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))).
What Ever Happened to Saturday Night
Scott Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The moon burns so bright and the time went so slow
And I swore that I loved her, and gave her a ring
A bluebird was high on the wing
Whatever happened to Saturday night?
Finding a sweetheart and holding her tight
She said: "Tell me, oh tell me- was I alright?"
The years round the railroad, it ran by my door
Now there's boards on the windws and dust on the floor
And she passes the time and another man sighed
I passed the time with my pride
Water tangled where we'd weave
Go round the circumstance
Some won't show how to tell
The dancer from the dance
The first stanza of Scott Walker's song, "What Ever Happened to Saturday Night?" creates a melancholic atmosphere that takes the listener back in time. The first two lines use a simile to suggest that the memory is dreamy and distant. The next two lines reveal that protagonist was once in love. The use of the past tense and the mention of a ring indicate that this relationship has ended. The final line incorporates the imagery of a bluebird flying high, which adds color and lightness to this sad memory.
The chorus, "Whatever happened to Saturday night? Finding a sweetheart and holding her tight. She said: 'Tell me, oh tell me- was I alright?' Whatever happened to Saturday night?" creates nostalgia and longing. The singer seems to be reminiscing on a time when Saturday nights were for romance and adventure. He longs for that connection and intimacy he once shared with another.
The final stanza of the song switches gears and introduces new characters. It talks about a place near the railroad where the singer must have lived. The boards on the windows suggest that the building is abandoned and the dust on the floor indicates that it's been some time since anyone has been there. While the singer is alone, the woman he loved has moved on with another man. The final line, "I passed the time with my pride," suggests that the singer has chosen to prioritize his pride and independence over pursuing another romantic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Seems like a dream now, it was so long ago
The memory of the past where time moved slowly so vividly appeared in my mind and it feels unreal now.
The moon burns so bright and the time went so slow
The moon was shining radiant but time passed so slowly it felt like hours were like a day.
And I swore that I loved her, and gave her a ring
I made a promise of love to her by giving her a token of my love, an engagement ring.
A bluebird was high on the wing
A blissful moment in time that was now long gone could only be represented by a high-spirited bluebird on the wing.
Whatever happened to Saturday night?
The singer is wondering about what ended their memory of Saturday nights.
Finding a sweetheart and holding her tight
The Saturday nights used to be spent with romantically holding tight on to one's lover.
She said: "Tell me, oh tell me- was I alright?"
Did I satisfy you? Were you happy with me? That's what she wanted to know from him.
Whatever happened to Saturday night?
Scott Walker is again asking what happened to change Saturday nights.
The years round the railroad, it ran by my door
Years passed by like the train running nearby his place.
Now there's boards on the windws and dust on the floor
The place where they spent their time together now has dusty floors and boarded-up windows.
And she passes the time and another man sighed
She passes her time with someone else and some other guy is just as sad as Walker is.
I passed the time with my pride
The singer opted to keep his dignity and passing time with his pride rather than wallowing in self-pity.
Water tangled where we'd weave
Metaphor of the relationship which had gotten tangled amidst their love, like weaving water.
Go round the circumstance
Refers to Walker diverting his focus to avoid the unpleasant situation and rather look at unfolding circumstances.
Some won't show how to tell
Some emotions cannot be expressed in words to lay it out for someone else to understand.
The dancer from the dance
Relationship and emotions are like a dance where it's important to understand the pattern and the steps, they are intertwined and cannot be separated.
Contributed by Dominic E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
wellandtruly joshed
Beautiful man beautiful voice ❤️ RIP Scott 💔
Jennifer Holyoake
Scott has a magical voice ---in all the songs he sings its so real and close to the heart ❤❤❤❤.
Cassie Copeland
The most beautiful voice…ever….🌺💜
Helena Stokes
I love this version by the lovely Scott walker
💞
mckevis
Great version thanks for posting
Beverley Eden
Fabulous. I'm 71 now and have been a Scott fan since the age of 13 but never heard this recording before ! Is it on an Album ? Thought I had them all.
Hamida Chan
Beautiful man, beautiful man.❤️💜😻🌹 RIP Scott Walker.x
Jeanette McLean
Beautiful! Thank you.
Dave Wallace
well done! thank you!
David Reed
Easy listening, great.