Youth. The ups. The downs. The not-so-fun times. The “Oh my god, you got to try this!” times. The daredevil moments in which people are surprised they lived to see another day. Looking back on youth brings up all sorts of feelings. Some good. Some bad. Some incredibly awesome. All worthy of a good story among friends over food and drinks. The film American Graffiti showcases all of those stories and inspired Bob Seger to write one of his biggest hits.
In the movie American Graffiti, two high school graduates spend a night doing one last hurrah. While one teen contemplates never leaving the small town, the other is excited to get away from it (it’s a dead end town with no future). The night is full of those stories looked back on in adulthood: love lost, love found, going to college or staying in the hometown, hanging out at the burger drive-in, cruising the strip, escaping danger, etc. (imdb.com) All of which rests on the backdrop of the sixties.
Likewise, Bob Seger’s youth revolved around those early sixties and after seeing the movie American Graffiti, he was inspired to write the song “Night Moves”. He said of the comparison to American Graffiti, “That was us. Cruising at night, going through drive-ins, and the mental process when your hormones are raging. I wrote the song when I was almost 30, and I was talking about when I was 17 (wsj.com/archive).” Seger knew he had something to say that others could relate to and began working on the song.
Seger himself remembered his youth growing up in Michigan. There was a point in which he began socializing with a rougher crowd. They thought he was cool because he played music. They would go out into a farmer’s field outside Ann Arbor for “grassers”, which was a place to dance and hangout (wsj.com/archive). It was during this time, Seger also dated a dark-haired Italian girl. Unfortunately, she was betrothed to another. When her fiancé returned, the two got married, and Seger was left with a broken heart.
“Night Moves” emerged from the desire to tell stories of his youth with all the fun and broken heartedness that went with it. The song took over six months for the singer to write, however, its descriptive imagery helped it to become one of his top 10 hits and solidified its legacy in rock history. More importantly, it solidified Seger’s ability to weave a story listeners can relate to.
Looking back on youth, people experience a lot of emotions. Looking back, people also tell stories. Some happy. Some sad. Some dangerous. All with the intention of reliving some of the epic moments only youth can provide. A chance viewing of the film American Graffiti inspired Bob Seger to write “Night Moves”. He knew he could capture something that everyone could relate to, and that decision, lead the song to become one of his best-loved hits.
***Interesting note…the official music video to “Night Moves” came out in 1994; 18 years after the original release of the song. The video starred Matt LeBlanc, Johnny Galecki, and Daphne Zuniga. Watch it HERE.
~Jenna Jakes, WOGB
Related Links:
Seger’s Tribute to Frey is not Meant to be a Hit
Revisit Bob Seger’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction
Bob Seger is Available on Vinyl Again
Bob Seger Sponsoring Local Teen Program
WOGB Artist Spotlight: Rob Anthony Revisits His Musical Roots
WOGB Exclusive Interview: Kip Winger
