“Southern nights
Have you ever felt a southern
night?
Free as a breeze
Not to mention the trees
Whistling tunes that you know and
love so
Southern nights
Just as good even when closed your
eyes
I apologize to anyone who can truly
say
That he’s found a better way
Southern skies
Have you ever noticed southern
skies?
Its precious beauty lies just
beyond the eye
It goes running through the soul
Like the stories told of old
Old man
He and his dog that walk that old
land
Every flower touched his cold hand
As he slowly walked by
Weeping willows would cry for joy
Joy
Feels so good it’s frightening
Wish I could
Stop this world from fighting
La-da-da-da-da, da-la-da-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da,
da-da-da
Mystery
Like this and many others
In the trees
Blow in the night
In the southern skies
Southern nights
They feel so good it’s frightening
Wish I could
Stop this world from fighting
Da-da-da-da-da…”
~ “Southern Nights”
~ written & recorded by Allen
Toussaint (1938-2015) from his 1975 album “Southern Nights,” and later recorded
by American country music singer Glen Campbell (1936-2017). It was the first
single released from Campbell’s 1977 album “Southern Nights” and reached number
one on three separate U.S. charts.
The
lyrics of “Southern Nights” were inspired by childhood memories Allen Toussaint
had of visiting relatives in the Louisiana backwoods, which often entailed storytelling
under star-filled nighttime skies. When Campbell heard Toussaint’s version, he
immediately identified with the lyrics which reminded him of his own youth
growing up on an Arkansas farm. In October 1976, Campbell recorded the song
with slightly modified lyrics.
The light of the looming autumn
sunset dances on a pine tree that provides some lovely evening shade on a
beautiful late October evening in the Lowcountry of Beaufort County, South
Carolina.
