“Marquee Moon” is the title track off Television’s debut album of the same name. In a 1977 interview with Caroline Coon for Melody Maker, lyricist and guitarist Tom Verlaine stated:
Marquee Moon was written about three years ago and actually it had 20 verses to it. It’s a song I used to do on acous...
[Verse 1]
I remember
Ooh, how the darkness doubled
I recall
Lightning struck itself
I was listening
Listening to the rain
I was hearing
Hearing something else
[Chorus]
Life in the hive puckered up my night
A kiss of death, the embrace of life
Well, there I stand 'neath the Marquee Moon
Just waiting
[Verse 2]
I spoke
To a man down at the tracks
And I ask him
How he don't go mad
He said "Look here, Junior
Don't you be so happy
And for Heaven's sake
Don't you be so sad"
[Chorus]
Life in the hive puckered up my night
A kiss of death, the embrace of life
Well, there I stand 'neath the Marquee Moon
Hesitating
[Verse 3]
Well, the Cadillac
It pulled out of the graveyard
Pulled up to me
All they said, "Get in"
"Get in"
Then the Cadillac
It puttered back into the graveyard
Me
I got out again
[Chorus]
Life in the hive puckered up my night
A kiss of death, the embrace of life
Over there I stand 'neath the Marquee Moon
I ain't waitin', uh uh
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 1]
I remember
How the darkness doubled
I recall
Lightning struck itself
I was listening
Listening to the rain
I was hearing
Hearing something else
Marquee Moon was written by Tom Verlaine.
Marquee Moon was produced by Andy Johns & Tom Verlaine.
Television released Marquee Moon on Fri Apr 01 1977.
Tom Verlaine described the song as “10 minutes of urban paranoia,” continuing onwards by stating:
I would play until something happened. That comes from jazz, or even the Doors, or the Five Live Yardbirds album — that kinda rave-up dynamics.
— via Rolling Stone Magazine