" Sunglasses at Night " is a hit song recorded by Canadian singer Corey Hart. It was the first single to be released off his debut album, 1983's First Offense , and became a hit single in the United States, rising to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1984. The song is considered by many to be a classic of 1980s pop rock and New Wave music, combining an unflagging synthesizer hook, rock guitar, obscure lyrics and a punk undercurrent throughout the song.
The song is included in numerous hits collections of the period, especially in the U.S., but it was not as popular throughout the rest of the world at the time. Peaking at #24 in Hart's native Canada, it was not a hit in Europe and failed to chart at all in the UK.
The original lyrics for the song were about a totalitarian society that made everyone wear their sunglasses at night. Hart altered the lyrics to be "more romantic" after his record company pushed for something deemed more marketable.
In 2002, 19 years after the original version release, the song was re-recorded, with Original 3 as the producer of the 2002 remake.
Music video
The music video, however, reflects the original vision of a police state, with scenes of Hart in a prison cell, without sunglasses, being strong-armed by police officers and paraded past various citizens wearing their regulation shades. Near the end of the video, Hart is brought to the office of a female police officer, played by Laurie Brown, who later became the host of The NewMusic as well as a VJ on MuchMusic.
Cover versions
The song was covered in electro style by Tiga and Zyntherius in 2001.
Former *N Sync singer JC Chasez featured the song's signature synthesized hook throughout "Come To Me", a track from his 2004 album Schizophrenic , for which he credited Hart as a co-writer.
In 2006, the song was covered by rap group The Federation with rappers E-40 and Keak Da Sneak, retitled as "I Wear My Stunna Glasses at Night", a reference to the popularity of "Stunna Shades" within the hyphy movement. 2007 saw covers by Dj Size feat. J. Lourenzo and Francis Soto (nu metal version), plus a mashup by UK mashup artist Cheekyboy of Justin Timberlake's Sexyback using elements of this song.
Divine Brown samples the main riff in her 2008 song Sunglasses , and near the end of the track she says the tag line, "I wear my sunglasses at night". Voodoo & Serano covered "Sunglasses at Night" in 2009.
Skepta of Boy Better Know sampled the chorus and the song's signature synthesized hook in his song titled "Sunglasses at Night".
It has been rumored that WWE wrestler Zack Ryder's theme song is based on Sunglasses at Night. Teen pop sensation Miley Cyrus's song "See You Again"was based from this song.
Cultural references
The song became the background theme for the viral video "My New Haircut" , as well as for the multiple amateur versions which followed.
The song is used in the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as part of the New Wave radio station Wave 103.
The song made #50 in VH1's 50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs of all Time.
The song also made #23 in Blender magazine's 50 Worst Songs Ever.
The popular Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation , which names each episode after an '80s hit song, named an episode after this song. The episode portrayed addiction to gambling.
In the song "Nappy Heads - (Remix)" from Fugees album Blunted on Reality , Wyclef sings, "I wear my sunglasses at night, to spy on my girlfriend" at 4:12 and 4:22. He references the song again on the Fugees album The Score on the track "How Many Mics?" , between 3:26 and 3:29.
Ludacris sampled the song in his mixtape The Preview , hosted by DJ Drama, on a song titled "Secret Song" featuring Tity Boi.
It is sampled in the song "Blinded by the Sun" by Gym Class Heroes.
It was the plate-appearance music during the 2008 MLB All-Star Game for a Milwaukee Brewers outfielder named Corey Hart. In 2009, Denver based artist SAIGE recorded a version of the song, and gained a fair amount of local success from the track.
In the 1985 film My Science Project , a police officer asks character Vince Latello (played by Fisher Stevens) why he wears his sunglasses at night. He answers, "Because when you're cool, the sun shine on you 24 hours a day."
The web series Dorm Life references the song - the RA of the floor sings it whenever he is drunk.
It is sampled in the song "Sunglasses At Night" by Skepta and is credited.
The song is used in Korean KIA Sephia 1993 commercial
References
- ^ Laurie Brown
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JMOh-cul6M
- ^ Run for Your Life! It's the 50 Worst Songs Ever! from Blender.com
- ^ Free Music:
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That's like the chorus part. :] ... I wear my sunglasses at night So I can, so I can Watch you weave Then breathe your story lines
YouTube - I Wear My Sunglasses At Night
The guy who's not wearing a jacket is my teacher's son. : D We listen and watch this video ALL the time in class.
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Corey Heart - Sunglasses At Night Lyrics
I wear my sunglasses at night. I said to you now: I wear my sunglasses at night. I wear my sunglasses at night I wear my sunglasses at night. I cry to you: I wear my sunglasses at night
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Firkin' amazing song. lol, the beat rocks. I'm in a band, and god, I sure wish i could invent a beat like that. Lol.