Four in the Morning (I Can't Take Anymore)

Album: Seven Wishes (1985)
Charted: 19
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was written by Night Ranger lead singer Jack Blades, and like "25 Or 6 To 4" by Chicago, the title describes the time of day he wrote the song. Blades told Songfacts: "Literally, I wrote that song at 4 in the morning. I mean, I woke up, and I had an idea, (singing) 'I can't take anymore, I can't fake anymore, it's such a hard time loving you.' It woke me up, so I thought, well, that's kind of neat. And then I'm thinking, What am I gonna call this song? I really don't want to call it 'I Can't Take Anymore, I Can't Fake Anymore,' I didn't like that. And so when I was sitting there at 4 in the morning, I was thinking, (singing) 'Four in the morning came without a warning,' because it just woke me up, and there I was. And so I ended up with that as a verse."
  • Blades sings about being tormented by love in this song, but in real life he's romantically stable, it's just that song ideas are constantly popping into his head. Says Blades: "My wife always laughs at me. My wife who I've been married to for 32 years, so Mollie and I have been together since 1976 or something like that. She laughs about the fact that I always have a song in my head, whether it's a melody, whether it's a song of mine, whether it's a song 'California Dreamin'',' there's always music in my head. Which is kind of bizarre. There isn't a time when there's not one song floating around in my head, whether it be an old song, a new song, an idea or something. And she always thinks that's really, really funny, because it's hard for me just to be still. (laughs) Because there's chatter, there's music going on my head all the time."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")Songwriter Interviews

Phil was a songwriter, producer and voice behind many Philadelphia soul classics. When disco hit, he got an interesting project: The Village People.

Dennis DeYoung

Dennis DeYoungSongwriter Interviews

Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."

Harold Brown of War

Harold Brown of WarSongwriter Interviews

A founding member of the band War, Harold gives a first-person account of one of the most important periods in music history.

Vince Clarke

Vince ClarkeSongwriter Interviews

An original member of Depeche Mode, Vince went on to form Erasure and Yaz.

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")Songwriter Interviews

Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.

Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum

Dave Pirner of Soul AsylumSongwriter Interviews

Dave explains how the video appropriated the meaning of "Runaway Train," and what he thought of getting parodied by Weird Al.