Winwood released a new album "Nine Lives" on April 29, 2008, and started a tour with Tom Petty and others in May 2008.
Talking Back To The Night
Steve Winwood Lyrics
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An out of work musician plays a solo saxophone
He's a preacher and a teacher
And he stands up all alone
Stranded in the dark of a vision in the park
A poet in his madness tries to find another line
And he's losing and he's using
And they look from such a height
That somehow it's all right
They're talking back to the night
It's all that they can do
Talking back to the night
It's how they make it through
If you listen you can hear them
Their voices draw you near them
They're talking back to the night for you
Something seems to take every dime the man can make
His dream is getting smaller and he wonders where to turn
And he's trying hard to make it
And he's trying not to burn
Woman never minds, pulls the shade and draws the blinds
She takes him in the darkness where the loneliest can feed
She gives him all she has to
And it's no more than he needs
The song "Talking Back To The Night" by Steve Winwood highlights the struggles of people in New York City. The opening lines describe the scene of an unemployed musician playing a saxophone solo amidst the heat of the New York streets. The musician is not just any ordinary musician, but he is also portrayed as a preacher and teacher, which indicates that he might have a message to convey through his music. Similarly, the following lines describe the state of a poet who is relentlessly trying to find inspiration for his work. He is struggling with his thoughts and losing control over his creativity. However, both the musician and the poet are seen standing alone, trying to make sense of their lives.
The chorus of the song is metaphorical as it speaks about how these people are fighting against the darkness of the night. They look at their struggles from a higher perspective, and somehow, it all seems okay. They talk back to the night, and that is all they can do. It is their way of fighting and surviving in the harsh city environment.
Line by Line Meaning
High above the heat of a summer New York street
From a distance, observing the hustle and bustle of a busy New York street during summer
An out of work musician plays a solo saxophone
A musician, who is currently unemployed, is playing a saxophone by himself
He's a preacher and a teacher
He is someone who preaches and teaches
And he stands up all alone
He is standing alone while preaching and teaching
Stranded in the dark of a vision in the park
Feeling stuck in their thoughts in the middle of a park at night
A poet in his madness tries to find another line
Someone who is mentally unstable is struggling to come up with another line of poetry
And he's losing and he's using
He is losing touch with reality and relies on drugs to cope
And he says he's doing fine
Despite his mental deterioration, he insists that he is doing well
And they look from such a height
They are looking down on others from a high vantage point
That somehow it's all right
They justify their behavior by convincing themselves that it is acceptable
They're talking back to the night
They are pushing back against difficult circumstances
It's all that they can do
They have limited resources and options, and talking back is their only way to cope
Talking back to the night
They keep fighting through their struggles
It's how they make it through
Talking back serves as their emotional and mental survival strategy
If you listen you can hear them
If you pay attention, you can hear their voices plea for help
Their voices draw you near them
Their desperation attracts you to come closer and listen to what they have to say
They're talking back to the night for you
They are fighting not only for themselves, but also for you as their advocate
Something seems to take every dime the man can make
Something is draining the man's finances completely
His dream is getting smaller and he wonders where to turn
His aspirations are diminishing and he is lost on where to seek comfort
And he's trying hard to make it
He is making an effort to find a way out of his dire situation
And he's trying not to burn
He is doing his best to prevent himself from reaching a breaking point
Woman never minds, pulls the shade and draws the blinds
The woman is indifferent to the man's suffering and refuses to help him publicly
She takes him in the darkness where the loneliest can feed
In the dark, isolated area she feeds off the man's dependency and vulnerability
She gives him all she has to
She uses everything she has to offer to maintain the man's reliance on her in the hopes of personal gain
And it's no more than he needs
She only provides what he needs to continue needing her
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: STEVE WINWOOD, WILL JENNINGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Selena Khoury
High above the heat of a summer New York street
An out of work musician plays a solo saxophone
He's a preacher and a teacher
And he stands up all alone
Stranded in the dark of a vision in the park
A poet in his madness tries to find another line
And he's losing and he's using
And he says he's doing fine
And they look from such a height
That somehow it's all right
They're talking back to the night
It's all that they can do
Talking back to the night
It's how they make it through
If you listen you can hear them
Their voices draw you near them
They're talking back to the night for you
Something seems to take every dime the man can make
His dream is getting smaller and he wonders where to turn
And he's trying hard to make it
And he's trying not to burn
Woman never minds, pulls the shade and draws the blinds
She takes him in the darkness where the loneliest can feed
She gives him all she has to
And it's no more than he needs
Daniel Cronan
There are many videos of this awesome song on YouTube, but this one has to be my favorite as it PERFECTLY captures the overall feel & the lyrics!!!!!!!
High above the heat
Of a summer New York street
An out-of-work musician
Plays a solo saxophone
He's a preacher and a teacher
And he stands up all alone
Stranded in the dark
Of a vision in the park
A poet in his madness
Tries to find another line
And he's losing and he's using
And he says he's doing fine
And they look from such a height
That somehow it's all right
They're talking back to the night
It's all that they can do
Talking back to the night
It's how they make it through
If you listen you can hear them
Their voices draw you near them
They're talking back to the night for you
Something seems to take
Every dime the man can make
His dream is getting smaller
And he wonders where to turn
And he's trying hard to make it
And he's trying not to burn
Woman never minds,
Pulls the shade and draws the blinds
She takes him in the darkness
Where the loneliest can feed
She gives him all she has to
And it's no more than he needs
And they look from such a height
That somehow it's all right
They're talking back to the night
It's all that they can do
Talking back to the night
It's how they make it through
If you listen you can hear them
Their voices draw you near them
They're talking back to the night for you
And they look from such a height
That somehow it's all right
They're talking back to the night
It's all that they can do
Talking back to the night...........
DaveinNorthYork
I remember that when I played Steve Winwood's 1987 compilation album "Chronicles" for the first time (as I had received this album as a gift for Christmas 1987) how this particular song not only finished out Side 2 of "Chronicles", but it also had quite a "Jazzy" beat and tempo to it as well.
Moreover, not only was in high school at the time (for I was a Grade 12 student at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Collegiate Institute out in my hometown of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada during the 1987-88 school year), but I also clearly remember how my fellow students would snidely remark to me, "Steve Winwood sucks!"
Nevertheless, I guess that I confidently remark nearly 30 years later (especially when I officially joined the well-known public speaking organization Toastmasters International back in July 2013) that I have always had good taste in music, even when I was a teenager, for I have "Back In The High Life", "Chronicles" and "Roll With It" from Steve Winwood in my album collection.
I will just close by remarking if a certain Amanda Lofland (Denver Broncos Cheerleader from 2008 to 2010; and 2012) knows of this particular Steve Winwood song or not [along with the fact that she not only also happens to have a Dachshund named Jazzy, but this particular woman was also both my source of motivation and inspiration with respect to me joining the Toastmasters (very long story, fellas)].
[By the way, Amanda Lofland's Twitter handle is "AmandaLofland_" (tell Amanda on Twitter that David Hood in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada sent you).]
Don Le
One of Winwood's most under-appreciated and under-rated works of genius !!!
Selena Khoury
Steve Winwood played all instruments on this song.... what an incredible talent!
Vicki Bottini
I thought David Sanborne played the sax?
Selena Khoury
@Vicki Bottini according to Steve Winwood's website he played all the instruments here's the link
,https://www.stevewinwood.com/releases/steve_winwood/steve_winwood_talking_back_to_the_night
Paul Shalom
Sometimes an expression/vision is so intimate you have to take all aspects of it into your own hands.
ASMRCarly _B
An amazing talent!
Bryan Waatsa
No way....he is talented and made good music.
vivandav67
there is something so mesmerizing about this song...it's like a cool Summer's night, the skyline is lit up, and you are about to either meet someone.. or you've already met them and they are standing with you or sitting with you at a table on a balcony looking out into the dark, talking about life...sigh...me and my active imagination..lol
Mayhem Jr.
Or falling in love...yeah I have the same dream 😉👍
alpha1481
there is magic in summer nights like this