Night Moves

Wow... How can I say what this song means to me. I live across the river from Detroit, about a half-hour from where this song was recorded. Each and every time I hear this song, I am immediately transported to one particular time in my life. It was summer of 1985. My girlfriend at the time and I had been at a festival downtown and I kinda brought up the idea of looking at engagement rings. It was my way of proposing. She said yes, and we browsed, I found one, and bought it. Much later that night, I dropped her off, and began my 25 minute ride home. I was in my Dad's 1973 Plymouth Valiant. 2 A.M, at the intersection of Caron Avenue and Riverside Drive. The Detroit skyline off to my left. Christ it was hot. Muggy. The smell of new summer in the air. I have heard Seger perform this live, I have heard it on my zillion-dollar home stereo system, but it never sounded better to me than it did on that AM car radio. The DJ said "CKWW, Radio 580, it's 2 o'clock". Those rich strummed chords, and that husky voice. I sang along, on top of the world. My girl said "yes", and all was right with the world. I am still married to that same girl. We've been through deaths, births, 3 or 4 cars, some fancy vacations, a couple of houses, and that song is still something I hold near to my heart. Seger was right. Indeed... funny how you remember. Peace.

An interesting and unique song, to say the least. Here is my interpretation of it-

It starts with a teenager's awkwardness and insecurity regarding their own body image. It's interesting that Seger drives in the point of the "high/firm breasts" to contrast them with older females, who commonly have sagging/hanging/droopy breasts. Obviously her alluring body was etched and burned into his mind.

In the following verse, Seger lays down some beautiful, classic and wonderful imagery, of the mid-west, as well as late 1950s/early-60s classics such as drive-ins and Chevy cars. He is honest enough to admit both their lack of sexual knowledge and experience. It was a relationship that was sexual and exploratory in nature, more than based on romantic notions of love and such. "Working on mysteries without any clues." It's also where Seger sets the scene and uses the classic literary device of equating the four seasons, to the human aging process. (Spring- Birth, young childhood, mid-teens. Summer- Late Teens to adulthood. Autumn, the transition through middle-age, to old-age. Winter- Old age to eventual, enevitable, death).

Third verse, Seger finishes his description of the relationship and of their both being satisfied with the arrangement, neither having hopes or desires it would lead to anything more than great sex and great memories. At this point, the song makes a radical transformation; the symbolic description of the sexual act, using thunder and lightning as symbolic imagery-

And oh the wonder (The wonder and amazement of one's first sexual acts) Felt the lightning (They began the act of intercourse) And we waited on the thunder (They both waited in curiosity and anticipation of the inevitable climax) Waited on the thunder

Now, the song transcends itself, from rock song to masterpiece. Via narration, the boy, having now grown much older, states "I woke last night to the sound of thunder." I believe this to mean, he was wakened by a nocturnal emission(wet dream). His reference once again to the "thunder" of the previous verse. He was either dreaming about the sexual acts of his youth, or the incident simply made him think back to those early days with the girl. Once again, Seger is brilliant in his use of imagery- "How far off I sat and wondered, Started humming a song from 1962" How far off was the literal thunder from his bed, or how far off were the happy days of his youth? His humming a song from that era, answers that question for us. And he closes the song, by referencing "Autumn closing in." He is ready to enter a new phase in his life, that of the transition from middle-age to old-age. Clearly one of the best rock songs ever written.

Lyrically, quite possibly one of the greatest pop rock songs ever. I love how the lightning/thunder reference goes from youthful sexuality:

"And oh the wonder Felt the lightning And we waited on the thunder"

to age and the melancholy of death in one simple verse:

"I woke last night to the sound of thunder How far off I sat and wondered ....With autumn closing in"

This is a song any serious song writer should study. So compact, every line with significance and impact.

Aah, like for so many of you, this song makes me homesick for what is no longer there - mom and dad, home, high school, gravel roads, my (ahem) high school sweetheart. A moment in time, captured beautifully.

brilliant poetry

I'll add this note since no one else has. I have been waiting for another mild rockers song to come on the air ways with a better finish. All the way thru we millions can relate so well! Uh huh! Uh huh!

Cody

quite possibly my favorite song EVER. it's just wonderful to listen to. it's just so poetic:

Out in the back seat of my '60 Chevy Workin' on mysteries without any clues Workin' on our night moves Trying' to make some front page drive-in news

ohhhhh my god. brilliant song writing. i think the key is that everyone who experienced being a teenager has a pleasant memory like that, and this song can bring it back for them.

If somebody were to ask what one song sums up growing up a teenager in the Midwest I would tell them it's this song. The cornfields, the woods, the alleys, drive-ins and yes, the backseats. This is where we spent our teenage years. The way he captures the feel of the summer, the storms, the teenage boredom and restlessness is amazing. While not my favorite song of all time, I always say that if I could have written just one song it would be "Night Moves".

It's amazing the kind of memories that a simple song can stir up. When I take my car out on the rural highways on warm summer nights, this song acts as a direct channel back to my lost youth. There are certain, amazing songs that will do that to you and this is one of the best. I grew up on classic and Southern rock and have loved this song ever since I was a little ankle-biter. I remember hearing it while riding in my folks' old Chevy station wagon back in the early 80's and just being taken aback at how cool this song was. Forward to the future: My high school days in the 90's. You know, hanging out with my friends, getting into trouble, flying down the back roads (my county was rural back then), doing burnouts and racing on the highways. This was often one of the songs that would eminate from the car stereo during those times. Now, with age, comes responsiblity, bills and a bad economy. This song, especially in conjunction with my car, kinda takes all that away and all of the sudden, I'm 18 again. I drop it down a gear, listen to the motor wind up in the cool night air and relish the fleeting moment... Amazing...

"...started hummin' a song from 1962, Ain't it funny how the night moves..."

"Tight pants, points". I understood the tight pants part of being young and trying to look good, but I didn't understand "points" until I learned it was about his boots - with pointed toes. The "cool" look, but not too much, like most of us. lol.