lyrics of lights by journey

"Lights" lyrics

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• Artists - J
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• Lights Lyrics

Journey - Lights Lyrics

Artist: Journey

Album: Greatest Hits

Genre: Rock

When the lights go down in the City And the sun shines on the bay I want to be there in my City Oh, oo, oh Ohh, oo, ohh Oh, oo, oh So you think you're lonely Well my friend I'm lonely too I want to go back to my City by the bay Ohh, ohh Oh, oo, oh It's sad, oh there's been mornings Out on the road with you Without your charms Oh, oo, oh My, my, my My, my, my Ohh, ohh Oh, oo, oh When the lights go down in the city And the sun shines on the bay I want to be there in my City (Oh, oo, oh) Ohh, oo, oh Oh, oh, oh When the lights go down in the city And the sun shines on the bay I want to be there in my City Oh, oo, oh Ohh, oo, oh Oh, oh, oh (Hmm) Ohh, oo, oh Oh, oh, oh

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Journey - Lights Lyrics

So you think you're lonely Well my friend I'm lonely too I want to get back to my City by the bay Ooh, ooh

It's sad, oh there's been mornings out on the road without you, Without your charms, Ooh, my, my, my

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Lyrics submitted by WhT LytEniN

Lights Lyrics as written by Neal Joseph Schon Stephen Ray Perry

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Hipgnosis Songs Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

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i always associated it with Green BAY, seeing as how it says city by the BAY duhh -Kevin

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yes! thank you fellow wisconsin person of awesomeness!<br /> <br /> lol, but seriously, thanks to you i will now and forever be reminded of the great state of wisconsin.

Journey's best.

go ahead. argue.

and, yes, it is about San Fran, but I'd like to think it's about my home town, sea-town.

and computwiz - Journey is not a singer. journey is a band. Steve Perry is a singer. for a band. called journey. shoots

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I used to listen to this song every mourning on the ride to my daycare. And to me it's about Seattle. Thats my city, but now it had a greater meaning when I was all the way out in butt fucking Iraq fight a war. I come back in August 2003. Hey friends does that give a good enough instight for a great song.

This is a great song...one of my favorites. Joyrney is a good band. And with regards to that Los Angeles comment...I, too, must laugh. Everybody knows that San Francisco is the city by the bay.

@zacster He said it's definitely about LA but had to change the name when he got called to join the band. He wrote this song before he joined Journey<br /> <br /> hollywoodreporter.com/news/journeys-steve-perry-joins-eels-711540

actually, compuwiz is kinda right...Steve Perry originally wrote this song about LA, then had to change it when he joined Journey to make it about San Fran cuz that's where the rest of Journey was from...i got your back compuwiz!!

hell yeah CT man. I have great memories of hearing this song on the radio while driving up I-91 throught hartford. Not a city by the bay in any means, but its still a good feeling.

YES THIS SONG IS ABOUT SAN FRANSICO, NOT LOS ANGELES! A really great memory I have of this song is when I was a kid me and my family flew to San Fransico. It was at like 2:00 in the morning when the plane was about the hit the runway, and they played this song during the landing process. Since the airport is right in the bay, MAN the sight of the Golden Gate Bridge lit up with this song playing was so beatuiful, and at the same time so emontional. Passengers were crying, it definatley is something I will remember for ever. This song always cheers me up because it makes me think of that time. Steve Perry has a powerful, and heart touching voice.

This would be a great story, if you could actually see the GG bridge from the Airport!

The fact that one single radio standard Journey song could incite such heated debate is a major source of entertainment for me at this moment.

Sure, I am easily amused. Just as Compuwiz19 is positively weird. Whats next? The assertion by FaRvELvR1992 that its about green bay? Oh, wait. wouldnt want to give anyone any ideas...

Probably my favorite Journey song (just an inch above Separate Ways).

I always love thinking about how with a few judicious changes to the lyrics, it could really be a song about wanting to go home to any city. Yeah, I know it's about San Francisco, but it's nice to imagine it could be about Tampa, New York City, or even Hell, Michigan if one felt like it. That's how universal the sensibility it invokes is.

Even though this is about San Francisco, it was written in Los Angeles, where the band had relocated. Steve Perry explained in an interview with Joe Benson of Arrow 93.1 FM: "I had the song written in Los Angeles almost completely except for the bridge and it was written about Los Angeles. It was 'when the lights go down in the city and the sun shines on LA.' I didn't like the way it sounded at the time. And so I just had it sitting back in the corner. Then life changed my plans once again, and I was now facing joining Journey. I love San Francisco, the bay and the whole thing. 'The bay' fit so nice, 'When the lights go down in the city and the sun shines on the bay.' It was one of those early morning going across the bridge things when the sun was coming up and the lights were going down. It was perfect."

'City by the Bay' IS synonymous with San Francisco(Bay Area) and that's where Steve is from but this song can be interpreted as anyone's 'city by the bay'.

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Lights by Journey

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• This is about San Francisco, the "City by the bay." Journey formed there and became popular in that area before hitting it big. If you haven't seen a sunset in San Francisco you don't know what you're missing. >> Suggestion credit : Don - San Jose, CA
• This was one of the first Journey songs featuring lead singer Steve Perry. He was accepted into the band after the group's manager listened to his audition tape for only 15 seconds.
• Even though this is about San Francisco, it was written in Los Angeles, where the band had relocated. Steve Perry explained in an interview with Joe Benson of Arrow 93.1 FM: "I had the song written in Los Angeles almost completely except for the bridge and it was written about Los Angeles. It was 'when the lights go down in the city and the sun shines on LA.' I didn't like the way it sounded at the time. And so I just had it sitting back in the corner. Then life changed my plans once again, and I was now facing joining Journey. I love San Francisco, the bay and the whole thing. 'The bay' fit so nice, 'When the lights go down in the city and the sun shines on the bay.' It was one of those early morning going across the bridge things when the sun was coming up and the lights were going down. It was perfect." Perry finished writing the song with Journey guitarist Neal Schon, who says they "banged it out in about 20 minutes."
• This was the third single from the Infinity album, the group's fourth, but their first with Steve Perry. Their first three albums had a prog-rock bent and didn't contain any chart hits; the three singles from Infinity reached the lower half of the Hot 100, and would have certainly gone higher if the band was established on pop radio: " Wheel In The Sky " - #57 " Anytime " - #83 "Lights" - #68 All three songs grew in popularity over the years, with "Lights" and "Wheel In The Sky" played at just about every Journey concert.
• Infinity was the last album with drummer Aynsley Dunbar, who was kicked out for "incompatibility" and replaced with Steve Smith.
• In 2017, Neal Schon started dedicating this song to Steve Perry at Journey concerts, telling the story of how they wrote it together. This was an olive branch to Perry, who was furious when the band moved on without him in 1999 when he was unable to tour. A reunion seemed inevitable, but Perry never returned to the band.
• More songs from Journey
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Comments: 24

• Tobias from Walsrode , Germany Still I am very impressed , even After decades of Years passing by, my JOURNEY-cds are Constantly in the Air, just Discovered several YouTube-Videos.... to Continue ROCKING .... STAY HEALTHY!!
• Terri from Long Beach, Wa This song was originally written by Steve Perry while he lived in Los Angeles. It wasn't quite right so he put it aside. When he joined Journey it came with him. Neal Schon helped to suggest some changes in the song that made it work. The rest is history.
• Mary from Castle Rock, Co I love this song. I grew up listening to Journey in the 80's. When I graduated from High School we went for our Senior Trip to San Francisco and took a ride on of their bay area boats and OF COURSE they played this song...will never forget it. It brought me goosbumps. I can still remember who I danced this song with, that's how vivid my memories are of this song. Proud to be from the Bay Area!!! Love you Steve Perry!
• Sandra from Gardnerville, Nv Hey James, San Jose, CA...Too funny! First, though...Steve Perry...What an incredible rock n' roll vocal! I love the song and the way he sang it! Anyway...While I heard the reference to this song/LA for the first time right here, I have to laugh about the SF Giants, thing. Although, I am a LA Dodgers Fan, I was in attendance to hear a friend of mine actually sing the National Anthem at Candlestick at an SF Giants game, (It was on the Fourth of July at a Giants/Dodger game. I don't remember what year for the life of me...details are sketchy...LOL), his elderly dad was there for it and it was a very special moment for all of us. Speaking of the SF Giants, I have a cute story about Will Clark and Mackey Sasser...
• James from San Jose, Ca 3. And finally, while it's personally disappointing to learn about the "L.A." thing, I had a great "Lights" moment in San Francisco. I was at a Giant's game back when they played at Candlestick Park. It was July 4, but San Francisco weather, it was actually rainy. By the end of the game, the rain had turned to a mist, and as they prepared for the July 4 fireworks, they played Lights as they dimmed the stadium lights. I know it was planned that way, but with the mist and everything, it was just a beautiful moment that I'll never forget.
• James from San Jose, Ca 2. lol Wish I could delete my last comment. Here is a 2nd Joe Benson interview with Steve Perry: http://steveperryfanclub.homestead.com/OffTheRecord.html The "L.A." claim is true, and it's about sunRISE on the Bay according to Perry. There you have it.
• James from San Jose, Ca 1. Here's the Joe Benson interview with Steve Perry: http://steveperryfanclub.homestead.com/OffTheRecord3.html There is NOTHING about the song being written about L.A., so stop the rumors.
• Jeff from Seal Beach, Ca I also heard the interview with joe benson on the radio in los angeles where steve perry mentions the lyrics originally were l.A., not the bay. He also mentioned other lyrics about lights referring to los angeles that he had to change to fit the s.F. Image..I love the song but it was originally about los angeles, not San Francisco
• Teri from Ca., Ca In an interview with Joe Benson, Steve Perry talked about this song. Originally, he wrote this song about Los Angeles. The original lyrics said "when the lights go down in the city and the sun shines on L.A.". (The person(s) that mentioned this fact before was correct) When Steve joined Journey he changed it, removing the L.A. reference and added references to the bay area/San Francisco after driving across one of the bridges.
• Beau from San Francisco, Ca So Steve Perry longs for San Francisco while he's in LA, but the distance doesn't make him forget that the San Francisco looks EAST over the bay. I have enjoyed many a sunrise and Steve describes the feeling spectacularly.
• Brandon from Peoria, Il Actually if you think of the "lights going down" as the city's lights fading OFF. Then it makes sense. It would be refering to early morning in San Fransisco. BUT...since the sun rises in the EAST, the sun would not be coming up over the bay at the time...OKAY try this...Late evening, with the sun setting over the San Fransisco Bay and the city's lights coming ON just before dark...that sounds about right :)
• Robert from San Francisco, Ca When the lights go down in the city and the sun shines on the bay. Doesn't happen very often but wouldn't trade it. Journey had it right - right Tilton.
• Casey from Pensacola, Fl yep... he may have been in LA, but he says "I want to get back to my City by the bay" right in the lyrics. seems pretty clear to me...
• Paul from Cincinnati, Oh I love this song. It always makes me feel sentimental.
• Matthew from East Brunswick, Nj Terrific song, Excellent guitar riff. Journey rocks!
• Becki from Hendersonville, Tn This song Is about San Francisco.I belong to a Steve Perry website and they have years of archives of interviews.Steve himself said it was about San Francisco.
• Jennifer from San Antonoi, Tx Note to Emo in San Jose, the lyrics actually say: "When the lights go down in the city and the sun shines on the BAY..." not LA
• Aj from Cleveland, Ga I also love the guitar solo.
• Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, Sc Well, I know the songs have different beats, but the beginning still sounds like something Hendricks would have done.
• Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, Sc great song! It's one of my favorites by them! I love the guitar solo. The beginning of the song sounds similar to the beginning of 'little Wing' by Jimi hendricks. Does anyone agree with me?
• Emo from San Jose, Ca Reportedly, Steve Perry did in fact originally write the song in L.A. and the lyrics were something like "When the lights go down in the city and the sun shine on L.A...."
• Tony from San Francisco, Ca This song may have been partially written IN L.A., but last time I checked, San Francisco was the city by the bay.
• Josh from C.p, Mn the song was actually written about LA since steve wrote parts of it while he lived in LA
• Chris from Aurora, Il Steve Perry has an amazing voice, and this is one of the songs that I listen to when I just get tired of bands who have talent, but still get airtime on the radio.

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About Lights

"Lights" is a song recorded by American rock band Journey and written by Steve Perry and Neal Schon, released in 1978.

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Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana and Frumious Bandersnatch. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded. During that period, the band released a series of hit songs, including 1981's "Don't Stop Believin'", which became in 2009 the top-selling catalog track in iTunes history. Its parent studio album, Escape, the band's eighth and most successful, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and yielded another of their most popular singles, "Open Arms". Its 1983 follow-up, Frontiers, was almost as successful in the United States, reaching No. 2 and spawning several successful singles; it broadened the band's ap… more »

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Written by: Stephen Ray Perry, Neal Joseph Schon

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC

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