All through the night
I'll be awake and I'll be with you
All through the night
This precious time when time is new
Oh, all through the night today
Knowing that we feel the same without saying

We have no past we won't reach back
Keep with me forward all through the night
And once we start the meter clicks
And it goes running all through the night
Until it ends there is no end

All through the night
stray cat is crying so stray cat sings back
All through the night
They have forgotten what by day they lack
Oh under those white street lamps
There is a little chance they may see

We have no past we won't reach back
Keep with me forward all through the night
And once we start the meter clicks
And it goes running all through the night
Until it ends there is no end

Oh the sleep in your eyes is enough
Let me be there let me stay there awhile
We have no past we won't reach back
Keep with me forward all through the night
And once we start the meter clicks
And it goes running all through the night
Until it ends there is no end
Keep with me forward all through the night
And once we start the meter clicks
And it goes running all through the night
Until it ends there is no end



Lyrics submitted by Smiley75220

Track duration: 04:33

"All Through the Night" as written by Cole Porter

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


All Through The Night song meanings
Add your thoughts

21 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment:The singer is the Goddess, or the Holy Spirit. "The night" refers to the darkness of material existence. Like "stray cats," we've left our home in the light. Though we've forgotten our home, we still feel its absence as separation. Thus, we cry for "what by day [we] lack," our lost unity with the divine.

    Our eternal home is without time or punishment. But once we start the darkness of material existence, "the meter[s]" of both time and karmic debt click. We age, and we fear death. And just as a meter measures the amount of a bill, so does our karmic debt accrue through multiple lifetimes. Until it ends--until we transcend material existence, and time, and karma; until ego consciousness reunites with the divine, and the fallen world reunites with the pleroma, there is no end.

    Our twin stray cat, Sophia, whose disastrous departure from the pleroma brought material existence into being, answers our plaintive cries. She sends the Christos to reside deep in our consciousness, hidden from the rulers of this world. The "white street lamps," the bhoditsavas, the pneumatics, have awakened their inner Christs. They've delayed their return to the pleroma to shine their light to show us the road home. There is a little chance we might see.
    Flag Baz745on March 15, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I disagree with mcfine.

    To me, is not about fleeting love. It's about a woman madly in love, encouraging her lover to feel comfortable and "go with it", and praying her new soul mate feels, or will feel, as much love as her. It is the poet woman experiencing meeting and loving whom she believes to be her soul-mate. The woman is so selflessly, spiritually in love with the man that she suggests that "We have no past, we won't reach back", as in nothing has or could have existed before the fated meeting of lovers. "Keep with me forward all through the night" is her plea to her (as of yet) unrequited lover to stay with it, just experience it. Basically, experience the divine. "oh, the sleep in your eyes is enough", is another affirmation it is unrequited love, as of yet. She lays awake, passionately falling in love, and yet he's asleep. She's more hopeful than that, and she pleads..."let me be there, let me stay there awhile". Let me please, have this feeling of hope, even though it may not come to equal. "This precious time, when time is new" does allude to the fact that she's falling in love - maybe they're both falling in love. I particularly like, "stray cat is crying, so stray cat sings back" - a duo for two latch-key kids, obviously meant to be together. and "They have forgotten, what by day they knew" Cat's sleep at day and are docile. Nighttime is the prime time for felines. It alludes to inhibitory bedroom behavior, not just in sex, but the freeing of one's soul and mind. In that they share more of their soul than ever before. "This precious time, when time is new", and you're invincibly in love, and nothing can stop you and you can do anything, you can together make all your dreams come true. It is precious time. Remember when you first fell in love? Do you treat the person as kind and tender now as you once did then? Do you feel as passionately towards them as you once did? Food for thought.

    To me, the song is actually, sad. Beautiful, but sad. I don't think she ends up with her lover.
    Flag meanderKLIKon January 06, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:I both hate her voice and love it. :| :)
    Flag Thia007on November 30, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:My mother grew up in the 80s and this turned out to be one of the famous songs. Surprisingly it got #5 as its highest - where 'It Must Have Been Love' got up to #1. I thought they were both similar sounding?

    Otherwise:

    What I think the song expresses is fleeting love. Especially when Cyndi's voice magically lifts in the chorus.

    'We have no past' - its a phrase that is like saying 'we have no regrets'

    Its sad because I too thought about the idea of dying from this song
    Flag mcfineon November 10, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The tune and voice pattern gets me somewhat emotional :') I love this song! ... though the subject matter made me a bit uncomfortable but I truely hope Ken1982GA is right about that :/ but Cyndi has a beautiful voice and sings it PERFECTLY! :)
    Flag Sambro2on June 12, 2011   Link
  • -2
    General Comment:Oh my god I totally agree with Iprjohnny...this song to me has always been about hookers. Think about the line.." We have no past, we wont reach back" she is talking about a stranger, moving forward only and " once we start the meter clicks" until the meter ends there is no end!And she will do this all night!
    Flag meg80son May 31, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I love this song and I love Cindy Lauper's version. This song was written by Jules Shear. Here's his version -

    youtube.com/…
    Flag Avix1981on February 17, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Love this one! She is singing this song amazingly
    Flag teufeltjeon August 21, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I personally thought it was about someone sitting with someone else who was dying. "This precious time when time is new" says to me time is short and there is a new dynamic to the relationship because time is running out. Also, take the stray cat crying and one singing back- when someone cries out, another metaphorically sings back to calm them. There is no end until it ends would be what is on my mind while sitting with a friend or loved one in their final moments. It's a wonderful yet fairly painful song- to me... but hardroadz has a pretty cool interp of the song too :)
    Flag Ken1982GAon July 31, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Just a fantastic song - probably her best. My only quibble with it is the line is "what by day they lack" but it appears to sound like she is singing "what binding they lack". She clearly pronunciates "by day" in live recording
    Flag beerman37on December 10, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain