Bee Gees – Night Fever

In 1977, The Bee Gees manager Robert Stigwood was producing a movie about the New York disco scene. The working title of the film was “Saturday Night,” so he asked the group to write a song of that name. The Bee Gees thought it was a dumb title, but they had already written a song called “Night Fever.” They convinced Stigwood to use that and change the film’s title to Saturday Night Fever. The movie became a classic, telling a coming-of-age story in the disco era. It helped launch the film career of John Travolta, who starred as Tony Manero, the conflicted youth who escaped his troubles on the dance floor.

About This Song

The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack sold over 30 million copies globally and won the 1978 Grammy for Album of the Year. This track, the third single from the soundtrack, became its major hit, reigning atop the Hot 100 for eight weeks in early 1978. It also secured the top position on the British singles chart for two weeks and earned a 1978 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Group.

The string introduction draws inspiration from Percy Faith’s “Theme From A Summer Place.” The Bee Gees’ keyboard player was playing it one morning in the studio when Barry Gibb walked in and heard the new idea for this song.

In the United States, this song spent eight weeks at #1 in 1978, more than any other song that year. For five of those weeks (March 18 – April 15), another Bee Gees song from Saturday Night Fever, “Stayin’ Alive,” held the #2 position. In its last week at #1 (May 6), “More Than A Woman” by Tavares, written by the Bee Gees and featured in the film, reached its chart peak at #32. The following week, “If I Can’t Have You” replaced “Night Fever” at #1.

Video

Lyric

Listen to the ground:
There is movement all around
There is something goin’ down
And I can feel it

On the waves of the air
There is dancin’ out there
If it’s somethin’ we can share
We can steal it

And that sweet city woman
She moves through the light
Controlling my mind and my soul
When you reach out for me
Yeah, and the feelin’ is right

Gimme that night fever, night fever
We know how to do it
Gimme that night fever, night fever
We know how to show it

Here I am
Prayin’ for this moment to last
Livin’ on the music so fine
Borne on the wind
Makin’ it mine

Night fever, night fever
We know how to do it
Gimme that night fever, night fever
We know how to show it

In the heat of our love
Don’t need no help for us to make it
Gimme just enough to take us to the mornin’
I got fire in my mind
I get higher in my walkin’
And I’m glowin’ in the dark
I give you warnin’

And that sweet city woman
She moves through the light
Controlling my mind and my soul
When you reach out for me
Yeah, and the feelin’ is right

Then I get night fever, night fever
We know how to do it
Gimme that night fever, night fever
We know how to show it

Here I am
Prayin’ for this moment to last
Livin’ on the music so fine
Borne on the wind
Makin’ it mine

Night fever, night fever
We know how to do it (Feels like forever baby, don’t you know)
Gimme that night fever, night fever
We know how to show it (I’ll leave you never baby, don’t you know)

Gimme that night fever, night fever
We know how to do it (Feels like forever baby, don’t you know)
Gimme that night fever, night fever
We know how to show it (I’ll leave you never baby, don’t you know)

Gimme that night fever, night fever
We know how to do it (Feels like forever baby, don’t you know)