Nights In White Satin
The Moody Blues Peter Knight London Festival Orchestra Lyrics
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Letters I've written, never meaning to send.
Beauty I'd always missed, with these eyes before,
Just what the truth is, I can't say anymore
'Cause I love you, yes I love you, oh how I love you
Gazing at people, some hand in hand,
Some try to tell me, thoughts they cannot defend,
Just what you want to be, you will be in the end
And I love you, yes I love you,
Oh how I love you, oh how I love you
Nights in white satin, never reaching the end,
Letters I've written, never meaning to send
Beauty I'd always missed, with these eyes before,
Just what the truth is, I can't say anymore
'Cause I love you, yes I love you
Oh how I love you, oh how I love you
'Cause I love you, yes I love you,
Oh how I love you, oh how I love you
The Moody Blues & The London Festival Orchestra's "Nights in White Satin" is a timeless classic that explores the complexities of love, loss, and self-discovery. The song's opening lines, "Nights in white satin, never reaching the end, letters I've written, never meaning to send," set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is lost in their own thoughts, unable to articulate their true feelings or find closure. This is reflected in the repeated refrain of "just what the truth is, I can't say anymore."
As the song progresses, the singer observes other couples and feels misunderstood by them. They long to communicate their innermost thoughts and feelings, but are unable to do so. The song's climax comes with the repetition of "yes I love you," which is both a declaration of love and an acknowledgement of the difficulty of expressing that love.
Overall, "Nights in White Satin" is a powerful meditation on the nature of communication and the limits of language. It captures the ineffable qualities of love and the longing to express that love, even when words fail us.
Line by Line Meaning
Nights in white satin, never reaching the end,
Endless nights of passion and longing, with no resolution or conclusion in sight.
Letters I've written, never meaning to send.
Desperate expressions of love, never intended to be communicated to the beloved.
Beauty I'd always missed, with these eyes before,
The singer has been blind to the beauty of the world and the person they love.
Just what the truth is, I can't say anymore
The singer is uncertain about what is true or real in their experience of love.
'Cause I love you, yes I love you, oh how I love you
The singer is professing their intense, passionate love for their beloved.
Gazing at people, some hand in hand,
The singer is envious of other couples who are in love and happy.
Just what I'm going through, they can't understand
Others cannot truly comprehend the depth of the singer's emotions and yearning.
Some try to tell me, thoughts they cannot defend,
Others try to offer advice or opinions on the singer's situation, but their words lack conviction or understanding.
Just what you want to be, you will be in the end
The singer believes that fate or destiny will determine the outcome of their love story.
'Cause I love you, yes I love you,
Reiterating the strong feelings of affection towards the beloved.
Oh how I love you, oh how I love you
Expressing the overwhelming intensity of the singer's emotions.
Nights in white satin, never reaching the end,
The refrain repeats the theme of endless, unfulfilled desire and longing.
Letters I've written, never meaning to send
The same line from earlier in the song is repeated, emphasizing the frustration and inability to express emotions fully.
Beauty I'd always missed, with these eyes before,
Repeating the idea that the singer is discovering a new beauty that they had not recognized before.
Just what the truth is, I can't say anymore
Once again expressing the uncertainty and confusion about the nature of the singer's feelings and experience.
'Cause I love you, yes I love you
Emphasizing the central theme of the song- passionate, obsessive love that remains unfulfilled and unresolved.
Oh how I love you, oh how I love you
The singer's love is all-consuming and overwhelming, despite the difficulties and obstacles in their relationship.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JUSTIN HAYWARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind