"Last Nite" is a song by American rock band the Strokes. It was released on… Read Full Bio ↴"Last Nite" is a song by American rock band the Strokes. It was released on October 23, 2001, as the second single from their debut album "Is This It". It was a moderate hit for the group on the UK Singles Chart in 2001.

The track was produced by Gordon Raphael and was issued on RCA Records with the song "When It Started" as the B-side.

The song's opening guitar riff and overall structure is based on "American Girl" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. In a 2006 interview with Rolling Stone, Petty commented, "The Strokes took "American Girl" [for "Last Nite"], there was an interview that took place with them where they actually admitted it. That made me laugh out loud. I was like, 'OK, good for you.' It doesn't bother me". The Strokes were invited to be the opening act for several dates on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' 2006 tour. The solo for the song was inspired by guitarist Freddie King.

The single was the group's first to enter the American charts, reaching the top five on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart in late 2001. Meanwhile, the single obtained moderate success in the UK, peaking at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart.

In March 2005, Q placed "Last Nite" at number 66 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. In September 2006, NME placed "Last Nite" at number one on its list of the 50 Greatest Tracks of the Decade. In May 2007, NME magazine placed "Last Nite" at number nine in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever. It was also placed at number 16 on Rolling Stone's 50 Best Songs of the Decade and number 478 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". The same publication listed it at number 155 in a revamped version of the list in 2021. In 2011, NME placed it at number four on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". In 2020, Paste and The Independent ranked the song number two and number one, respectively, on their lists of the 20 greatest Strokes songs.

Last Nite
Strokes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Last night she said
Oh baby I feel so down
Til' you turn me off
When I feel left out

So I, I turned round
Oh baby don't care no more
I know this for sure

I'm walking out that door

Well I've been in town for just about fifteen, oh minutes now
And baby I feel so down
See I don't know why
I was walking for miles

And people they don't understand
No girlfriends they won't understand
Your grandsons they won't understand
And me I ain't ever gonna understand

Last night she said
Oh baby don't feel so down
Til' you turn me off
When I feel left out

So I, I turned round,
Oh baby gonna be just fine
It was a great big lie
'Cause I left that night

And people they don't understand
No girlfriends they won't understand
In spaceships they won't understand
And me I ain't ever gonna understand

Last night she said
Oh baby don't feel so down
Til' you turn me off
When I feel left out

So I, I turned round
Oh baby I don't care no more
I know it's for sure
I'm walking out that door, yeah

Overall Meaning

The Strokes' song "Last Night" is a classic example of the garage rock sound that helped define the early 2000s. The lyrics themselves, while not overtly cryptic, leave behind more questions than answers. The chorus of "Oh baby, don't feel so down/You turn me on/When I feel left out" conveys a sense of desperation and longing, as if the singer is trying to hold on to a relationship that he knows is unhealthy.

The verses are a little more revealing, as they describe the singer's feelings of isolation and confusion. "Well I've been in town for just about fifteen, oh minutes now/And baby I feel so down" implies that the singer is new to this environment and struggling to find his place within it. He feels disconnected from other people, and walking for miles doesn't seem to help.

The repeated refrain of "And me I ain't ever gonna understand" suggests that the singer has accepted that he will never fully comprehend his situation. He's stuck in a cycle of feeling neglected and then being drawn back in by his partner's attention, only to realize that it's not enough.

Overall, "Last Night" is a song about emotional manipulation and the toll it can take on a person's psyche. The singer knows he needs to leave this relationship behind, but it's easier said than done.

Line by Line Meaning

Last night she said
She spoke to me last night

Oh baby I feel so down
She expressed feeling sad or depressed

Til' you turn me off
She feels better when I'm with her

When I feel left out
She feels neglected or ignored

So I, I turned round
I reacted to what she said

Oh baby don't care no more
I don't love or care for her anymore

I know this for sure
I am certain of my feelings

I'm walking out that door
I'm leaving her

Well I've been in town for just about fifteen, oh minutes now
I recently arrived in town

And baby I feel so down
I also feel sad or depressed

See I don't know why
I can't explain my feelings