Tonite

Album: American Dream (2017)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This acid house infused dancefloor filler finds James Murphy detecting existential crisis in the current radio hits beaming out on the airwaves.

    Everybody's singing the same song
    It goes "tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight"
    I never realized these artists thought so much about dying


    Mojo asked James Murphy how his lyrics about pop music's obsession with the immediate connect to the line "I never realized that these artists thought so much about dying." He replied:

    "When I take a taxi in New York is about the only time that I hear the radio. There was a proliferation of songs that would like, 'We've only got one night,' and everyone's answer to that is, 'We should drink a bunch of vodka and Red Bull! If you only have one night, should you sleep with this creepy guy who wants to get you loaded? If I only had one night, there's a lot of s--t that I would like to get done that is not being in some giant superclub drinking champagne with a sparkle in it. It seems like a really sad use of the awareness of your mortality. Like, 'Let's do the most inane, mundane s--t that you should only do if you would definitely not dying tonight."
  • This won the Grammy for Best Dance Recording at the 2018 ceremony.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"They're Playing My Song

A song he wrote and recorded from "sheer spiritual inspiration," Allen's didn't think "Southern Nights" had hit potential until Glen Campbell took it to #1 two years later.

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?Song Writing

Katy Perry mentions McDonald's, Beyoncé calls out Red Lobster, and Supertramp shouts out Taco Bell - we found the 10 restaurants most often mentioned in songs.

Name the Character in the Song

Name the Character in the SongMusic Quiz

With a few clues (Works at a diner, dreams of running away), can you name the character in the song?

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Little Richard

Little RichardFact or Fiction

Was Long Tall Sally a cross-dresser? Did he really set his piano on fire? See if you know the real stories about one of rock's greatest innovators.