Throwing back to the week of November 7, 1976, we find the biggest hit of Rod Stewart’s career, ‘Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright).’ The song hit #1 on this week and didn’t relinquish its spot until early 1977.
‘Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)’ achieved this massive success despite (or, more likely, because of) controversy over its lyrics. The faint of heart took offense at lines like these: “C’mon, angel, my heart’s on fire / Don’t deny your man’s desire / You’d be a fool to stop this tide / Spread your wings and let me come inside.”
Others were shocked by the song’s sexy spoken-word coda, delivered in French by Stewart’s girlfriend, Swedish actress Britt Ekland.
In addition to becoming Stewart’s biggest hit, this song provided the title for an early-2000s jukebox musical, Tonight’s the Night, that ran for a year on London’s West End. Fun fact: Ted Lasso‘s Hannah Waddingham played Satan.
Old songs. Great memories.
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Stay away from my window
Stay away from my back door, too
Disconnect the telephone line
Relax, baby, and draw that blind
[Verse 2]
Kick off your shoes and sit right down
Loosen up that pretty French gown
Let me pour you a good, long drink
Ooh, baby, don’t you hesitate, ’cause
[Chorus]
Tonight’s the night
It’s gonna be all right
‘Cause I love you, girl
Ain’t nobody gonna stop us now
[Verse 3]
C’mon, angel, my heart’s on fire
Don’t deny your man’s desire
You’d be a fool to stop this tide
Spread your wings and let me come inside, ’cause
[Chorus]
Tonight’s the night
It’s gonna be all right
‘Cause I love you, girl
Ain’t nobody gonna stop us now
[Verse 4]
Don’t say a word, my virgin child
Just let your inhibitions run wild
The secret is about to unfold
Upstairs before the night’s too old
[Chorus]
Tonight’s the night
It’s gonna be all right
‘Cause I love you, woman
Ain’t nobody gonna stop us now
[Outro]
J’ai un peu peur
Oh mon Dieu, qu’est-ce que va dire maman?
Mon amour, viens plus près, embrasse-moi
Oh, je t’adore beaucoup
Cette nuit est la nuit
Oh, oui cette nuit est la nuit
Oh, je t’aime, je t’aime, je t’aime
Cette nuit, oh
Cette nuit, oh
