Nite Owl
The Dukays Lyrics
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Eleven o'clock, eleven-thirty
Curfew time
Nite owl strolling down the
Street about the break of day
Oh, nite owl, listen, boy
What you think your mama gonna say
Wait til you get in the door
Mama told you once before
Whoa, whoa, nite owl
Nite owl strolling with his
Keys swinging in his hand
Oh, owl, the nite owl strutting
Up the stairs like a natural man
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Boy, you must be out your mind
Ain't you heard of curfew time
Whoa, whoa, nite owl
Your daddy told you long ago
Not to come in late no more
Running over town just like a clown
But you think that he's a square
And you feel you've been everywhere
Wait til tomorrow, you'll sit down
Oh, nite owl strolling with
His dark glasses on his eyes
Oh, owl, nite owl, listen, boy
Don't you dare tell daddy no lie
Hey, hey, hey
I said that you were such a silly jerk
Your daddy ought to make you work
Whoa, whoa, nite owl
Your daddy told you long ago
Not to come in late no more
Running over town just like a clown
But you think that he's a square
And you feel you've been everywhere
Wait til tomorrow, you'll sit down
Oh, nite owl strolling with
His dark glasses on his eyes
Oh, owl, nite owl, listen, boy
Don't you dare tell daddy no lie
Hey, hey, hey
I said that you were such a silly jerk
Your daddy ought to make you work
Whoa, whoa, nite owl
Whoa, nite owl
You better come in, boy
It's getting late, I told you
Bout staying out all times of night
Hey, hey, hey
The Dukays's song "Nite Owl" depicts the story of a night owl who is strolling on the streets around the break of day. As the lyrics paint the picture, the night owl's mother is worried about his whereabouts and is waiting for him to return home before curfew time. However, the night owl is carefree and does not heed his mother's words. The lyrics project the warning that his mother has given him multiple times that he will be reprimanded once he enters the house. The night owl enters the house, aware of his mother's implied message, and doesn't speak a word. He is warned by his father that he must not come home late anymore, for he will be made to work. The lyrics reflect the father's wisdom that directs his son to lead a responsible and disciplined life.
The chorus of the song, repeated several times throughout the lyrics, highlights the importance of obeying one's parents, and not taking their advice lightly. The lyrics convey a message of parental guidance and the consequences of flouting it.
Line by Line Meaning
Ten o'clock, ten-thirty
It's currently ten or ten-thirty at night
Eleven o'clock, eleven-thirty
It's currently eleven or eleven-thirty at night
Curfew time
It's time for curfew and the singer is warning the subject of the song
Nite owl strolling down the
Someone who prefers to be out late at night is walking down the street
Street about the break of day
The person is walking around when it's almost sunrise
Oh, nite owl, listen, boy
The singer is addressing the person who enjoys staying out late
What you think your mama gonna say
The singer is asking what consequences the person will face for staying out late
Wait til you get in the door
The person will face punishment once they go inside their house
Mama told you once before
The person has been warned about staying out late before by their mother
Nite owl strolling with his
The person is walking around while carrying their keys
Keys swinging in his hand
The person is swinging their keys around while walking
Boy, you must be out your mind
The singer thinks the person is acting recklessly
Ain't you heard of curfew time
The singer is reminding the person of curfew rules
Your daddy told you long ago
The person's father has warned them about staying out late before
Not to come in late no more
The person has been told to come home earlier
Running over town just like a clown
The person is behaving foolishly and without regard for the rules
But you think that he's a square
The person thinks their father is old-fashioned and not cool
And you feel you've been everywhere
The person thinks they're experienced and have seen everything
Wait til tomorrow, you'll sit down
The person will face punishment the next day
Nite owl strolling with
The person is still walking around late at night
His dark glasses on his eyes
The person is wearing sunglasses at night
Don't you dare tell daddy no lie
The singer is warning the person not to lie to their father
I said that you were such a silly jerk
The singer is calling the person foolish
Your daddy ought to make you work
The singer thinks the person should be given a punishment
You better come in, boy
The singer is urging the person to come inside
It's getting late, I told you
The singer has previously warned the person about staying out late
Bout staying out all times of night
The singer is warning the person about the dangers of staying out late at night
Contributed by Colin S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TheJonaco
What a great uptempo doo-wop, and new to me! This was one of two minor hits for the Dukays, from Chicago's South Side and formed by Gene Dixon (his real name). Both were produced by Bunky Sheppard, who handled another great doo-wop group- The Sheppards- who had a couple of memorable ballad hits that didn't get a lot of play outside Chicago.
Bunky initially released the two Dukays 45s on the tiny Nat label, with "Duke Of Earl" as a B-side (of their first record, "The Girl's A Devil"). The much bigger Vee-Jay label, home to the likes of Dee Clark, The El Dorados, The Spaniels, Jimmy Reed and many other Chicago R&B greats, loved that B-side. Their owner actually called the home office from Paris to make the pickup deal. They put out "Duke Of Earl" as an A-side, Gene Dixon adopted the name "Gene Chandler" after his favorite actor Jeff Chandler, and...well, you know the rest. The rest of the Dukays disappeared. On this record, you can hear what a full-bodied voice Gene had. I think Vee-Jay reissued it after "Duke Of Earl" hit #1. BTW- Bunky produced another huge pop hit in '67 with "Get On Up" by The Esquires. They were from nearby Milwaukee and recorded for ten years without a hit.
@tubecrazy65
I love this rocker so much
@FriendofDorothy
rocker??
@edwardcuneo5294
Midwestern pop very reminiscent of early Motown.
@markpippin5437
This would have been a great follow-up to Duke of Earl credited solely to Gene Chandler.
@jimhilliker2450
It's okay. I do think it was better than a # 73 charter. Never heard this one either.
@FriendofDorothy
Pleasant but minor doo wop hit that is lyrically clever but doesn't have a strong enough hook to have become a major hit for that era. "Duke of Earl" was just the opposite, a record with a killer melodic and lyrical hook.