The group took off after being signed to Capitol Records in 1952 at the insistence of high profile fan, Stan Kenton. They remained popular throughout the 50s and early 60s, releasing a wide array of successful albums, movie and television appearances and performing countless sold-out concerts. The band eventually lost mainstream attention with the emergence of the British pop bands of the 1960s, even though they managed to stay together even after the retirement of final original member Bob Flanigan in 1992.
As of 2001, the Freshmen have been composed of Bob Ferreira, Brian Eichenberger, Curtis Calderon, and Vince Johnson. Although the new lineup of the Four Freshmen have continued the legendary vocal tradition of the original band and perform many of the same standards, the current sound has more of a lounge sound rather than focusing primarily upon harmonies. This modernized sound has proven quite successful, as the group won Down Beat magazine's reader's poll award for Vocal Group of the Year in 2000, proving the quartet's prominence in the jazz world today.
Midnight Sun
The Four Freshmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Warmer than the Summer night.
The clouds were like an alabaster palace,
Rising to a snowy height.
Each star its own Aurora Borealis,
Suddenly you held me tight,
I could see the midnight sun.
Or was that a moonlit veil?
The music of the universe around me,
Or was that a nightingale?
And then your arms miraculously found me,
Suddenly the sky turned pale,
I could see the midnight sun.
Was there such a night?
It's still a thrill I don't quite believe;
But after you were gone
There was still some stardust on my sleeve!
The flame of it may dwindle to an ember,
And the stars forget to shine,
And we may see the meadow in December,
Icy white and crystalline.
But oh, my darlin', always I'll remember
When your lips were close to mine,
And I saw the midnight sun.
The flame of it may dwindle to an ember,
And the stars forget to shine,
And we may see the meadow in December,
Icy white and crystalline.
But oh, my darlin', always I'll remember
When your lips were close to mine,
And I saw the midnight sun,
The midnight sun,
The midnight sun,
The midnight sun.
In The Four Freshmen's song "Midnight Sun," the singer recounts a magical evening in which they experienced a romantic connection with someone under the light of the midnight sun. The lyrics convey a sense of awe and wonder at the beauty of the natural surroundings as well as the intense feelings of love shared between two people.
The first stanza describes the physical beauty of the evening - the warm redness of the other person's lips, the white clouds high in the sky, and the bright stars that seem to dance with colorful light. Despite the spectacular light show in the sky, the singer's focus is on the moment of intimacy with the other person - when they are suddenly held close, they can see the midnight sun. In the second stanza, the singer wonders if the musical sounds around them were part of the magic of the night or if they really heard a nightingale in the distance. They describe the silver rain falling on them as if they were covered in a moonlit veil. Then, the other person's arms wrap around them and an electric charge seems to change the color of the sky to pale. Finally, in the last stanza, the singer wonders if the memories of that night will fade away or will stay as bright and unforgettable as the midnight sun.
Line by Line Meaning
Your lips were like a red and ruby chalice,
Your beautiful lips looked like red and ruby cups or vessels that were enticing to my senses.
Warmer than the Summer night.
Your lips were warm like a Summer night, which made it even more attractive.
The clouds were like an alabaster palace,
The clouds were similar to a palace made of alabaster, providing a visual of grandeur and majesty.
Rising to a snowy height.
The clouds were rising, and as they rose, they took on the appearance of a snow-covered mountain in the sky.
Each star its own Aurora Borealis,
Each of the stars in the sky created their own Aurora Borealis, suggesting a sky full of moving and colorful lights.
Suddenly you held me tight,
Suddenly, you held me tightly in your arms, displaying your love and affection.
I could see the midnight sun.
Your love made everything bright and beautiful, and I could see the midnight sun at that moment.
I can't explain the silver rain that found me,
I found myself at a loss of words when trying to explain the silver rain that surrounded me, which felt like a magical experience.
Or was that a moonlit veil?
I couldn't tell if what I was experiencing was just a moonlit veil, but I was immersed in a beautiful and magical environment.
The music of the universe around me,
The universe was creating beautiful music that surrounded me, much like the sounds of various instruments playing all at once.
Or was that a nightingale?
I wasn't sure if the beautiful music came from a nightingale, but nonetheless, it was harmonious and lovely to hear.
And then your arms miraculously found me,
Your arms found me by magic, and it felt like a miracle to be so close to you.
Suddenly, the sky turned pale,
In that moment, the sky became less vivid and bright as the love and affection between us seemed to take over.
I could see the midnight sun.
Your love was so bright and beautiful that I could see the midnight sun once again.
Was there such a night?
Did that night really happen? It still feels like a dream to me.
It's still a thrill I don't quite believe;
It's still exciting and breathtaking, yet difficult to accept that it really happened.
But after you were gone
After you left, that magical feeling slowly began to fade away.
There was still some stardust on my sleeve!
But even after you were gone, I could still feel the essence of your love and beauty in the form of stardust on my sleeve, reminding me of that magical moment.
The flame of it may dwindle to an ember,
Even though the passion and excitement can fade away with time, it still remains like a little fire still burning deep inside.
And the stars forget to shine,
And even if the stars above may not shine as brightly as before, the love and memories still resonate within.
And we may see the meadow in December,
Even if we see the meadow in December, which is typically barren and lifeless, the love shared between us still remains as pure and untouched as the winter snow.
Icy white and crystalline.
Like the beauty of ice crystals or snowflakes, the love shared between us remains pure, untouched, and everlasting.
But oh, my darlin', always I'll remember
My dearest, I will always remember that magical moment, even if the years begin to pass.
When your lips were close to mine,
I will always remember the magic of your warm lips close to mine, sealing our love and unforgettable moment together.
And I saw the midnight sun.
And I saw the midnight sun, the bright and beautiful passion and love that was shared between us.
The midnight sun,
The beautiful, bright, and everlasting love that will never fade away.
The midnight sun,
The love that shines brighter than the sun and stars we see at night.
The midnight sun,
The unforgettable love and memory that will always hold a special place in our hearts and minds.
The midnight sun.
The passionate and magical moment that we will always remember and cherish.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Johnny Mercer, Lionel Hampton, Sonny Burke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind