TheUglylucy4's video: Because the Night

"Because the Night" was written by Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith and was first released in 1978 as a single off the Patti Smith Group album Easter. The ballad peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 100 in the US and No. 5 in the UK. It has been covered by many artists but has never been released on any Springsteen studio LP. The only two commercially released recordings of the Springsteen version of the song were in the 1986 box set Live/1975–85...and the 2010 compilation album The Promise. "Because the Night" as recorded by both Springsteen and Smith presents two different lyrical versions. The song was originally recorded by Springsteen during sessions for his Darkness on the Edge of Town album. He was not satisfied with it knew he wasn't going to finish it. He gave this song to Smith because he thought it would suit her voice. He had the music and the chorus written, but not the verses. Smith wrote the words in one night while waiting for her husband to call...thus the line "Love is a ring, the telephone". She would go on and recast a lyrically different song only retaining the chorus "Because the night belongs to lovers". Smith's version made the song more of a passionate lust story, with the chorus of "Touch me now" at the end of the song. When Springsteen performed the song, his lyrics were more comforting to the girl, as he took the persona of a working man..."I work all day out in the hot sun"...tempering her fears with his love by saying "They can't hurt you now." The different versions provide an interesting contrast, as they show the perspectives of each side of the couple depicted in the song. Simply put, Springsteen's effort is more of a passionate love protection while Smith's is more of a sexual lust gathering. "Because the Night" rolls along the continued tradition of Springsteen writing hit songs that were popularized by other artists..."Blinded By The Light" was a hit for Manfred Mann and "Fire" scored big for The Pointer Sisters. Just another defining element of what a fabulous songwriter The Boss really is. Springsteen cut versions of "Because the Night" for Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River, but left it off both times. Must be great having so much music that you can afford to leave something this wonderful void of any LP.