Band member Justin Hayward wrote the song at age 19 in Swindon, and titled the song after a girlfriend gave him a gift of satin bedsheets. The song itself was a tale of a yearning love from afar, which leads many aficionados to term it as a tale of unrequited love endured by Hayward.
The London Festival Orchestra provided the orchestral accompaniment for the introduction, the final rendition of the chorus, and the "final lament" section, all of this in the original album version. The "orchestral" sounds in the main body of the song were actually produced by Mike Pinder's Mellotron keyboard device, which would come to define the "Moody Blues sound".
Other cover versions (Selected artists)
Eric Burdon and War (The Black-Man's Burdon album, 1970)
Deodato (Deodato 2 album, 1973)
Giorgio Moroder (Knights in White Satin album, 1976)
The Shadows (Moonlight Shadows album, 1986) (Instrumental version)
Glenn Hughes with John Frusciante and Chad Smith (Music For The Divine album, 2006) (Used in the movie Stealth)
Transatlantic on their 2014 progressive rock album Kaleidoscope (bonus disc)
Transatlantic on their 2014 progressive rock album KaLIVEoscope (various editions)
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Nights In White Satin
Transatlantic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
'Cause I love you
Yes, I love you
Oh, how I love you
Gazing at people
Some hand in hand
Just what I'm going through
They can understand
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 song "Nights in White Satin" by Transatlantic is a beautiful and melancholic love song that talks about unrequited love and the longing for someone that is always present. The opening lyrics talk about the endless nights that the singer spends thinking about the person they love, but they never seem to be able to reach the end of their thoughts. The letters they've written are all left unsent because they don't know how to express their feelings.
The next lines describe how the singer always missed the beauty of the person they love and how they're not sure what the truth is anymore. They simply feel a deep, overwhelming love for this person, but they can't explain it. The chorus repeats this feeling, emphasizing the deep love the singer has for this person.
The third verse talks about the singer observing other people in love, and while they understand what it's like to be in love, they cannot understand the pain of unrequited love. Some try to give advice, but they cannot defend their thoughts because they don't have the same experience. The last chorus repeats the love the singer feels, ending the song on a bittersweet note.
Overall, "Nights in White Satin" captures the pain and beauty of unrequited love. The lyrics are poetic and powerful, evoking a sense of longing and nostalgia.
Line by Line Meaning
Nights in white satin
The nights are so bright and calming that it feels like I am surrounded by white satin fabric.
Never reaching the end
These beautiful nights are endless and never seem to end.
Letters I've written
I have written many letters, but I don't intend to send them to anyone.
Never meaning to send
The letters are personal and intimate, so sending them would be inappropriate.
Beauty I'd always missed
There are some beautiful things in life that I have always missed noticing with my own eyes.
With these eyes before
However, now that I see them with my own eyes, I feel grateful for the experience.
Just what the truth is
It's hard to understand what the truth is in life and what really matters.
I can't say anymore
As I grow older, I am less certain about the nature of the truth and less able to verbalize my understanding of it.
'Cause I love you
I am in love with someone, and this feeling is a source of happiness for me.
Gazing at people
I'm looking at other people around me.
Some hand in hand
Some of these people are holding hands with their loved ones.
Just what I'm going through
I am experiencing love, but it's hard to put into words what exactly it feels like.
They can understand
Other people who are also in love can relate to my emotions and experiences.
Some try to tell me
Some people try to give me advice about my love life.
Thoughts they cannot defend
However, their advice is flawed and they are not able to back up their thoughts with solid arguments.
Just what you want to be
You can be whoever you want to be in life if you have the determination and belief in yourself.
You will be in the end
If you have the courage to be true to yourself, you will eventually become the person you want to be.
Oh, how I love you
My love for this person is so strong and real that I can't help but express it over and over again.
Contributed by Nora J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@reginaoliveira4237
A vida dele não me informei, mas esta música 👂💨..e a maneira do batera Mike Portnoy neste vídeo sim !!!
Confesso que me chamou a atenção e vi o vídeo várias vezes 💫💫💫 e até comentei com meu professor Daniel Freitas / baterista..
As Técnicas do artista 🗯
Respeitou a música..
Teve elegância ao tocar ...
Agiu e reagiu na proporção que ela pediu..
Para mim esta música deve, sempre ser tocada da forma como ele fez ali no palco...
Se bem que..💭
Vai do sentimento momentâneo, a forma de tocar do artista
Viradas...intensidade nos toques em alguns momentos..
Vi outros mas confesso que, de todos, este vídeo é o que mais me agradou em todos os sentidos..
O profissionalismo..
Tiro aulas há 7 anos e ñ é um instrumento fácil ...
Prefiro ler 👁 do que criar!
Nem sempre, criar ou improvissar no palco fica legal.
Ele sabe fazer isso muito bem..👍
@reginaoliveira4237
A bateria escolhe o músico para ela..
Tem que nascer para tal instrumento..
Ela vai detectando as falhas no aprendiz..
Revela com detalhe onde o profissional está falhando, ou de repente começa devido a idade ou doença que surge sem ele saber..
É rápido e visível !!!
A parte neurológica funcionando 👍
Percepção...tbm
Audição ...
Velocidade se desenvolve até certo ponto
Tem gente que já nasce veloz..🏃♀️
Só lapidar !💎
Todos correrem, mas há os que se destacam ..
O artista foi muito bem elogiado na escola onde estudo música atualmente..
Tem batera que se sai bem no jazz..
Outros se destacam no samba..
Outros nascem ágil nos pés...
Alguns lendo partituras..
Outros tocam de tudo de ouvido..
Meu pai foi músico da polícia militar SP
Ipiranga ..
Tinha desfiles ...7 de setembro p tocar..
Tinha que estudar lendo partituras ..para tocar caixa
Deixou vários trabalhos criados por ele mesmo no quartel de Araçatuba
Tocou no carnaval dos anos 60 em Osasco onde morava e instrumento de sopro tbm..
Dos 3 filhos que deixou ( faleceu vai fazer 7anos neste mês) Só eu que estudo bateria há 7 anos e Agora guitarra..
Estou Terminando de estudar solos de quartel na caixa para entrar no pedal duplo..
Vou te falar...comecei aos 54 anos ..
Faço 61 a . este mês e não parei ...
Bateria me desliga dos aborrecimentos
Vou até qdo Deus permitir
Se um dia surgir doença, ela será a primeira revelar o problema para mim..
@charlesbishop4000
A wonderful job, displaying honor and respect for those who have gone before.
@fidelalarcon4156
Talento, dedicación y respeto, ingredientes fundamentales para una obra de arte.
@stefanozomparelli3961
Superb version great performing
@johnnyr2223
Transatlantic !!! what can I say......Nailed it !!!!!
@clintonscottwalsh
He sure did
@fabriziorubagotti4441
Excellent band! Amazing cover!
@LostChordMark
i enjoyed this more than the studio version - bold to cover Justin and co [aka Moody Blues] but i know it was done with love and respect!
@damarisaraneda9080
Gran belleza…. Si no me equivoco del álbum kaleidoscope ❤
@tariksba
Goosebumps ...
@vangelisideras
Muy bien la banda. Ray Thomas RIP