Charlemagne shakes in the streets
Gideon makes love to the suites
And Holly's not invincible
In fact she's in the hospital
Not far from that bar where we met
On that first night

Charlemagne pulls street corner scams
And Gideon's got a ? from a Pringles can
Holly's insatiable, she still looks incredible
But she don't look like that same girl we met
On that first night
When she was golden with ? and beer
On that first night
She slept like she'd never been scared

And then last night
She said "Words so long never could save us."
And then last night
She cried and she told us about Jesus

Holly's inconsolable
Unhinged and uncontrollable
'Cause we can't get as high as we got
On that first night

Boys and girls in America
Boys and girls in America
Boys and girls in America
Boys and girls in America
Boys and girls in America

Don't bother talking to the guys
With their ? eyes
You know they're already taking on
Don't even speak to all those sequin-surfed beach boys
When they kiss they spit white noise
When they kiss they spit white noise
When they kiss they spit white noise
When they kiss they spit white noise
Yeah, when they kiss they spit white noise
Now when they kiss they spit white noise
When they kiss they spit white noise



Lyrics submitted by Nodima, edited by HowlingMad, chad56s

Track duration: 04:54

"First Night" as written by Tamara/dupri Savage, Pamela Joan Sawyer

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


First Night song meanings
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23 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:This might be stretching it...but:

    I think Holly could be a personification of the word "holy" and what is holy. Religion as an institution has become misused in the modern world and when Holly says: "Words so long never could save us," she means that our actions will speak louder than whatever words people quote from the Bible. For those who have stuck with a religion for a long time, they may have gone through experiences good and bad that transformed their original beliefs. "She cried and she told us about Jesus" could be saying that people should go back to what they held onto originally instead of bending to the corruption of words and institutions.
    Flag tonyli91on August 06, 2012   Link
  • +1
    Memory:I will never forget the moment earlier this year when I threw a paper aeroplane on the stage at the Manchester show that had "PLEASE PLAY FIRST NIGHT" scrawled on it. They didn't notice it until they came back on for the encore. Tad picked it up, read it and just said "Alright, let's do it. Dusty, tune up the acoustic guitars". It started off shambolic and in the wrong key but by the time they crashed into the crescendo the whole audience were carried away in cries of "White noise!" as I crowd-surfed on the shoulders of some of the best friends I'll ever make, my face flooding with tears.

    Best. Moment. Ever.
    Flag MessedUpMagicianon December 30, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I get goosebumps just READING the lyrics.
    Flag hottoddyon December 13, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I always thought this song was about that point at which the secular experience mutates into memory; the point at the dynamic between the party (Holly, Charlemagne etc.) and the aspiration become antithetical.

    Just like the 'moment' a memory doesn't bear any temporal significance once it has passed, so getting 'as high' as you got is a logical impossibility. What is in the past stays in the past and so to live a life chasing the feelings conjured by the fragmented sensual apparitions of memory is as futile as trying to 'feel' a concept - in the tactile sense - would be.
    Flag Trucidareon August 15, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The piano solo/tansition/bridge in this song is gorgeous and amazing
    Flag janitorwonderfulon August 09, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I cant really explain it but this song, More than any other makes me feel so lucky to be a guy. all these chics these days playin so hard to get. this song turns the fucking tables.
    Flag Tidy Patson February 13, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:probly their most acomplished song. lyricly i think hes up there with the likes of dylan, morrisey and jeff buckley.

    i think this song is when the three start to realise that they cant stay young and irresponsible forever, they gotta start growing up cause the drugs and aclohol are starting to take theyre toll. they dont look as young as they once did and they cant get as high as they used to, plus it sounds like holly being hospital has kinda made her break down and not want to be a part of that scene anymore.
    the whole song is so melancholy. sorta like the end of an era or something.
    and what sein 514 says about it almost almost bringing you to the point of catharsis is intentional as its at that point that the characters are going through it aswell

    i love the way all three albums come together to form one big concept album...kinda
    Flag selfishisgorgeouson December 25, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:easy there woman who says this isn't what they youth listens to...I am a boy in America he speaks of ad I love the Hold Steady. Maybe I'm one of the few. However, I completely agree with who is above me, I think it has to do a lo with the consequences paid by Charlemagne, Gideon, and Holly. Obiouvsly more emphasis is placed on Holly. I am trying to u.nderstand the words, "when they kiss they spit hot light" nobody has touched on that and it is a major part of the song
    Flag billdance32on October 27, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Although Craig Finn doesn't really give us much of a timetable, I see this as coming pretty directly after "How A Resurrection Really Feels," which would explain how Holly got in the hospital.

    There are a lot of lyrical touchstones from previous tracks- while Gideon's pipe may seem like a bit of debris from the party in "Same Kooks," the lines echoing from "Stuck Between Stations" give the song a haunting, sad quality that is uncommon in pop music.

    There's a price to pay for everything. Gideon, Charlemagne, and Holly are learning that.
    Flag campfirewood1980on July 15, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"Don't bother talking to those sequencer and beats boys, when they kiss they spit white noise"

    No sh*t! That's an awesome line! I was wondering what he was saying there. That makes perfect sense.

    This is songwriting at its best. He's really giving his idol Springsteen a run for his money on this one. What really gets me is when the backing vocals come in on "white noise."

    It's easy to get on him for being nearly unable to write a song that deals with getting drunk or high, but he makes it mean so many different things. And hey, even Springsteen relies on references to the road and driving in half his songs.
    Flag z4ckm0rrison May 19, 2007   Link

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