Still of the Night – English Lyrics

• By: Whitesnake
• Album: Whitesnake

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

In the still of the night

I hear the wolf howl, honey

Sniffing around your door

In the still of the night

I feel my heart beating heavy

Telling me I gotta have more

In the shadow of night

I see the full moon rise

Telling me what's in store

My heart start aching

My body start a shaking

And I can't take no more, no, no

Now I just want to get close to you

An' taste your love so sweet

And I just want to make love to you

Feel your body heat

In the still of the night

In the still of the night

Over here baby

In the heat of the day

I hang my head down low

And hide my face from the sun

Through the light of the day

Until the evening time

I'm waiting for the night to come

Ooh, baby

In the still of the night

In the cool moonlight

I feel my heart is aching

In the...

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
howl /haʊl/ A2	verb - to make a long, loud, mournful cry, as of a wolf
sniffing /ˈsnɪfɪŋ/ A2	verb - to inhale noisily through the nose, often to detect a scent
beating /ˈbiːtɪŋ/ A2	verb - to strike repeatedly
aching /ˈeɪkɪŋ/ B1	adjective - experiencing persistent pain
shaking /ˈʃeɪkɪŋ/ A2	verb - to move or cause to move rapidly back and forth
taste /teɪst/ A1	verb - to perceive the flavor of something by mouth
sweet /swiːt/ A1	adjective - having the pleasant taste of sugar or honey
heat /hiːt/ A1	noun - the quality of being hot
moonlight /ˈmuːnlaɪt/ A2	noun - the light from the moon
rise /raɪz/ A1	verb - to move upward
store /stɔːr/ A1	noun - a place where things are kept or sold
close /kloʊz/ A1	verb - to move toward each other adjective - nearby
waiting /ˈweɪtɪŋ/ A1	verb - to stay in place in expectation of something
shadow /ˈʃædoʊ/ A1	noun - a dark area where light is blocked
evening /ˈiːvənɪŋ/ A1	noun - the period of time at the end of the day, usually from late afternoon to nighttime

Key Grammar Structures

• I hear the wolf howl, honey

  ➔ perception verb + bare infinitive

  ➔ The verb "hear" is followed directly by the bare infinitive "howl"; after perception verbs we do not use "to".

• I feel my heart beating heavy

  ➔ verb of perception + object + present participle

  ➔ After the perception verb "feel", the object "my heart" is followed by the present participle "beating" to describe an ongoing sensation.

• I gotta have more

  ➔ modal-like construction "gotta" = have to (obligation)

  ➔ The informal "gotta" replaces "have to"; it expresses a strong necessity: "I "gotta" have more" = "I have to have more".

• My heart start aching

  ➔ verb + gerund (start + -ing) to indicate the beginning of an action

  ➔ The verb "start" is followed by the gerund "aching"; this pattern shows that the feeling is just beginning.

• I just want to make love to you

  ➔ verb + infinitive (want + to‑verb)

  ➔ After "want" the infinitive "to make" is used; this structure expresses a desire to perform an action.

• I hang my head down low

  ➔ simple present for habitual action

  ➔ "hang" is in the simple present, indicating something the speaker does regularly or as a habit.

• I'm waiting for the night to come

  ➔ present progressive + infinitive clause (to‑verb)

  ➔ "am waiting" shows an ongoing action, and it is followed by the infinitive clause "to come" which expresses the expected future event.

• I feel my heart is aching

  ➔ verb + that‑clause (that omitted) to report a feeling

  ➔ "feel" is followed by a clause "my heart is aching"; the conjunction "that" is understood but not spoken.