Winwood, Steve - Talking Back To The Night Lyrics
High above the heat of a summer New York street
An out-of-work musician plays a solo saxophone
He's a preacher and a teacher
And he stands up all alone
A poet in his madness tries to find another line
And he's losing and he's using
And he says he's doing fine
And they look from such a height
That somehow it's all right
They're talking back to the night
It's all that they can do
Talking back to the night
It's how they make it through
Their voices draw you near them
They're talking back to the night for you
Something seems to take every dime the man can make
His dream is getting smaller and he wonders where to turn
And he's trying hard to make it
And he's trying not to burn
Woman never minds, pulls the shade and draws the blinds
She takes him in the darkness where the loneliest can feed
She gives him all she has to
And it's no more than he needs
Other Lyrics by Artist
- Winwood, Steve - The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys
- Winwood, Steve - Spy In The House Of Love
- Winwood, Steve - One And Only Man
- Winwood, Steve - Don't You Know What The Night Can Do?
- Winwood, Steve - Roll With It
- Winwood, Steve - The Finer Things
- Winwood, Steve - Back In The High Life Again
- Winwood, Steve - Freedom Overspill
- Winwood, Steve - Higher Love
- Winwood, Steve - Angel Of Mercy
- Winwood, Steve - Just Wanna Have Some Fun
- Winwood, Steve - Lord Of The Street
- Winwood, Steve - Plenty Lovin'
- Winwood, Steve - Family Affair
- Winwood, Steve - Someone Like You
- Winwood, Steve - Gotta Get Back To My Baby
- Winwood, Steve - Fill Me Up
- Winwood, Steve - Real Love
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Winwood, Steve Talking Back To The Night Comments
Hope you slept well.
Hush, don’t worry.
Everything will be fine,
Miss Dianna.
It is eerily sad and yet mystically beautiful ; only GOD can inspire something like this
Feeling like a Miller Lite anyone? lol.
I don't know what I'd do without, STEVE WINWOOD'S music in my life?
This song takes me back to weekends partying in Columbia, South Carolina back in the 80s. Huger Street! Oh my yes!
I saw him playing this as part of arc of a diver tour like it was yesterday
Wish they had lyric video for this song
Great song my bf played this for me yesterday and it's stuck in my head now, great talent right here.
I gotta get back to New York.
It is a pity but it seems this song was never really good recorded or remixed, so no one
can make it better.........This song should be Re - Recorded ! It would be a HUGE HIT all
around this planet, even over 30 Years after his first release.........it's not to late STEVE !
This song: spirit of the New York´s night!
Thank you for this incredibly wonderful song. Winwood was at his BEST during this time period. Anyone know who is playing sax here...great job!
Steve is a genius.
Smooth & sexy 80's song. Steve Winwood does it right & that saxophone is spine tingling. I dare ya to not feel the urge to get up & move to the music!
Loved it, thank you.
I once got a radio dj in 1983 on Good Friday play This song and track as well as Joe Cocker's version, back to back.
Genio musical, y pensar toda la basura de artistas que tenemos que oir actualmente solo por su imagen comercial
A gloomy jazz classic that perfectly captures nighttime perfectly with the excellent vocals and instrument playing of the superb Traffic member Steve winwood! Steve is all my 3rd alltime favorite singer. From his smashing Traffic days all the way up to his solo career has made him by far one of the most amazing artists ive ever seen!!! All the albums i have of this magnificent singer are my most treasured cds that i feel EXTREMELY honored to have!!!!
👍💯💕
This track is one of his best by far. It's some late night fire for sure. 🔥
My favorite winwood song!!!
His 1982 album was so poorly produced. I have a feeling winwood knew and wanted to spice up the songs
A timeless classic that sends shivers down my back every time I hear it. The quintessential Steve Winwood.
I used to have the Chronicles album on CD
Arc of a Diver was my wedding music...marriage didn't last, but the music did/does...
Belle chanson, ma chanson préférée de tous les temps.
There are many videos of this awesome song on YouTube, but this one has to be my favorite as it PERFECTLY captures the overall feel & the lyrics!!!!!!!
High above the heat
Of a summer New York street
An out-of-work musician
Plays a solo saxophone
He's a preacher and a teacher
And he stands up all alone
Stranded in the dark
Of a vision in the park
A poet in his madness
Tries to find another line
And he's losing and he's using
And he says he's doing fine
And they look from such a height
That somehow it's all right
They're talking back to the night
It's all that they can do
Talking back to the night
It's how they make it through
If you listen you can hear them
Their voices draw you near them
They're talking back to the night for you
Something seems to take
Every dime the man can make
His dream is getting smaller
And he wonders where to turn
And he's trying hard to make it
And he's trying not to burn
Woman never minds,
Pulls the shade and draws the blinds
She takes him in the darkness
Where the loneliest can feed
She gives him all she has to
And it's no more than he needs
And they look from such a height
That somehow it's all right
They're talking back to the night
It's all that they can do
Talking back to the night
It's how they make it through
If you listen you can hear them
Their voices draw you near them
They're talking back to the night for you
And they look from such a height
That somehow it's all right
They're talking back to the night
It's all that they can do
Talking back to the night...........
great Michelob commercial. I believe the commercial debut on Miami Vice.
Steve Winwood played all instruments on this song.... what an incredible talent!
All time favorite
This song I dreamed about me driving my Trans Am on the 405 freeway late at night at 75 mph while listening to this song!🙂
It's hard to get to that speed with all the traffic these days. 😶🙂😑
What an amazing song most likely the best tune saks drums liriks sound talk about perfection artists are no longer what they used to be. Much admire and respect for artist like this gosh do i miss the 80s music the greatest era in the industry and why is it so because the sound was revolutionized in stereo in the 80s !!!👍
work of art :))
i cannot describe my feelings when hear this song. LA, night time, 80s movie credits, dawn birds flying.. Im thrown back to the first time i heard this song: at an internet cafe in Dublin, 2006. I was on a hunt for 80s tracks... still am. There's something so haunting about this song..
That saxophone is so smooth...too smooth!!!
It's way better than the original.
Making Love Music in the Moonlight to Tlking Back to the Night you have Done it Again Steve another Masterpiece of Funky Sexy Music
I have a man-crush on Steve Winwood
The 80s AND the 90s (mostly) were a time where you could enhance the produced sound of a song WITHOUT covering up the sound of the talent that made the song. This song is WAY better than the original, but you still hear how beautiful Steve's voice is.
Steve does it all: band leader, composer, keyboards, guitar. But it was his voice that always grabbed me.
I used to have the Chronicles album on CD
Best hear in the wee hours before dawn
I love this song, but it doesn't have as much of the sax solo in the first part as the beer commercial. I'd love to find a version of it with the added sax solo on the recording.
Had his greatest hits cassette in the early 1990s and always thought this was the best song. Still do.
Steve winwood has an incredible, pure singing voice. You can't cover up how great it is, you can only just elevate the material, which they obviously did with Chronicles and talking back to the nighr
I want a top 20 list of songs from the 80s...with this song in there somewhere
Possible u
Reminds me so much of the 80's. Hot summers in NYC. Fine ladies short skirts or tight pants with thier high hairstyles done up and of course downing cold Michelob. Great times!
Riding back home after a long night working,drinking and womanizing. Hop into my 88 mustang ,head north 94 with windows down.. ...doing ....mph.Listening to Windwood. Great times!!!
The Night Belongs to Michelob.
Jason Mault damn right it does! https://youtu.be/MmfEiEmfVT0
It belongs to heinkin
Wonderful music...
Theirs, God, then Jesus Christ, then Steve Windwood.... Geo....
Master at work
Who's the bassist? Love it!
It = baseline ... I assume bassist is he / she 😝
Steve playing Mini Moog bass !
Such a cool 80s song, still sounds great.
Norm Fossmeyer you bet your ass!
The ultimate cool!!
The Finer Things
This song makes me want to grab a cold Michelob.
Amy Collins yeah that's just what i was thinking lol
Beautiful beat
Perfect for a twilight summer, around 20:30 pm...on atop of a hill with an open-wide view upon a suburban scenery view, dissappearing as long the remaining sunlight still stands...clear skies, nice breeze. Man, that's awesome! Some of those things that I'm grateful for being alive!
absolutely magnificent
His best song, imo. And I never hear it on stations that play a ton of 80's songs.
listened to this cassette in 3- F 150s rolling the roads, one of my favorites~~~~
The Night brings out the passion in everyone.
The beautiful night, that has a thousand eyes, and a voice and a cloud and a delight that comes out alright in the tranquil light.
that sax comes in around 2:28 is smooth as hell...
Great images selected to tell the song's story!!!
classy :)
Modern urban life captured perfectly in five and a half minutes of music. :)
my most watched video and tops in favorite songs~~~
Pulls you in .... love this ............Talk back !!
How can 'While you see a chance' and 'Valerie' be two of my favorite songs and then dislike this song so much? It almost makes me angry that I dislike it as much as I do. I tried to like it and then I realized it was wasting my time. Then I resented it for just being there. Then 'Higher love' came out and I had the same problem.
In reality, you are actually talking about two different genres. Valerie, and While You See a Chance, were pure pop, with very little of Steve's grittier soul influences (Ray Charles, and Joe Cocker, to name a few...) in evidence. "Talking Back..." was Steve's stated desire to give tribute, to those who had influenced him over the years... and so it has more of a "soul" feel to it. It's an acquired taste, and not for everybody.
How can you hate this song? It's awesome. I play it every summer
One of the true greats.
Beautifully done. Thanks. The images are perfect.
I agree. The remix is better than the original, which was too slow and hollow.
The ultimate in "mood" music...wonderful
Steve Winwood could fart and burp and have a great groove.
LOL! OMG! That is the funniest thing I've ever heard. And I'm saying this while I'm still laugh exclamation. Lol! Again.
I was a metal head back in the day, but now when I listen to songs like Talking Back to the Night it brings back these haunting memories of a time and a place indelible in the essence of my life. I remember living in Hollywood back in 1987 and hearing this on the radio. although I wanted to be in a metal band it's the songs like this that really remind me of what the 80s were all about....
That's a way cool testimony, man.
LOVE this remix!!!
Listen to "The BPM's". It's the greatest rock 'n' roll song ever for bikers. It will rival Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild". It will be a neo-classic.
It's an Urban thing. You wouldn't understand.
Paul Shalom like what because we screwed up early in our life and now work harder later in our life because of younger mistakes thats what this song is about and the very moment i had the chance for this babe but fked it up
@David Hughart Well I was referring to the images of this video and the vibe of this song having an urban appeal. I just checked the lyrics though and you're right. Those things are what this song is about. Sorry to hear about the one that got away. I sometimes feel the same way.
+Paul Shalom et.al. Consider that while these indeed are images of NYC, look deeper into each one along with the lyrics they correspond to. You will see that they do follow what Steve W. is singing about. i.e ' using and he's losing ' 'says he's doing fine': the person drinking by himself at the bar. 'Woman in the dark / gives him what he needs' The couple in the dim apt. The images of the person on the street, head against a wall., seemingly at wits end. etc. etc. These are a few examples of the 'tie-in' photos that relate directly to the lyrics. In all the videos I produce maintaining image relation to lyrics and music itself are highly important. Of course individual interpretations are always welcome and sometimes more eye opening Thanks for viewing and commenting !
@sturoc0 Right, I picked up on the images used once I had a grasp of the lyrics. Good theme. I was raised in the Bronx myself. Thanks for your interpretation of this beautiful Masterpiece.
I was on this album the moment it hit the shelves. The remix is nice for the hits albums, But give me the original from the original album every time. It Fits better with the whole album of lows and highs
And the dark mood and feel are so much more fitting to the lyrics....maybe the darkest moodiest song Steve ever made....Along with 'Withering Tree'
Great city driving song
yes. yes it is.
VERY PERFECT MUSIC MAN VERY THANKS GOOD BLEES 80S BEST
...Sweet 80`s
I remember that when I played Steve Winwood's 1987 compilation album "Chronicles" for the first time (as I had received this album as a gift for Christmas 1987) how this particular song not only finished out Side 2 of "Chronicles", but it also had quite a "Jazzy" beat and tempo to it as well.
Moreover, not only was in high school at the time (for I was a Grade 12 student at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Collegiate Institute out in my hometown of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada during the 1987-88 school year), but I also clearly remember how my fellow students would snidely remark to me, "Steve Winwood sucks!"
Nevertheless, I guess that I confidently remark nearly 30 years later (especially when I officially joined the well-known public speaking organization Toastmasters International back in July 2013) that I have always had good taste in music, even when I was a teenager, for I have "Back In The High Life", "Chronicles" and "Roll With It" from Steve Winwood in my album collection.
I will just close by remarking if a certain Amanda Lofland (Denver Broncos Cheerleader from 2008 to 2010; and 2012) knows of this particular Steve Winwood song or not [along with the fact that she not only also happens to have a Dachshund named Jazzy, but this particular woman was also both my source of motivation and inspiration with respect to me joining the Toastmasters (very long story, fellas)].
[By the way, Amanda Lofland's Twitter handle is "AmandaLofland_" (tell Amanda on Twitter that David Hood in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada sent you).]
One of the very few remixes that truly enhance the original song that was created. A very seductive 80's song that is still great to listen to again and again.
There is an indescribable feeling attached to many 1980's singles. A lot of it is the 'cold' digital recording and synth tracks I think but there's something... profoundly haunting about these recordings. I can make a long long list of examples.
Anyone else know what I'm talking about?
I'm a huge Steve Winwood fan but yeah I know what you mean. I like this alot. The synth sound on Arc of the Diver irritated me, great songs but I like this album better.
absolutely
@J Rush Yeah, like your love's got me going so crazy right now, That's her big hit. she's their queen, Pathecit.
I recall the feeling associated going to see Stevie Winwood, during this period, what I wore, who I was with and the concert. Music evokes so many good memories, it's palpable
@J Rush Even though I agree with you , I still like some of today's stuff !
Great song by Steve Winwood.
strangers in the night brought me here
michelob.
+Josey Wales yeah you remember the commercials. it takes me back to them too
MUCH better than any of this Back in the High Life singles........................WHY wasn't it a bigger hit when it was re-released in '87??
Hadn't played this on my stereo in a long time. Put it on yesterday and now I can't stop listening to it. One of my all time favorite songs. So damn good!
@Sam Pelczarski Completely agree. And so much better is this remixed version over the 1982 original. I'm so glad Steve let Tom Lord Alge (?) rework this and Valerie.
Sam Pelczarski its catchy isn't it?
THE MAN IS A "LEGEND" + A LARGE SLICE OF "GENIUS" ADDED,
One of his best tunes!
Steve Winwood is a great musician! Great memories one of my favourite songs, in my life ! Steve Winwood is still brilliant ! Thank-you
Steve Winwood didn't catch on here big until fairly late. His early Spencer Davis Group and Traffic work certainly got airplay but he didn't become a household name. His greatest work "Arc of a Diver" didn't seem to make a ripple. 1982's "Talking Back to the Night" came and went unnoticed...even by me. 1986's "Back in the High Life" finally broke it wide open in America and the 1987 album "Chronicles" made it official.
As a native New Yorker, this video is very close to how I pictured this great song. Great photography
Then you might want to pull up his "Holding On" vid...only it's set in Greatest Generation, 1940's NYC.
love NYC, I'm a talent agent
+Kevin Liegey its VERY New York
one of my favourite songs, all of my life.. thanks for uploading it
This goes to show you how bad people's taste in music is you get 1 million views for a shit commercial song, and only 27,000 views for a truly brilliant song with incredible saxaphone to go with it. This song is one the all time greats.....Steve Winwood was brilliant....God bless.....:) Hope this song brings as much strength, passion and happiness to other people as it does to me :)
ARMON PAJOUHESHNIA There's good reason Steve Winwood was inducted into The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.
fabulous summer song from the 80's. god i love this song! what a sax!
Incredible saxaphone :)
love this it takes me back to the 80's
No one in Amerikka even knew about the 1982 album. I never heard it until the 1987 "Chronicles" greatest hits album. Same for "Valerie."
Classical! Genius!