'In The Night' was the b-side for the first single release of 'Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money)'.
Production and Recording[]
Phil Harding produced the song, and it was later remixed by Arthur Baker for the 12" singles.
The song has the same chord progression as the a-side, 'Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money)', and this was intentional, because they thought the two could be mixed together.
'In The Night' was used as the theme music for 'The Clothes Show' on the BBC. In 1995 they recorded a new version of it without vocals for the show, and then used it as a bonus track on the singles for 'Before'.
Background[]
Neil says the subject matter of this song leans heavily on a book he read called "Paris In The Third Reich: A History Of The German Occupation, 1940-1944", by David Pryce-Jones.
I read about these people called les Zazous who were like prototype beatniks. They were apolitical and used to grow long hair and listen to American jazz music, which of course was illegal under the Nazis. They were very existentialist and sat round talking about love and the meaning of life.
The two clubs mentioned in the lyrics, Select, and Le Colisée were frequented by les Zazous.
The song looks at the moral implications, because the Nazis hated them and the Resistance hated them, because they were fatalistic and didn't participate in the resistance, and the song asks whether that's collaboration...because the fact of the matter is that if you're not really against something, you're for it, and in a way they collaborated with the Nazis by just carrying on a normal life. So, in the end, I am criticizing them.
Zazou, what you gonna do?
There's a lot of people gunning for you
Zazou, comment allez-vous?
A knock on the door in the night
That Zazou he don't care
Dark glasses, long hair
Takes his time, sneers at men
Some ugly people want revenge
Zazou, comment allez-vous?
A knock on the door in the night
In the night
That Zazou he sleeps all day
then down to Select or Le Colisée
Sips his drinks, orders more
says what he thinks and it's a crazy war
Zazou, what you gonna do?
A knock on the door in the night
Zazou, comment allez-vous?
A knock on the door in the night
And when the soldiers strut
all he cares about is love
And when the flags are out
all he cares about is love
Well there's a thin line
between love and crime
and in this situation
a thin line between love and crime
and collaboration
in the night
Zazou, what you gonna do?
There's a lot of people gunning for you
Zazou, comment allez-vous?
A knock on the door in the night
Now everybody's under somebody's spell
unless they've already gone to hell
In the streets you can hear the people say
'That Zazou he should be locked away'
When the soldiers strut
all he cares about is love
When the flags are out
all he cares about is love
And there's a thin line
between love and crime
and in this situation
a thin line between love and crime
and collaboration
Cover Versions by Other Artists[]
- 1994 - The Kinky Boyz