Sarah Brightman - The music of the night

Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendour
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Turn your face away from the garish light of day
Turn your face away from cold, unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night

Close you eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar
And you'll live as you've never lived before

Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness which you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night

Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before
Let your soul take you where you long to go
Only then can you belong to me

Floating, falling, sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me, savour each sensation
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the harmony which dreams alone can write
The power of the music of the night

You alone can make my song take flight
Help me make the music of the night

Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Lyrics: Charles Hart; additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe.
Show: "The phantom of the opera" (1986).
The melody was originally written for Sarah Brightman and was intended for an early draft of "Aspects of love". However, it found its way into "Phantom", sung by the Phantom. Sarah Brightman has sung the song in concert for several years and this is the first time she has reclaimed it on record. [from the CD-booklet]

From: Surrender, The unexpected songs (1995)
and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection (1997)
and Classics - European release (2006).

The song appears also on: Sings the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (1992). Steven Phillips wrote me that this is a slightly but noticeably different version, though the one on "Surrender" has been recorded also in 1992 (according to the CD-booklet): the version on the "Surrender" CD is engineered for a fuller, richer sound than the one on "Sings the music of ALW".

Source of the lyrics: written down myself, with help and corrections from Lauren Carlos and Aimee Birdsong -- thanks!!

There are, it appears, different version of "The music of the night"; I have received the lyrics of a second version and a third version; the latter differs by only five lines from the above and is the version sung by the Phantom in the original musical The Phantom of the Opera. Andrew Lloyd Webber is notorious for changing his mind about his songs and where and how to use them ...

"The Music of the Night" was actually the very first song Andrew wrote for Sarah, then called "Married Man", and had lyrics by Trevor Nunn. Later Andrew chose to use it for the role of the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera, but Sarah sitll loves singing it, so she says at her concerts.

 
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last modified: 11 December 2006