‘Because the Night’ is a rock song written by Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith that was first released in 1978 as a single from the Patti Smith Group album ‘Easter’. This version rose to No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as No. 5 in the UK.
In 1987, the song was ranked No. 116 on NME magazine's list of "The Top 150 Singles of All Time". It remains Patti Smith’s best-known song. In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 358 on the "Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". The Independent listed the song as one of the ten best new wave singles of 1978.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band recorded ‘Because the Night’ at Atlantic Studios, New York on June 1, 1977, the first day of sessions for Darkness on the Edge of Town, though the lyrics only consisted of the song title and some mumbling. Springsteen struggled with the song for almost four months until his engineer, Jimmy Iovine, got involved. At the time, Iovine was also producing the album Easter for Patti Smith at the Record Plant in New York, where Darkness was also being recorded.
Iovine says, "Now, Bruce was very understanding and very flexible, because he realized that this was my first real break as a producer. Anyway, one night whilst we were lounging around the Hotel Navarro in New York I told Bruce I desperately wanted a hit with Patti, that she deserved one. He agreed. As he had no immediate plans to put 'Because the Night' on an album, I said why not give it to Patti. Bruce replied, 'If she can do it, she can have it.'" Smith later recorded the song two months after Springsteen's original version was recorded. Smith added her own lyrics, recorded it, and scored her biggest hit single.
The song was first performed live at a Patti Smith concert at CBGB in New York City on December 30, 1977 (Smith's 31st birthday), with Springsteen joining on vocals and guitar.
Songwriters – Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith
Producer – Jimmy Iovine
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Take me now, baby, here as I am
Pull me close, try and understand
Desire is hunger is the fire I breathe
Love is a banquet on which we feed
[Pre-Chorus]
Come on now try and understand
The way I feel when I'm in your hands
Take my hand come undercover
They can't hurt you now
Can't hurt you now, can't hurt you now
[Chorus]
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to lust
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to us
[Verse 2]
Have I doubt when I'm alone
Love is a ring, the telephone
Love is an angel disguised as lust
Here in our bed until the morning comes
[Pre-Chorus]
Come on now try and understand
The way I feel under your command
Take my hand as the sun descends
They can't touch you now
Can't touch you now, can't touch you now
[Chorus]
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to lust
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to us
[Guitar Solo]
[Bridge]
With love we sleep
With doubt the vicious circle
Turn and burns
Without you I cannot live
Forgive, the yearning burning
I believe it's time, too real to feel
So touch me now, touch me now, touch me now
[Outro]
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to lust
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to us
Because tonight there are two lovers
If we believe in the night we trust
Because tonight belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to lust
Because tonight belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to lust
If we believe we belongs to lovers
If we believe we belongs to lust
Because tonight belongs to lovers
Because...