Because The Night

Album: Easter (1978)
Charted: 5 13
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  • 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

    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

    Because the night belongs to lovers
    Because the night belongs to love
    Because the night belongs to lovers
    Because the night belongs to us

    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

    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

    Because the night belongs to lovers
    Because the night belongs to love
    Because the night belongs to lovers
    Because the night belongs to us

    With love we sleep
    With doubt the vicious circle
    Turns and burns
    Without you, oh, 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

    Because the night belongs to lovers
    Because the night belongs to love
    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 the night belongs to lovers
    Because the night belongs to love

    Because the night belongs to lovers
    Because the night belongs to love
    'Cause we believe tonight we're lovers
    'Cause we believe, in the night we trust
    Because the night belongs to lovers Writer/s: Bruce Springsteen, Patricia Lee Smith
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 15

  • John P from Los AngelesAt the 2013 Music Cares benefit, different musicians did covers of Bruce Springsteen songs. Patti Smith performed this one in masterful fashion, and at one point in the end sang the lyrics like so, "Because the night belongs to lovers, because THIS NIGHT BELONGS TO BRUCE!" Crowd went wild.
  • Dean from Birmingham, AlAnother great song from the 70's, the best decade in my opinion!
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 23rd 1978, Patti Smith performed "Because The Night" on the NBC-TV program 'The Midnight Special'...
    Two months earlier on April 2nd, 1978 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #82; and on June 18th it peaked at #13 (for 2 weeks) and spent 18 weeks on the Top 100...
    At the time of her appearance on the show the song was in its first of two weeks at #13...
    Ms. Smith will celebrate her 68th birthday this coming December 30th, 2014.
  • Fred from Laurel, MdI'm something of a passive Patti Smith fan -- I dig this and Horses. But I've never actively sought out her other material. I also absolutely adore Natalie Merchant, and I like her version of this song. But sorry, Patti's version totally blows away the one on the Maniacs' MTV Unplugged album. I don't agree with Rob/Santa Monica about the Maniacs' version being an abomination -- it's nice. But maybe that's precisely the trouble with it. Too nice. This song SCREAMS for a wild, sex-starved performance. I'm wondering whether even Patti's version might be too tame.
  • Kitten Of Doom from San Jose, CaThe first comment is WRONG. "Dancing Barefoot" is a classic that should be added to the Songfacts database.
  • N.i. from Baltimore, MdThough I am a Patti Smith fan, the Maniacs version of this song is 10,000 times better than the Smith one, IMHO.
  • Melynie from Yuba City, CaKeel did a cover of this song in 1986 on their album The Final Frontier.
  • Lester from New York City, NyPatti Smith is an uncredited co-writer of Blue Oyster Cult's 'Don't Fear the Reaper'.
  • Joycemorrison from Phokay, so twas the 10,000 Maniacs version i heard first... and i liked it. i was a lil surprised when i learned that Patty was the original artist... but i liked that fact even more. and to cap it all, i find out now that this was the brainchild of Bruce! whew. i like this song so much it is playing in one of my webpages. =)
  • Stephanie from Denver, CoIt is very interesting the ties that Patti Smith has with Natalie Merchant. They both had the same producer for some time, Jimmy Iovine and both have a love for acid rock. They both are excellent singers.
  • Scott from Bronx, Ny, NyREM's lead singer Micael Stipe did a great version of this during the Springsteen set of the Vote for Change concert tours. What was so nice about it was that he used his friend Patti Smiths lyrics instead of bruce's during the song, which had been played alot during the end of the Rising Springsteen tour with Bruce lyrics. It was nice for bruce fans to see it done differently by someone else. Nils lofgrin also sang a great version of this during Springsteens Holiday shows in 2003 in Asbury park
  • Craig from Madison, WiI have an affinity for the 10,000 Maniacs version. Not near as good as Patti's, but I had such a crush on Natalie Merchant in my boyish romantic days. I saw her as purity and light, and I goofily thought it would be swell to just hold her hand and gaze. Hearing her sing "Take me now (etc)," was extremely...uh...well, I never thought she could talk like that. I liked it.
  • Andy from Chattanooga, TnSpringsteen gave away material that another artist would have kept usually because the material did not fit the mood of the album he was working on (Pointer Sister's 'Fire' is another example). This is one of those. Patti Smith finished his music and chorus.
  • Rob from Santa Monica, Ca10,000 Maniacs' version of this song is an abomination. Natalie Merchant sucks out all the menace and tension from the lyrics that are central to its theme. She is bland beyond words.
  • Eddie from Lachine, Mi10,000 Maniacs did an excellent version on their MTV Unplugged album.
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