‘Night Moves’ is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Seger. It was the lead single from his ninth studio album of the same name (1976). It reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Seger's first hit single since ‘Ramblin' Gamblin' Man’ from 1969. It also charted at number five in Canada and was a top 25 hit in Australia. The song was responsible for changing Seger from being a popular regional favorite into a national star.
‘Night Moves’ has roots in Seger's adolescence; he wrote the song in an attempt to capture the "freedom and looseness" he experienced during that period of his life. At a certain point, he began socializing with a rougher crowd, who thought he was cool because he played music. The song's contents are largely autobiographical; for example, the group of friends would often hold parties they called "grassers", which involved going to a farmer's field outside Ann Arbor to dance. Through these, he met a woman—credited as Rene Andretti in the Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings—whose boyfriend was in the military and was away. "It's about this dark-haired Italian girl that I went out with when I was 19, she was one year older than me," he later recalled. Seger promptly pursued a romance with the girl, but eventually her boyfriend returned and they married, leaving Seger broken-hearted. Seger later told journalist Timothy White that many of his early songs were written to impress the girl.
‘Night Moves’ was a commercial success in the United States. It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the week of December 11, 1976 at number 85, gradually rising over the ensuing weeks to a peak of number four on March 12, 1977, a position it held for two weeks. ‘Night Moves’ was Seger's first single to chart in the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. In total, it spent 21 weeks on the chart. In Canada, the song debuted on RPM's Top Singles chart at number 93 in the issue dated December 18, 1976, eventually rising over the course of twelve weeks to a peak of number five on March 12, 1977. The song also charted in Australasian territories: in Australia, it peaked at number 25 on the national charts, and in New Zealand, it reached a peak of number 39. The song did not chart in the United Kingdom until 1995, when it peaked at a position of 45 on April 30, 1995.
‘Night Moves’ was named by Rolling Stone as Best Single of the Year for 1977 and was included in their list of the Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at No. 301. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame named it one of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll, Seger's only such selection.
Label – CapitolSongwriter – Bob Seger
Producers – Jack Richardson, Bob Seger, Punch Andrews
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]
I was a little too tallCould've used a few pounds
Tight pants points hardly renown
She was a black haired beauty with big dark eyes
And points all her own, sitting way up high
Way up firm and high
[Verse 2]
Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy
Out in the back seat of my '60 Chevy
Workin' on mysteries without any clues
[Chorus]
Workin' on our night moves
Trying' to make some front page drive-in news
Workin' on our night moves
In the summertime (Mmm)
In the sweet summertime
[Verse 3]
We weren't in love, oh no far from it
We weren't searchin’ for some pie in the sky summit
We were just young and restless and bored
Living by the sword
And we'd steal away every chance we could
To the backroom, to the alley, or the trusty woods
I used her, she used me
But neither one cared
We were getting our share
[Chorus]
Workin' on our night moves
Trying to lose the awkward teenage blues
Workin' on our night moves
Mmm, and it was summertime
Mmm, sweet summertime, summertime
[Bridge]
And oh the wonder
Felt the lightning
Yeah, and we waited on the thunder
Waited on the thunder
[Verse 4]
I woke last night to the sound of thunder
How far off I sat and wondered
Started humming a song from 1962
Ain't it funny how the night moves
When you just don't seem to have as much to lose
Strange how the night moves
With autumn closing in
[Outro]
Mmm, night moves (Mmm)
Night moves (Night moves)
Night moves (Yeah)
Night moves (I remember)
Night moves (Ah, sure remember the night moves)
Night moves (Ain't it funny how you remember?)
Night moves (Funny how you remember)
Night moves (I remember, I remember, I remember, I remember)
Night moves (Oh, oh, oh)
Night moves (We were working, working and practicing)
Night moves (Working and practicing)
Night moves (Oh for the night moves, night moves)
Night moves (Oh)
Night moves (I remember, yeah yeah yeah)
Night moves (I remember, ooh)
Night moves (I remember, Lord I remember)
Night moves (Lord I remember, huh huh)
Ooh
Oh yeah yeah yeah
Uh huh, uh huh
I remember, I remember