That Time of the Night

That Time of the Night - Track Info

Album version (06:01) [Clutching At Straws (1987)]
Live (St. Goar, Germany - "Freilichtbuhne Loreley", July 18th '87) (05:45) [Live At Loreley (1987)]

Notes: both versions of this song are joined to Warm Wet Circles, which comes before, with a brief section (lyrics: "It was a wedding ring, destined to be found in a cheap hotel - lost in a kitchen sink or thrown in a wishing well"). Live version follows studio version, with additional backing vocals by Cori Josias.

Lyrics by Derek William Dick (Fish)
Performed Live for the first Time: June 22nd 1987

Published by Marillion Music, Charisma Music Publishing Co. Ltd.

That Time of the Night - The Lyrics

At that time of the night when streetlights throw crosses
through window frames, paranoia roams where the shadows reign
Oh, at that time of the night
At that time of the night your senses tangled in some new perfume
criticism triggers of a loaded room, oh, at that time of the night

So if you ask me how do I fell inside
I could honestly tell you we've been taken on a very long ride
And if my owners let me have some free time some day
With all good intention I would probably run away
clutching the short straw

At that time of the night when questions rally in an open mind
summon all your answers with an ice cubes chime
at that time of the night, at that time of the night
pretend you're off the hook with the telephone
your confidence wounded in a free fire zone,
Oh, at that time of the night

So if you ask me where do I go from here,
my next destination even isn't really that clear.
So if you join me and get on your knees and prey,
I'll show you salvation we'll take the alternative way
clutching the short straw

If I had enough money I'd buy a round for that boy over-there
a companion in my madness in the mirror the one with the silvery hair.
And if some kind soul could please pick up my tab
and while they're at it if they could pick up my broken heart.

[Warm Wet Circle]

(Mayflower Hotel NYC, Wheatsheaf- Haywards Heath)

That Time of the Night

That Time of the Night
Debbie Voller: TTotN (Mayflower Hotel, NYC) Fish: It's about paranoia! Torch is shifting against all his vices and feeling paranoid and desperate to be near somebody. The night I started writing this I was in a hotel and I couldn't sleep, and outside the trees were moving and the moon was like flying through the window and sending shapes like crosses over the walls. And it suddenly meant something, y'know, I found myself thinking about religion and death - it was a well hairy night!

'Free Fire Zone'
(Cp. Assassing)

'Clutching the Short Straw'
Cocaine is often snorted via a short straw, frequently formed from a rolled bank note. All of (Fish era) Marillion are said to have indulged this little fancy; it is not known whether H does or not. Fish in particular was known for his coke habit, something he documented in his CaS lyrics. He was once caught out by a paparazzzi photographer after a heavy night on the booze only to appear on the front page of one of the seedier British tabloids under the headline of something like 'Rock Star's Coke Shame Shocker Scandal Donkey Vicar Love Nest'.

Sources:

An article from No1 Magazine, Debbie Voller on 30 May 1987 (Provided by Kristie English).

Last Modified: 27 Jul 2000