The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
The night doesn't like it
Looks just like your face on the moon to me
And I won't let you do
What you want to do
It's funny how, even now, you're laughing.
I won't let you do it!
If you go, I'll let the law know
And they'll head you off when you touch the ground
Ooh, please, don't go through with this
I don't like the sound of it
It's funny how, even now, you're miles away
I won't let you do it
I won't let you do it
I won't let you go through with it!
Meet them over at Dover
I'll just pilot the motor
Take them over the water
With a hired plane
And no names mentioned
Tonight's the night of the flight
Before you know
I'll be over the water
Like a swallow
There's no risk
I'll whisk them up in no moonlight
And though pigs can fly
They'll never find us
Posing as the night
And I'm home before the morning
In Malta, catch a swallow
For all of the guilty to set them free
Wings fill the window
And they beat and bleed
They hold the sky on the other side of borderlines
Meet them over at Dover
I'll just pilot the motor
Take them over the water
Like a swallow flying to Malta
With a hired plane
And no names mentioned
Tonight's the night of the flight
Before you know
I'll be over the water
Like a swallow
There's no risk
I'll whisk them up in no moonlight
And though pigs can fly
They'll never find us
Posing as the night
And I'm home before the morning
Give me a break!
Oh, let me try!
Give me something to show
For my miserable life!
Give me something to take!
Would you break even my wings
Just like a swallow?
Let me, let me go
With a hired plane
And no names mentioned
Tonight's the night of the flight
Before you know
I'll be over the water
Like a swallow
("Let me, let me go!")
There's no risk
I'll whisk them up in no moonlight
And though pigs can fly
They'll never find us
Posing as the night
And I'm home before the morning
("Let me, let me go!")
With a hired plane
And no names mentioned
Tonight's the night of the flight
Before you know
I'll be over the water
Like a swallow
("Let me, let me go!")
There's no risk
I'll whisk them up in no moonlight
And though pigs can fly
They'll never find us
Posing as the night
And I'm home before the morning
But you're not a swallow!
Looks just like your face on the moon to me
And I won't let you do
What you want to do
It's funny how, even now, you're laughing.
I won't let you do it!
If you go, I'll let the law know
And they'll head you off when you touch the ground
Ooh, please, don't go through with this
I don't like the sound of it
It's funny how, even now, you're miles away
I won't let you do it
I won't let you do it
I won't let you go through with it!
Meet them over at Dover
I'll just pilot the motor
Take them over the water
With a hired plane
And no names mentioned
Tonight's the night of the flight
Before you know
I'll be over the water
Like a swallow
There's no risk
I'll whisk them up in no moonlight
And though pigs can fly
They'll never find us
Posing as the night
And I'm home before the morning
In Malta, catch a swallow
For all of the guilty to set them free
Wings fill the window
And they beat and bleed
They hold the sky on the other side of borderlines
Meet them over at Dover
I'll just pilot the motor
Take them over the water
Like a swallow flying to Malta
With a hired plane
And no names mentioned
Tonight's the night of the flight
Before you know
I'll be over the water
Like a swallow
There's no risk
I'll whisk them up in no moonlight
And though pigs can fly
They'll never find us
Posing as the night
And I'm home before the morning
Give me a break!
Oh, let me try!
Give me something to show
For my miserable life!
Give me something to take!
Would you break even my wings
Just like a swallow?
Let me, let me go
With a hired plane
And no names mentioned
Tonight's the night of the flight
Before you know
I'll be over the water
Like a swallow
("Let me, let me go!")
There's no risk
I'll whisk them up in no moonlight
And though pigs can fly
They'll never find us
Posing as the night
And I'm home before the morning
("Let me, let me go!")
With a hired plane
And no names mentioned
Tonight's the night of the flight
Before you know
I'll be over the water
Like a swallow
("Let me, let me go!")
There's no risk
I'll whisk them up in no moonlight
And though pigs can fly
They'll never find us
Posing as the night
And I'm home before the morning
But you're not a swallow!
Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Night of the Swallow Lyrics as written by Kate Bush
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Great version of a great song,
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First and foremost, this is one of Kate's top 5 songs for me and I love all her music. I especially love the polytonal thing she does so incredibly with the first lines, specifically on the words "night" and "like". She is the only singer I know that can pull that off so elegantly.
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