About The Song
“Daydreams About Night Things” is a steamy country-rock anthem by Ronnie Milsap, released in July 1975 as the lead single from his album Night Things on RCA Victor. Written by John Schweers, it stormed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart for two weeks, Milsap’s fourth of 40 career chart-toppers, and spent 11 weeks on the chart. The song’s sultry vibe, with lyrics like “I’m having daydreams about night things in the middle of the afternoon,” captures a factory worker itching to ditch his shift for his lover’s arms. Schweers, a former Texas schoolteacher, wrote it at home while his wife worked at a bank, playing it for her that night. She gave it a thumbs-up, and Milsap, blown away, called Schweers personally, saying, “Man, I love that song. Don’t pitch it to anybody else!” as Schweers told The Tennessean in 2023. The track’s rock edge wrapped in country twang was bold for 1975, but Schweers insisted to Bart Herbison of Nashville Songwriters Association, “I didn’t get any blowback” for its racy tone.
Recorded in June 1975 at RCA Studio B in Nashville, the 2:24 track was produced by Tom Collins and Jack D. Johnson, with vocal backing by The Jordanaires. Though specific musicians aren’t credited, Nashville’s A-Team likely included Charlie McCoy on harmonica and Hargus “Pig” Robbins on piano, per Discogs. Milsap’s soulful delivery, honed from his R&B roots, gives the song a gritty pulse, with the G-C-D chord progression and “every night you make my daydreams come true” hook making it a singalong staple, per Ultimate-Guitar. AllMusic calls it a “perfect blend of Milsap’s crossover instincts,” merging country with pop and rock. The song’s success changed Schweers’ life, letting him quit his day job and buy a house, as he shared, “We were walking around on air.”
Milsap, born blind on January 16, 1943, in Robbinsville, North Carolina, was a country pioneer, blending pop, R&B, and rock into hits like “Smoky Mountain Rain” and “Stranger in My House.” By 1975, he was a crossover star with six Grammys and a knack for making songs feel personal. Daydreams was a live highlight, performed on his 1975–1976 tours and later at his Branson, Missouri, shows in the 1990s, per fan posts on Lyrics.com. Covers include John Schweers’ own demo, Fergal Flaherty’s 2010 take, and international adaptations like a 1983 Finnish version, “Päivät työssä,” per SecondHandSongs. It appeared in no major films or TV but lives on in karaoke bars and Spotify playlists, with fans on AZLyrics praising its “timeless heat.”
No music video was made—MTV was still years off—but a 1975 Hee Haw performance, viewable on YouTube, shows Milsap’s charisma. The song’s mild suggestiveness raised no fuss, a testament to Milsap’s charm. Reflecting on its impact, Milsap told Billboard in 1976, “It’s got that feeling you can’t shake, like you’re counting the minutes till you’re home.” For a blind artist who’d fought to be heard, it was another victory, proving his voice could light up any room. The track remains a fan favorite, its groove as infectious now as it was then.
Video
Lyric
I’m having daydreams about night things
In the middle of the afternoon
And while my hands make a living
My mind’s home loving youI’m having daydreams about night things
In the middle of the afternoon
And every night you make my daydreams come trueWell, all day long while I’m working in town
Time slows down to a crawl
When I’m not thinking about you
I’m checking the clock on the wallThen it’s goodbye factory and hello love
And there’s a smile across my face
‘Cause I’m back in the arms of your sweet love
Where my thoughts have been all dayI’m having daydreams about night things
In the middle of the afternoon
And while my hands make a living
My mind’s home loving youI’m having daydreams about night things
In the middle of the afternoon
And every night you make my daydreams come true
Yeah, every night you make my dreams come true
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