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.
The Night We Called It A Day
The Four Freshmen Lyrics
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But a cloud drifted over its face;
You kissed me and went on your way,
The night we called it a day.
I heard the song of the spheres,
Like a minor lament in my ears;
I hadn't the heart left to pray,
Soft through the dark,
The hoot of an owl in the sky;
Sad though his song,
No bluer was he than I!
The moon went down, stars were gone,
But the sun didn't rise with the dawn;
There wasn't a thing left to say
The night we called it a day.
The moon went down, stars were gone,
But the sun didn't rise with the dawn;
There wasn't a thing left to say, oooh!
The night we called it a day, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh!
The lyrics of The Four Freshmen's song The Night We Called It a Day are a poignant reflection on the end of a relationship. The opening lines, "There was a moon out in space, But a cloud drifted over its face," set a melancholic tone. The cloud obscuring the moon's light can be interpreted as a metaphor for the end of something that was once bright and full of promise.
The singer then refers to a kiss and the departure of the person they were with, suggesting that this was the end of a relationship. The line, "The night we called it a day," evokes the sense of finality and closure that comes with the end of a romantic connection.
The subsequent verses delve deeper into the singer's feelings of heartbreak and despair. The mention of the "song of the spheres" provides a haunting image of the silent void left behind by the absence of love. The owl's mournful hoot contributes to the pervasive sense of sadness, as the singer tries to find solace in nature but finds no comfort.
The repetition of the lines, "The moon went down, stars were gone, But the sun didn't rise with the dawn," underscores the singer's sense of disorientation and loss. Despite the passage of time, their world remains dark and empty. The final line, "There wasn't a thing left to say," suggests that the relationship had run its course and there was no point in trying to revive it.
Overall, The Night We Called It a Day is a beautifully crafted song that captures the poignancy and pain of romantic disappointment.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a moon out in space,
A large astral body could be seen in the sky,
But a cloud drifted over its face;
A wispy vaporous body obscured the view of the moon,
You kissed me and went on your way,
You gave me a brief farewell before departing,
The night we called it a day.
The evening on which our relationship came to an end.
I heard the song of the spheres,
I perceived the sound of celestial bodies in motion,
Like a minor lament in my ears;
It seemed melancholy or mournful to me,
I hadn't the heart left to pray,
I was devoid of the will to communicate with my god,
The night we called it a day.
The night our relationship came to a conclusion.
Soft through the dark,
Faintly in the midst of shadows,
The hoot of an owl in the sky;
The sound of a nocturnal bird could be heard overhead,
Sad though his song,
His melody was sorrowful,
No bluer was he than I!
He was just as melancholy as me!
The moon went down, stars were gone,
The moon disappeared, and the stars vanished from sight,
But the sun didn't rise with the dawn;
The sun did not appear during the early part of the day,
There wasn't a thing left to say...
There was nothing else to express or convey,
The night we called it a day.
The night that ended our relationship.
The moon went down, stars were gone,
The moon vanished, and the stars disappeared,
But the sun didn't rise with the dawn;
At the beginning of the day, the sun failed to appear,
There wasn't a thing left to say, oooh!
There was nothing left to communicate, ooh!
The night we called it a day, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh!
The night when we put an end to our relationship, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh!
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Matt Dennis, Tom Adair
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind