Songs of the Night
Table of Contents - Avril Lavigne. “Here’s to Never Growing Up.” Epic Records: 2013.
- Nicki Minaj. “The Night is Still Young” from The Pinkprint. Cirkut: 2014.
- Billy Joel. “Piano Man” from Piano Man. Columbia Records: 1973.
- One Direction. “Night Changes” from Four. Columbia Records: 2014.
- Maroon 5. “Memories” from Jordi. Interscope Records: 2021.
- Slowdive. “When the Sun Hits” from Souvlaki. Creation Records: 1993. Slowdive
- Ye Vagabonds, boygenius. “The Parting Glass.” Interscope Records: 2023.
Hype music plays as you fix your makeup, brush your teeth, and choose the perfect outfit. A rocking Taylor Swift or a few of those perfect pop-hits of the 2010s pervade the walls of your room. When you are finally ready to go, you jump in the car and connect your phone to the car speaker. You press play on that completely perfect playlist - the one with the calculated ratio of pop to rock to the occasional ballad (the kind you can belt sing, of course). You open up your car door as soon as the last note of your favorite song plays, and you know it’s going to be a good night when you not only hear, but literally feel the beat as you walk up to your destination.
Music can literally define an entire night, starting from the type of song you choose to get ready, and the last song you hear before you drift asleep. There are hundreds of stories that can be told in the thousands of seconds in a single evening, all while surrounded by the sounds of music. The songs we hear and sing together become our lines of connections with others, bridging gaps between those with completely different backgrounds. Songs of any type have a role in a “night-out,” but throughout the night, these songs typically morph to becoming fast-paced and lively pieces at the climax of the action. But as the end of the night comes, the Irish folk song “The Parting Glass,” is sung as friends join together once more, to create life-lasting connections with friends that become family. This song encapsulates the sentiments of all different genres of music played throughout the night, as they come together for the purpose of human connection.
The song, “Here’s to Never Growing Up,” begins with a propelling drum beat that begins to set the tone for the piece. The intention and percussive nature of each drum beat represents a sort of building - a building that represents the body’s adrenaline before embarking on a night’s journey. This is the perfect song as you await seeing your loved ones for the first time that night and experience the joys of connection, surrounded by your favorite music.
As the night’s action is just beginning, Nicki Minaj teaches us all that “The Night is Still Young.” The lyrics of this song are littered with alliteration. Alliteration allows lines to become more memorable when reciting them. So, the specific phrase, “Live in the present, that gift is for the gifted,” lends itself to telling an unforgettable “story” of the song. In an effective way, the listener can realize that living is an incredible gift. This song, and specifically this line, mark the beginning of the night, with more living to come.
Billy Joel’s “The Piano Man,” is arguably the greatest lyrical piece ever written. One of the song’s most recognizable and iconic lines goes “He says, ‘Son, can you play me a memory? I'm not really sure how it goes. But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete, when I wore a younger man's clothes." This masterfully crafted line contains an emotional example of being reminiscent of the past, something that every human faces; the line is especially effective due to this sense of relatability. This song symbolizes the point of the night when people begin opening up to each other and becoming vulnerable with feelings, in order to develop deeper connections with those they are surrounded by.
As the night progresses, it is human nature to start noticing that the end is coming, and that the “Night Changes.” But, at this point, relationships begin to progress to a new level at this point, and true lasting connections are being built. The lyrics, “But there's nothing to be afraid of even when the night changes… it will never change me and you,” includes repetition of the seemingly simple word “change.” But, this word carries so many meanings, and can include both positive and negative connotations. Change can be amazing, but change can be scary. The continued usage of the word lends itself to multiple different interpretations, just like the multiple different feelings you are feeling, as the night dawns on an ending.
The title of “Memories” itself relates to those longing nostalgic feelings, as referenced in the previous few songs. But, in this specific example, the lyrics have a different arrangement. The line, “Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not,” provides a powerful juxtaposition that contrasts the enjoyment of the moment, but also longing for a different scenario. This feeling typically strikes as the influences of the night tend to lead to large levels of vulnerability. The juxtaposition represents the magnitude of the internal battle between thinking of the present or the past that often comes with the feeling of an ending.
“When the Sun Hits,” includes a key central symbol, the sun, to represent the dawning of a new day, and the future. To this point, the songs discussed have related only to the past and the present. But, at this point, the sun, a bright and shining representation of day, represents the bright day awaiting. The entire song has a sort of light and exuberant musical feel to it, which again can be attributed to the feeling of newness, and lightness that contrasts the weight of the night.
We return to the “Parting Glass,” a sort of closing statement, and one that carries meanings of all three states: the past, the present, and the future. But, mainly, it slows down the pacing of the night. For a moment, when singing or listening to this song, everything just slows down for a moment of gratitude. And, the song itself clocks in at a tempo of 77 bpm, which genuinely causes a slowdown of your internal systems, after they have been going at a more rapid speed throughout the night. This song is the bow that ties the night together.
The night comes to an end, and in many cases, the sun may just be coming up. As you return home and you dawn on the night, you think of the connections you created with those, old and new, surrounded by new songs. The songs mirrored your feelings in a variety of ways, and you could relate to the words of each song, as you heard stories of the past, laughs of the present, and hopes for the future. Now, as you wait for the sun to come up on a new day, and begin again, you may recite, “Goodnight and joy be wi’ you all.”
This page has paths:
- "The Parting Glass" in Context Anya Rosenbloom