Night Moves

An interesting and unique song, to say the least. Here is my interpretation of it-

It starts with a teenager's awkwardness and insecurity regarding their own body image. It's interesting that Seger drives in the point of the "high/firm breasts" to contrast them with older females, who commonly have sagging/hanging/droopy breasts. Obviously her alluring body was etched and burned into his mind.

In the following verse, Seger lays down some beautiful, classic and wonderful imagery, of the mid-west, as well as late 1950s/early-60s classics such as drive-ins and Chevy cars. He is honest enough to admit both their lack of sexual knowledge and experience. It was a relationship that was sexual and exploratory in nature, more than based on romantic notions of love and such. "Working on mysteries without any clues." It's also where Seger sets the scene and uses the classic literary device of equating the four seasons, to the human aging process. (Spring- Birth, young childhood, mid-teens. Summer- Late Teens to adulthood. Autumn, the transition through middle-age, to old-age. Winter- Old age to eventual, enevitable, death).

Third verse, Seger finishes his description of the relationship and of their both being satisfied with the arrangement, neither having hopes or desires it would lead to anything more than great sex and great memories. At this point, the song makes a radical transformation; the symbolic description of the sexual act, using thunder and lightning as symbolic imagery-

And oh the wonder (The wonder and amazement of one's first sexual acts) Felt the lightning (They began the act of intercourse) And we waited on the thunder (They both waited in curiosity and anticipation of the inevitable climax) Waited on the thunder

Now, the song transcends itself, from rock song to masterpiece. Via narration, the boy, having now grown much older, states "I woke last night to the sound of thunder." I believe this to mean, he was wakened by a nocturnal emission(wet dream). His reference once again to the "thunder" of the previous verse. He was either dreaming about the sexual acts of his youth, or the incident simply made him think back to those early days with the girl. Once again, Seger is brilliant in his use of imagery- "How far off I sat and wondered, Started humming a song from 1962" How far off was the literal thunder from his bed, or how far off were the happy days of his youth? His humming a song from that era, answers that question for us. And he closes the song, by referencing "Autumn closing in." He is ready to enter a new phase in his life, that of the transition from middle-age to old-age. Clearly one of the best rock songs ever written.