Love In The Midnight

Love In The Midnight
Written by Tommy Shaw
Lead Vocals by Tommy Shaw

The time is now to take my wares to the street
And I know how, the street's been good to me
Maybe it's the sign of a wise man
Maybe it's the sign of a fool
Maybe it's the night for a rendezvous with a woman like you

It's gone too far, I'll take my life into the streets
I feel the need and I can't stop myself
Maybe it's time to be a strong man
Maybe it's time to be cool
Maybe I'll take to the boulevard
Where there's nothing I won't do

Can you tell me where my heart is
When I'm looking for love in the midnight
There's a burning in my body
And I'm looking for love in the midnight

Better hold on tight, I'm a ravenous man
I'll tell you anything to make you think I'm alright
You know the moonlight brings out the devil in me
For tomorrow, I'll regret it in the daylight

Can you tell me where my heart is
When I'm looking for love in the midnight
Won't you tell me where my heart is
When I'm looking for love

Better hold on tight, I'm a ravenous man
I'll tell you anything to make you think I'm alright
You know the moonlight brings out the devil in me
For tomorrow, I'll regret it in the daylight

Can you tell me where my heart is
When I'm looking for love in the midnight
There's a burning in my body
And I'm looking for love in the midnight
Won't you tell me where my heart is
When I'm looking for love

Interpretation

Love In The Midnight is about a man looking for a one night stand late at night. It isn't the first time he's done this ("And I know how, the street's been good to me"), and he cannot control his urge ("I feel the need and I can't stop myself" and "There's a burning in my body" as well as in the chorus, "Better hold on tight, I'm a ravenous man/I'll tell you anything to make you think I'm alright/You know the moonlight brings out the devil in me/For tomorrow, I'll regret it in the daylight"). However, he's questioning the effect this has on his soul ("It's gone too far..." and in the chorus, "Can you tell me where my heart is/When I'm looking for love in the midnight").

[Excerpted from InnerView with Jim Ladd, circa 1980]

JL: 'Love In The Midnight', which is kind of like...about finding "road ladies?"

TS: It's sort of like "the girls look better at closing time." [laughter] It's an interesting phenomenon, as time goes by through the course of the night, how your tastes will change. And sometimes if you're really going out there looking to get laid - to put it point blank, there - you'll say ANYTHING! "Yeah, I'm a...a tennis pro!" [laughter] "Yeah, I play backgammon, I've got a couple hundred grand in the bank...what would impress you the most that I could say that I could get you back to my room and take advantage of you in the short period of time that we have?" But once again, I still have...even questionable, but I still have *taste*! I don't enjoy just being with some mindless little girl who, all she wants is to come back and talk about Styx -

DDY: Unless she's eighteen...

JL: And beautiful...

TS: Now, *that's* a different story.

DDY: Y'know, Tommy wants some meaning in his life.

JL: Which is?

TS: [deep voice] LAY DOWN! [laughs]