Nightbird

Album: Nightbirds (1974)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was written by Nona Hendryx, who was a member of Labelle and wrote many of their songs. She explained in I Got Thunder: Black Women Songwriters and Their Craft: "That's really about being an artist. You know, we live in the night. For many, many years I didn't leave my apartment before 4:00 p.m. I had no idea what people were doing during the morning hours. This was a life during that whole disco club period. I was a club bunny - I was a nightbird, I lived in the night. It's something about the night - maybe it's because the world is quieter. And there are no nightbirds - birds don't fly at night, but you do if you're an artist, metaphorically speaking."

Comments: 1

  • Jesse from Madison, WiJesus H, no comments? OK, I'll start: Can we say artistry? This takes the art of singing into space. Maybe that's why Space Children follows this tune on the album. The vocals are astounding. We speak of feeling and soul in music, and in this the cup runneth over. We want talent, emotion, dynamics, etc etc. Got an acre of land? You're gonna need it. Celine Dion one of the best? HAAA HAAAA HAAAAAAA! She ain't got s--t! La Belle simply, SIMPLY, UNADULTERATEDLY BLOWS THEM ALL AWAY! They could be the very cream of the crop, the best of the best, the creme de la creme of pop-female-soul vocal groups, and I'm a friggin' WHITE BOY!

    Listen to this song! Find it and listen to it. That note, THAT NOTE, held at the end of the last verse will send shivers down your spine and maybe even bring a tear to your eye. This song is an aural massage for your inner sanctum. It IS one of the best songs ever sang by a human being (or three).

    And Allan Toussaint and the Meters provided the instrumentational backup for this sensational trio of super soul divas.

    I'm not one to pick "bests", I love too much music to do that, but this makes a hypocrite of me there and speaks volumes about superlatives in the world of music.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Early Days of MTV

Early Days of MTVFact or Fiction

If you can recall the days when MTV played videos, you know that there are lots of stories to tell. See if you can spot the real ones.

Emilio Castillo from Tower of Power

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

U2 Lyrics

U2 LyricsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the lyrics of U2?

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The Remasters

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The RemastersSong Writing

Brian has unearthed outtakes by Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello and hundreds of other artists for reissues. Here's how he does it.

80s Video Director Jay Dubin

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.