‘Last Night’ is a song by the English-American supergroup Traveling Wilburys, comprising George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. It was included on the debut studio album The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, which was released in October 1988. The album the peaked at No 5 on the US charts. Volume 1 became a surprise commercial success, reaching number 3 in the US and selling 2 million copies there within six months. It was released on October 24 in the UK [20] where it reached number 16. With over 50 weeks on the US charts, The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 was later certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
The Traveling Wilburys were perhaps the most accomplished supergroup that ever formed. Their five members were all future Rock and Roll Hall of Famers: Tom Petty, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne. They first got together to record a song for Harrison that ended up being "Handle With Care." They had so much fun working together that they decided to become a band and record an entire album, which they called Volume One.
They had less than two weeks to record the remaining nine songs for the album, so they were efficient, writing and recording roughly a song a day. ‘Last Night’ was one of the first tracks they came up with, putting it together by throwing out ideas and making sure not to overthink it. This is obvious in the lyrics, where they rhyme like pre-schoolers: “She was there at the bar, she heard my guitar: She was long and tall, she was the queen of them all.”
The song tells the story of a very memorable night when our hero meets a lithesome lady at a bar and earns an invitation to her room. It all goes according to plan until he asks her to marry him, perhaps in jest. She pulls out a knife and robs him. The story ends with the singer back in the bar, telling his tale. At least he got a song out of it. Tom Petty sang the verses on this one, with Roy Orbison taking the chorus. According to Petty, when the Wilburys wrote a song, they would each try singing lead and George Harrison would decide who sounded best.
Label – Warner Bros. Records
Songwriters – Tom Petty, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne
Producers – George Harrison, Jeff Lynne
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1: Tom Petty]She was there at the bar
She heard my guitar
She was long and tall
She was the queen of them all
[Chorus]
Last night
Thinking about last night
Last night
Thinking about last night
[Verse 2: Tom Petty]
She was dark and discreet
She was light on her feet
We went up to her room
And she lowered the boom
[Chorus]
Last night
Thinking about last night
Last night
Thinking about last night
[Verse 3: Roy Orbison]
Down below they danced and sang in the street
While up above the walls were steaming with heat
[Chorus]
Last night
Thinking about last night
Last night
Thinking about last night
[Verse 4: Tom Petty]
I was feeling no pain
Feeling good in my brain
I looked in her eyes
They were full of surprise
[Chorus]
Last night
Talking about last night
Last night
Talking about last night
[Verse 5: Roy Orbison]
I asked her to marry me, she smiled and pulled out a knife
The party's just beginning, she said, "Your money or your life?"
[Chorus]
Last night
Talking about last night
Last night
Talking about last night
[Verse 6: Tom Petty]
Now I'm back at the bar
She went a little too far
She done me wrong
All I got is this song
[Outro]
Last night
Thinking about last night
Last night
Thinking about last night
Last night
Talking about last night
Last night
Talking about last night
Last night
Thinking about last night
Last night
Thinking about last night