Midnight At The Oasis

Album: Maria Muldaur (1973)
Charted: 21 6
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  • Midnight at the oasis
    Send your camel to bed
    Shadows painting our faces
    Traces of romance in our heads
    Heaven's holding a half-moon
    Shining just for us
    Let's slip off to a sand dune, real soon
    And kick up a little dust

    Come on, Cactus is our friend
    He'll point out the way
    Come on, till the evening ends
    'Til the evening ends
    You don't have to answer
    There's no need to speak
    I'll be your belly dancer, prancer
    And you can be my sheik

    I know your daddy's a sultan
    A nomad known to all
    With fifty girls to attend him, they all send him
    Jump at his beck and call
    But you won't need no harem, honey
    When I'm by your side
    And you won't need no camel, no no
    When I take you for a ride
    Come on, Cactus is our friend
    He'll point out the way
    Come on, till the evening ends
    'Til the evening ends
    Midnight at the oasis
    Send your camel to bed
    Got shadows painting our faces
    And traces of romance in our heads

    Oh come on, oh come on
    Woo hoo hoo, yeah, oh yeah
    Oh oh, yeah, yeah Writer/s: DAVID NICHTERN
    Publisher: BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 30

  • Lost In Time from NcI was only 7 years old in 74 so no lusty thoughts, but this song will always be in my heart and head. Super great memories of my Mom and a ton of nostalgia here. The sultry smooth sounds of summer, riding in the backseat with my sister, singing along with Mom.
  • R Anderson from Catskill Ny I saw Miss Mauldaur open for Robin Trower at the Palladium in NY around 1980 what an odd opening act I thought. but I instantly fell in love with her what a class act an awesome performer her brother is an outstanding musician in his own right made a believer out of me shes got a great new album check it out.
  • D. Nelson from Portland OrMesmerizing almost 50 years later. I never tire of it and it often sticks in my head. Thank you. It’s part of my life’s soundtrack.
  • Sacalait from South LouisianaAh man... "Midnight at the Oasis" could well be in my top 10 all-time fave songs. I was living in Colorado then and maybe that's part of it but it was a magical time and that song always brings me back there. Nice. Glad you cut it girl!
  • Moanin' Lisa from Chillicothe Mo.One of my favorite songs of all time. It just reeks lust. I think those years were when I got my nickname Moanin' Lisa. LOL! Her voice & the instrumentation were perfect. Every time I hear it on the radio these days I stop and listen-----and reminisce about old loves. Oooooooo.......!!
  • Barry from Sauquoit, Ny'Send your camel to bed'
    On February 23rd 1974, Maria Muldaur performed "Midnight at the Oasis" on the syndicated TV program 'Don Kirshner's Rock Concert'...
    At the time the song was at #97 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart, it was also in its first week on the chart; and fourteen weeks later on May 26th, 1974 it would peak at #6 {for 1 week} and spent almost a half-year on the Top 100 {24 weeks}...
    On the same 'Rock Concert' show she also performed her only other Top 100 record, "I'm A Woman", it reached #12 {for 2 weeks} exactly one year later on February 23rd, 1975...
    Ms. Muldaur, born Maria Grazia Rosa Domenica D'Amato, will celebrate her 72nd birthday come this September 12th {2015}.
  • Bruce from San Jose, CaOh what fond memories this song evokes every time I hear it! I love the seduction of the song, the luscious and rich guitar work (I don't play the guitar but I "air guitar" right along with it as I listen - I'm such a dork! LOL)...and it is a romantic song in the "yearning-est" way... One could just change a few words and you could sing this as a wooing song to a lady-love, too....Ummm-mmmm.
  • Meocyber from Alma, Co Definitely, one of my top 1970's lust songs. Along with most any Linda Ronstadt or Donna Summer songs then. It has a very cool atmosphere of sensuality in an exotic desert setting. Her voice and lyrics = perfection.
  • Cary from Raeford, NcPat in Albuquerque. There was a hit single from 'Waitress In A Donut Shop.' "I'm A Woman" went to #12 on Hot 100, no small feat. You never hear it anymore, but I remember it well. Maria Muldaur is NOT a one-hit wonder. She is a two-hit wonder.
  • Joni from Louisville, Kythis is a beautiful song but was quite risque back then. I was working a summer job at a pickle factory at $2.10/hr and would get in my parents '65 Mustang on I-65 at 2am after work with windows down playing this song. Wow, what a feeling!
  • Esskayess from Dallas, TxHow can anyone sing "Send your camel to bed" with a straight face? I certainly hope the singer in question was more appealing than one of those foul creatures.
  • Doug from South Guildford, Wa, AustraliaLove it. I saw Maria M. at Ronnie Scott's(?) jazz club in London in about 1984. As I recall she regretted being widely known only for this song. I found she is in fact a great jazz singer & bought her tape which I still have somewhere - must find out what she's released on CD. Check the Brand New heavies cover too. Well spotted that man - no cactus in Arabia.
  • Brian from Los Angeles, CaI love this song, freebo's bass playing is smooth and that guitar solo is great, such amazing chord changes.. Has anyone here heard any of Freebo's latest music, its really great americana, folk, blues, stuff... I found it recently while looking up bonnie raitt. check his website freebomusic.com, i feel like a publist. I just want more people to like good music instead of this pop crap..
  • Pat from Big Beach, NsGuitar on "Midnight" was by the seminal Amos Garrett, who also worked with Doug Sahm, Gene Taylor, Geoff Muldaur, Paul Butterfield, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Elvin Bishop, Todd Rundgren, and Bonny Raitt, just to name a few.

    http://www.melmusic.com/amos_garrett/
  • Steve Dotstar from Los Angeles, Calong live the genius of arranger Nick DeCaro, who worked a bit of his magic here on this tune!
    RIP, Nick
  • Rodney from Chicago, IlMidnight at the oasis is in a class by itself! The style alone treaded on new turf. That guitarist did an amazing solo!! I'm navigating this site trying to fing the name of the guitarist.
  • Garry from Gold Coast, AustraliaThe song was written by David NICHTER. The cheeky double entendres of the "dirty flirty" lyrics are great, although I wonder how many people spot the glaring mistake in them.

    The lyrics are all about oases, dunes, camels and sultans- which all relate to the Arabian desert. Then there's the chorus refering to cactus, which are North American.

  • Fred from Laurel, MdPat/Albuquerque--Not so! There was a single from "Waitress in a Donut Shop," namely, "Gringo en Mexico," penned by Wendy Waldman, although I don't think it sold many copies. I (or one of my sisters) used to have the 45 when we lived back home, but I haven't seen it in decades. It may be my favorite song of hers. It pours forth even more of the joy of Wendy's composition than Wendy's own recording, which itself is no slouch, either, let me tell you! The Wiki article on Maria shows an album about every other year from back then until now, so she certainly hasn't slacked off. Unfortunately, that article doesn't list her singles. Maybe someone here with enough knowledge can add to that Wiki article? And although I have the words down for the English portion of the lyrics, I haven't a clue what the part in Spanish is saying, and I can't find the song's lyrics on any other lyrics site, or by Googling. Can anyone get those lyrics up here, complete with the Spanish?
  • Ken from Louisville, KyMuldhaur wasn't exactly a one hit wonder. She had minor hits after this with the songs "I'm A Woman" and "If You Feel My Leg".
  • Don from Indianapolis, InHey I agree with you Guy in Woodinville, WA. Today's artists just can't duplicate this "subtle", erotic way of singing, and make is sound so good! And Maria's voice just sends it over the top! Just one of my "guilty listening pleasures" from my Senior Year in '74.
  • Mitch from Miami Beach, FlI've seen her perofrm with the Jerry Garcia Band years ago. Great talent!
  • N from Staten Island, NyThis song was a hit in the spring/summer of 1974, during my senior year of H.S. It brings back memories of that lazy last semester before college and adulthood.
  • Mike from Verona, VaIn May of 1974 I bought a brand new 1974 Dodge Charger. Upon leaving the dealer's lot, I turned on the AM radio and what song was on? "Midnight At The Oasis" by Maria Muldaur. Now every time I hear that song, I think of that car and that moment. Priceless!
  • Guy from Woodinville, WaThis song has some of the cleverest double-entendre sexually-charged lyrics ever written! Plus she completely captures it all in a delightful flirty mood. As Leya Qwest sez, it's an "exquisite gem" of a song.

    Maria did indeed sing with Dylan and Sebastion in Greenwich Village in the 60s--she's been around.
  • Michelle from Wilmington, DeThis is such a grrrrrrrrrrrrreat song I love it! It's a story telling song an art that seems lost in today's music!
  • Kathleen from Palm Springs, CaWe are attending a theme party this June and I was delighted to hear it will be "Midnight at the Oasis" one of my favorite songs and singers(Maria Muldaur) I am hinking od ideas of what to wear...
  • Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScI didn't know Maria Muldaur did this song. She has a beautiful voice.
  • Leya Qwest from Anchorage, AkThis one hit wonder is forever an exquisite gem from the realm of mystery and magic that was the seventies. Ha! Ha! As I hear it, Maria performed during the early 1960s in Greenwich Village with Bob Dylan and John Sebastian. Who knew?
  • Neil from Middlesbrough, United StatesThe Brand New Heavies - Midnight At The Oasis
    this is one of the best cover version you could get.
    this version i think is a better version but it might be it got a newer sound to it.
  • Pat from Albuquerque, NmThere were a lot of young guys (including me) in love with Maria's voice and personality when this song came out. She also put out another album, "Waitress in a Donut Shop," that was as good as or better than the album that "Midnight" was on, but no single came out of it. Too bad--she's (still) a great singer.
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