"Black Night" is a song by British hard rock band Deep Purple, first released as a single in June 1970 and later included on the 25th Anniversary version of their 1970 album, In Rock. The song became a hit following its release, peaking at No. 2 on UK charts, and to this day remains Deep Purple's highest charting UK single.
Once In Rock had been completed, EMI asked for a suitable single to be recorded to help promote the album. Though Roger Glover states that Ricky Nelson's 1962 hard rocking arrangement of the George Gershwin song "Summertime" was the basis for the Mk II Deep Purple single "Black Night", it is also similar to Blues Magoos's 1966 psychedelic hit song "(We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet". In the BBC documentary Heavy Metal Britannia, keyboardist Jon Lord supports Glover's statement about the song's origin, stating "Black Night was nicked from the bass line in Ricky Nelson's Summertime" and then proceeds to play the bassline riff on his grand piano.
"Black Night" made its way into the setlist soon after release, generally as the first encore. The song was not played in full after Ian Gillan and Roger Glover left the band in 1973, but snippets were often played by Ritchie Blackmore as part of his improvisations. On the reformation of Deep Purple in 1984 "Black Night" returned as part of the main set list. There are many versions of the song available on Deep Purple live albums.
Lyrics
Black night is not right
I don't feel so bright
I don't care to sit tight
Maybe I'll find on the way down the line
That I'm free, free to be me
Black night is a long way from home
I don't need a dark tree
I don't want a rough sea
I can't feel, I can't see
Maybe I'll find on the way down the line
That I'm free, free to be me
Black night is a long way from home
Black night, black night
I don't need black night
I can't see dark light
Maybe I'll find on the way down the line
That I'm free, free to be me
Black night is a long way from home