion in the mid-1970s (although the latter eventually moved, by mutual consent, into more avant-garde areas).
From the mid-1980s, Walker revived his solo career while drastically reinventing his artistic and compositional methods, via a series of acclaimed and vividly avant-garde albums. These combined his iconic voice with an unsettling avant-garde approach which owed more to modernist and post-modernist classical composition than to his pop singer past. This change in approach has been compared to "Andy Williams reinventing himself as Stockhausen".
Walker has been a continuing influence on other artists, in particular The Last Shadow Puppets, Marc Almond, Goldfrapp, Douglas Pearce of the band Death in June, Billy MacKenzie of The Associates, David Sylvian, Julian Cope, Antony Hegarty, Thom Yorke, Steven Wilson, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Trey Spruance, Perry Blake, Radiohead, Noah Lennox, Mikael Åkerfeldt, and the Divine Comedy/Neil Hannon.
Walker continued to release solo material until his death, and was signed to 4AD Records. As a record producer or guest performer he worked with a number of artists including Pulp, Ute Lemper, Bat For Lashes and Sunn O))).
That Night
Scott Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The fields were soft and white
We touched and time stood still
On that hill, on that night
Your glances said 'begin'
Begin this strange affair
Your glances begged 'begin'
Time will pass, memories fade
Of a bold bizarre charade
Of a kiss in the night
Out of time, and sight
The snow was on the hill
The fields were soft and white
We touched and time stood still
On that hill
On that night...
In Scott Walker's "That Night", the singer is reminiscing about a past love affair that took place on a snowy hill. The imagery of the soft, white fields and the snow create a sense of timelessness and purity, which is juxtaposed with the taboo nature of their affair. The singer notes that their glances to each other were begging to begin this strange and bold charade, but also acknowledges that over time, memories fade and this kiss in the night will eventually be lost to the sands of time.
The song's somber tone is further reinforced with the use of a haunting melody and Walker's deep, mournful vocals. The lyrics communicate the sadness that comes with knowing that something beautiful must come to an end, and the sense of loss that accompanies it.
Overall, "That Night" is a meditation on the fleeting nature of love and the bittersweet memories that remain long after it has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
The snow was on the hill
The surroundings were covered in snow, imparting a serene and peaceful feeling.
The fields were soft and white
The fields had a layer of soft, white snow, adding to the overall calm ambiance.
We touched and time stood still
The touch between the individuals brought about intense emotions, causing time to feel as if it had stopped in its tracks.
On that hill, on that night
The setting of the experience—they were on a hill at night.
Your glances said 'begin'
The silent communication expressed through eye contact indicated a desire to start something new.
Begin this strange affair
The new found desire led towards an unusual and unexpected relationship.
Your glances begged 'begin'
Reiteration of the same, strong desire
And we loved sweetly there
The love shared between the couple in that moment was gentle and tender.
Time will pass, memories fade
With time, the memories of this experience will become less vivid, but will always remain a part of their past.
Of a bold, bizarre charade
Despite the strangeness of their relationship, they were willing to embrace it.
Of a kiss in the night
The memory of the kiss they shared that night has stayed with them, despite the passing time.
Out of time, and sight
The memory has transcended both time and space, always remaining a part of their past.
On that hill, on that night...
Reiteration of the beautiful moment they shared on that particular hill at night.
Contributed by Parker P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
valerie slater
Sung with impeccable skill, as always....
runningdownadream1
Now this man can sing. Relaxing and thoughtful, this man is a poet. His songs come from the heart.
rebecca whitney
Best singer in the world, love you miss you Scott.
stwads
The brilliant Scott Walker. This is an example of Scott putting in a superb vocal performance but he himself had little regard for this period of his career or the material he sang at the time. Enigmatic as always Mr Walker!
jan halligan
a haunting voice for a wonderful song as always scott ty for so many wonderful songs your voice is like velvet x
May Kha
Amazing song and voice.. Very special voice the only one person has. Thank you so much again for uploading. It always amusing to me listen his all songs. Great songs and great musician forever.
Hamida Chan
RUP Scott Walker. Love your voice, hearing your songs ❤️💜
wellandtruly joshed
RIP Scott - thank you for the music you made❤️
Surge Álvarez
Just a fantastic piece, salute
Kathy LaFayette
Wow, simply beautiful.