Last Nite

"Last Nite" is a song by American rock band the Strokes. It was released on October 23, 2001, as the second single from their debut album "Is This It". It was a moderate hit for the group on the UK Singles Chart in 2001. The track was produced by Gordon Raphael and was issued on RCA Records with the song "When It Started" as the B-side. The song's opening guitar riff and overall structure is based on "American Girl" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. In a 2006 interview with Rolling Stone, Petty commented, "The Strokes took "American Girl" [for "Last Nite"], there was an interview that took place with them where they actually admitted it. That made me laugh out loud. I was like, 'OK, good for you.' It doesn't bother me". The Strokes were invited to be the opening act for several dates on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' 2006 tour. The solo for the song was inspired by guitarist Freddie King. The single was the group's first to enter the American charts, reaching the top five on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart in late 2001. Meanwhile, the single obtained moderate success in the UK, peaking at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart. In March 2005, Q placed "Last Nite" at number 66 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. In September 2006, NME placed "Last Nite" at number one on its list of the 50 Greatest Tracks of the Decade. In May 2007, NME magazine placed "Last Nite" at number nine in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever. It was also placed at number 16 on Rolling Stone's 50 Best Songs of the Decade and number 478 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". The same publication listed it at number 155 in a revamped version of the list in 2021. In 2011, NME placed it at number four on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". In 2020, Paste and The Independent ranked the song number two and number one, respectively, on their lists of the 20 greatest Strokes songs.

[Verse 1] Last night, she said "Oh, baby, I feel so down Oh, it turn me off When I feel left out" So I, I turned 'round Oh, baby, don't care no more I know this for sure I'm walkin' out that door Well, I've been in town for just 'bout fifteen, oh, minutes now And, baby, I feel so down And I don't know why I keep walkin' for miles [Chorus] And see people, they don't understand No, girlfriends, they can't understand Your grandsons, they won't understand On top of this, I ain't ever gonna understand [Verse 2] Last night, she said "Oh, baby, don't feel so down Oh, it turn me off When I feel left out" So I, I turned 'round Oh, baby, gonna be alright It was a great big lie 'Cause I left that night, yeah [Guitar Solo] [Chorus] Oh, people, they don't understand No, girlfriends, they don't understand In spaceships, they won't understand And me, I ain't ever gonna understand [Verse 1] Last night, she said "Oh, baby, I feel so down See, it turn me off When I feel left out" So I, I turned 'round Oh, little girl, I don't care no more I know this for sure I'm walkin' out that door, yeah