About The Song
When Glen Campbell released “Southern Nights” forty-five years ago off the album of the same name, fans were straight away taken by the infectious country song.
With Campbell’s unique guitar lick, the song reached No. 1 on three different US charts: Hot Country Songs, Billboard Hot 100, and Adult Contemporary. It achieved the same success on the Canadian charts, snagging the top spot on RPM Top Singles and RPM Adult Contemporary. It also peaked at No. 2 on Canadian RPM Country Tracks.
Written by Allen Toussaint, “Southern Nights” was inspired by his childhood memories of visiting relatives who lived in Louisiana’s backwoods. Toussaint remembered how they’d tell stories on the porch while looking into the deep, dark sky filled with stars.
“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 has found a better way,” the song goes.
Toussaint originally recorded the song on his 1975 album of the same name. And out of the hundreds of songs he has written, “Southern Nights” is the one that he believes defined his remarkable career. “I really felt highly, highly inspired and very spiritual doing that song,” Toussaint said. “It’s the only one I felt that much about. Some others have been inspired highly, but not as high as that one.”
When Glen Campbell heard the song, it struck a personal chord with the singer. It reminded him of his growing-up years in Arkansas.
“My dad told me when I was a kid, ‘You’re having the best time of your life, and you don’t even know it.’ Sure enough, he was right,” Campbell said. “Now I really feel the need to go back home, float down the Missouri River, and fish for bass and crappies. It’s real, peaceful, and remote from things like telephones. My head is still there.”
After making a few changes, like adding full instrumentation as Toussaint’s original version only has two instruments and slightly modifying the lyrics, Campbell decided to record “Southern Nights.”
Campbell’s recording surprised Toussaint. He found it amazing that someone heard hit-potential in his song. “I love Glen’s version. I had never thought of it as an uptempo and mainstream song before,” he said. “I first heard it on the radio, and I was delighted. It was so good to hear it like that because I just hadn’t imagined that someone would listen closely enough to it to want to cover such a thing.”
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Lyrics
Southern nights
Have you ever felt a Southern night?
Free as a breeze
Not to mention the trees
Whistlin’ tunes that you know and love so
Southern nights
Just as good even when you close your eyes
I apologize
To anyone who can truly say
That he has found a better way
Southern skies
Have you ever noticed Southern skies? (In southern skies)
Its precious beauty lies
Just beyond the eye it goes running through your soul
Like the stories told of old
Old man
He and his dog, that walk the old land
Every flower touched his cold hand
As he slowly walked by
Weepin’ willows would cry for joy, joy
Feel so good
Feel so good, it’s frightening
Wish I could
Stop this world from fighting
Mysteries
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 (Southern nights)
Stop this world from fighting
Southern skies
Have you ever noticed?