"Lonely Ol' Night" is a rock song written and performed by singer-songwriter

John Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrument ...

. It appeared on his 1985 album ''

Scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley ...

'' and was released as the album's lead single, peaking at number 6 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

. It also reached number 1 on the

Top Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart in '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in ...

chart, staying at the top spot for five weeks.

Background and recording

The title of "Lonely Ol' Night" was inspired by a scene in the 1963 film ''

Hud Hud or HUD may refer to: Entertainment * ''Hud'' (1963 film), a 1963 film starring Paul Newman * ''Hud'' (1986 film), a 1986 Norwegian film * ''HUD'' (TV program), or ''Heads Up Daily'', a Canadian e-sports television program Places * Hud, Fa ...

'' starring

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...

, based on a book by

Larry McMurtry Larry Jeff McMurtry (June 3, 1936March 25, 2021) was an American novelist, essayist, bookseller and screenwriter whose work was predominantly set in either the Old West or contemporary Texas.

. Mellencamp had seen the film many times as a young man, and its portrayal of Newman's character's strained relationship with his father affected Mellencamp deeply, inspiring many of his song ideas. The recording of "Lonely Ol' Night" occurred on April 9, 1985, according to the ''Scarecrow'' liner notes. The song was recorded at Belmont Mall in

Belmont, Indiana Belmont is an unincorporated community in Washington Township, Brown County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. History A post office was established at Belmont in 1884, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1916. In 1907 Hoosier G ...

, was produced by Mellencamp (under the alias "Little Bastard") and

Don Gehman Don Gehman is an American record producer, engineer, and executive, best known for his work with John Mellencamp and Hootie & the Blowfish. He was one of "the most successful producers of the 1980s and 1990s." As a sound engineer, he also helped ...

, engineered by Gehman and Greg Edward. Backing Mellencamp were

Kenny Aronoff Kenny Aronoff (born March 7, 1953) is an American session drummer. Early life Aronoff grew up in Stockbridge, Massachusetts He developed an interest in music at an early age and gravitated to the drums as "drumming was one hundred percent ene ...

(drums), Toby Myers (bass), Larry Crane (guitar), and Mike Wanchic (guitar,

background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used ...

Release and charts

"Lonely Ol' Night" was the lead single from ''Scarecrow'', following his previous hit single "Authority Song" (from 1983's '' Uh-Huh'') to the Billboard Hot 100, where it debuted August 24, 1985. It peaked at number 6 on that chart and reached number 1 on the Top Rock Tracks chart, staying at the top spot for five weeks. It was Mellencamp's second chart-topper on the Top Rock Tracks chart, following 1982's "

Hurts So Good "Hurts So Good" is a song by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, then performing under the stage name "John Cougar". The song was a number two hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for the singer/songwriter. It was the first of three major hi ...

". ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' called it "a chugging track which portrays love as the all important link of life."

Chart performance

Music video

The video for "Lonely Ol' Night" was shot in and around

Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, Indiana, Monroe County in the central region of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the List of municipalities in Indiana, seventh-largest city in Indiana and the fourth-largest outside ...

. Kathryn Green, the wife of lyricist George Green, friend of Mellencamp's and co-writer of "Hurts So Good," "

Crumblin' Down "Crumblin' Down" is a rock song co-written and performed by John Mellencamp, released as the lead single from his 1983 album '' Uh-Huh''. It was a top-ten hit on both the US '' Billboard'' Hot 100 and Canadian pop charts, and it reached #2 on th ...

," and "Rain on the Scarecrow," appeared as Mellencamp's girlfriend in the video. According to the Mellencamp biography ''Born in a Small Town,'' Green's wife had told Mellencamp not to put "pretty girls" in the video, as it would be unrealistic to suggest their nights would be lonely; Mellencamp replied by offering her a role in the video. In 1985, Mellencamp performed "Lonely Ol' Night" at the

MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...

. The song has since become a concert highlight of Mellencamp's. It has also appeared on Mellencamp's greatest hits compilations '' The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988'' and '' Words & Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits''.

References

External links

"Lonely Ol' Night" Lyrics at Yahoo! Music
* {{authority control 1985 singles John Mellencamp songs Songs written by John Mellencamp Song recordings produced by Don Gehman Riva Records singles 1985 songs