When you are looking for a stranger to share with the seductive invitation of a lonely heart
There are certain songs that, from the very first note, transport you back in time. The opening guitar riff of Dr. Hook’s “Sharing The Night Together” is one of them—a smooth, inviting sound that feels like a warm breeze on a cool autumn evening. Released in September 1978 from their album Pleasure & Pain, this song wasn’t just a hit; it was a soundtrack to a specific kind of late-night rendezvous, a moment of fleeting connection between two people who, for whatever reason, found themselves alone and looking for someone to talk to.
The song, a true soft-rock gem, quickly climbed the charts, reaching #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and an even more impressive #3 in Canada. Its success wasn’t a surprise. It resonated deeply with a generation that was navigating a more fluid, less-defined landscape of relationships. Unlike many of the grand, sweeping love songs of the era, “Sharing The Night Together” is grounded in a raw, almost conversational reality. It’s not a tale of “happily ever after,” but of “happily for tonight.”
Written by Ava Aldridge and Eddie Struzick, the song had a life before Dr. Hook gave it its iconic voice. It was recorded by other artists, including Lenny LeBlanc and Arthur Alexander, but it was Dr. Hook’s version, with the distinctive lead vocal of Dennis Locorriere, that captured the essence of the lyrics. Locorriere’s voice, a perfect blend of vulnerability and confident swagger, makes the song’s premise feel less like a cheap pickup line and more like a genuine, if slightly risky, proposition.
The genius of this song lies in its subtle layers. The lyrics start with a simple observation: “You’re looking kinda lonely girl / Would you like someone new to talk to?” It’s a question we’ve all wanted to ask or been asked in a dimly lit bar or a quiet corner of a party. The song builds on this shared loneliness, moving from a polite inquiry to a bolder suggestion: “We could bring in the morning, girl / If you want to go that far.” This isn’t a commitment; it’s an unspoken understanding. It’s a moment of pure, uninhibited connection, free from the entanglements of tomorrow. The song captures that bittersweet feeling of finding comfort in a stranger, knowing that the magic might only last until the sun comes up.
For those of us who came of age in the 70s, this song holds a special place. It evokes memories of late nights spent with friends, of the exhilarating and slightly dangerous feeling of a first glance across a crowded room. It’s the sound of a generation that was learning to embrace a new kind of freedom—the freedom to be lonely, to be vulnerable, and to find comfort in the simple act of “sharing the night together.” The song is a beautiful and nostalgic reminder that sometimes, the most profound connections are the ones that are never meant to last forever.
Music Legend