Album: Spectres (1977)

License This Song 

Songfacts®:

• A close listen reveals that this song is about a man who is bitten by a female vampire and turned into one:
  
  "Her kiss that night told me it was over" (his life)
  
  "One look in the mirror told me so" (he couldn't see his reflection, a sure sign that he's a vampire)
  
  In a Songfacts interview with Buck Dharma of Blue Öyster Cult, he explained: "That's one of the several songs about vampires that we've written over the years. The idea is, Let's paint vampires in an attractive and romantic light, which I think is one of the aspects of the vampire legend that is attractive."
• During this period, the members of Blue Öyster Cult would write songs at home and bring them in for the band to work on, which provided a lot of variety in their songs. This one was written by their guitarist Donald Roeser, who is also known as Buck Dharma. Keyboard player Allen Lanier told the NME in 1978: "I find Donald's supernatural songs more compelling. He has this way of writing so that in 'I Love The Night' the occult angle is secondary to the love aspect. An archetypal, bizarre situation becomes universal. Recently we were in San Bernardino, California and we heard 'Riders On The Storm' followed by 'I Love The Night' on the radio. It was a real thrill to see how they measured up to each other. Both had comparable qualities."
• The first three Blue Öyster Cult albums didn't contain any hits but earned the band a, er, cult following that appreciated their weighty sound and mysterious lyrics. Their fourth album, Agents Of Fortune, brought them into the open with "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," which got them on the charts for the first time and became a rock classic. The band came under pressure from their label and from themselves to find another hit, which affected the songwriting for their fifth album, Spectres. "I Love The Night" was crafted for radio and released as the first single, and it went nowhere. Another track on the album, "Godzilla," proved more enduring.

Comments: 9

• Ray from Las VegasVery interesting. My whole life I just had this idea that it was about a full moon .. or perhaps some sort of moon goddess apparition. If you're Catholic I suppose it could be about the Virgin Mary. The only part that confuses me is .. I guess in this version of vampires, they can be exposed to the sun? "The day is ok and the sun can be fun but I live to see those rays slip away." One of my all time favorite songs, from one of my all time favorite bands.
• Rlm from OzarksI never really listened to the story in the song. I was interested in the music and engineering, which are both amazing.
• Jim Lewies from Oshawa OntarioOf course vampires have been mysterious, dangerous, and sexual. This song took on a personal meaning to me. The woman who I had agreed to marry post pandemic ended up parting ways from me because of the challenges of day to day life in an emergency lockdown. Two of out wedding dates came and went with us still in lockdown. The night she left I came face to face with a lesbian who had never considered a man before meeting me. The secret that she did not know is that the woman I was to marry liked girls too. The match was good, but the timing was bad. The future is wide open, but life goes on around us and things seldom go according to plan. Thanks for years of music full of mystery and imagination, BOC
  
  Oh, yeah I rewrote the lyrics as a duet between myself and the lesbian that I met that night. She sings the parts assigned to the female paraphrased to say "Won't you please stay? I just can't look away because I've never seen a man quite like you" At the final chorus we turn to my wife-to-be (maybe) simply substituting we for I.
• Max from Salt Lake City, UtBOC has come right out and said this song is about Vampires.
  There is a small bridge piece, and final verse that was cut from the Spectres album, but is played live which makes it clear about the meaning.
  
  What hidden wonders now are there to see?
  They were pointed out to me.
  
  If only you had been there my dear
  We could have shared this together
  
  Missing verse:
  
  Now I never rise until sun falls.
  And my vision knows no walls.
  And i’m looking for ladies walking alone.
  They forget the day.
  When they hear me say.
  
  Then Chorus again
• Joe from Grants Pass, OrThis is still my fav of BOC..
• Joe from Grants Pass, OrAlan Lanier is SO underrated!
• Dane from Green Cove Springs Fla., FlCool song by a really underated band.Nice harmonies too.
• Paul from Rothesay, Nb, CanadaI saw BOC in the early 80's, supported by Aldo Nova. As we were leaving, following the encore, this song was blasting through the PA. A haunting song.
• Matt from Winter Park, FlI never associated this song with vampires. It's always been one of my favorite Blue Oyster Cult songs ever. I love the really chill vibe it gives off.

More Songfacts:

Pinball WizardThe Who

Pete Townshend wrote The Who's "Pinball Wizard" to coax a good review for the Tommy album out of a rock critic who loved pinball. It worked.

Livin' La Vida LocaRicky Martin

"Livin' La Vida Loca" is a Latin pop landmark, but "la vida loca" are the only Spanish words in the lyric - "mocha" is English.

Mr. Tambourine ManThe Byrds

"Mr. Tambourine Man" is the only song Bob Dylan wrote that became a #1 hit on the Hot 100. The Byrds' cover topped the chart in 1965.

Enter SandmanMetallica

The original "Enter Sandman" lyric was about crib death, with the "sandman" killing a baby.

AqualungJethro Tull

Jethro Tull lead singer Ian Anderson wrote "Aqualung" after looking at pictures of homeless men that his wife took. She got a co-writing credit on the song.

I'll Be Missing YouPuff Daddy

Puff Daddy didn't get permission to sample the Police song "Every Breath You Take" on his Notorious B.I.G. tribute "I'll Be Missing You," but he later reached an agreement and even performed the song with Sting.

Editor's Picks

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."

Loudon Wainwright IIISongwriter Interviews

"Dead Skunk" became a stinker for Loudon when he felt pressure to make another hit - his latest songs deal with mortality, his son Rufus, and picking up poop.

Jesus In Pop Hits: The Gospel Songs That Went MainstreamSong Writing

These overtly religious songs crossed over to the pop charts, despite resistance from fans, and in many cases, churches.

TV Theme SongsFact or Fiction

Was a Beatles song a TV theme? And who came up with those Fresh Prince and Sopranos songs?

Barney Hoskyns Explores The Forgotten History Of Woodstock, New YorkSong Writing

Our chat with Barney Hoskyns, who covers the wild years of Woodstock - the town, not the festival - in his book Small Town Talk.

Kim Thayil of SoundgardenSongwriter Interviews

Their frontman (Chris Cornell) started out as their drummer, so Soundgarden takes a linear approach when it comes to songwriting. Kim explains how they do it.