Princess of the Night explained

For the flower colloquially known as "Princess of the Night", see Epiphyllum oxypetalum.

Princess of the Night
Type:single
Artist:Saxon
Album:Denim and Leather
Released:23 October 1981
Recorded:1981
Genre:Heavy metal
Length:4:01
Label:Capitol
Producer:Nigel Thomas
Prev Title:Never Surrender
Prev Year:1981
Next Title:Power and the Glory
Next Year:1983

"Princess of the Night" is a single by British heavy metal band Saxon, featured as the opening track and single from their 1981 album Denim and Leather; the song was written as a group production of all five members of the band at the time: Peter "Biff" Byford, Steve Dawson, Pete Gill, Graham Oliver, and Paul Quinn. The lyrics of the song deal with the narrator's affinity of a steam locomotive of the LMS Princess Royal Class.[1]

The single itself peaked in its popularity at 57 on the UK Singles Chart.

Background

Saxon are from Barnsley, an industrial town in north-central England with several railways. According to singer Biff Byford, Barnsley is famous for "bus scrapyards". In 1981, Byford said, "Princess of the Night is a song about a steam train that ends up on the scrapyard."[2]

Later in 1981, Byford added, "Some time ago we used to park our van at Barry Island in Glamorgan. There's a huge compound there where they keep all the old steam trains that they don't use anymore. They're just left to rot and I suppose that upset us because they really were magnificent machines. Well you can't beat the days of steam can you?

"Anyway, late at night if I couldn't sleep I used to look out at those ghostly engines and imagine them painted up and back in their glory. It's my romantic side coming out again."[3]

Personnel

Notes and References

  1. Facebook chat question to Saxon, 11 Jun 2015
  2. . Saxon — the Barnsley Connection . . London. . June 1981 . 28 February 2023.
  3. . The Eagle Has Landed: Saxon Spread Their Wings . . London. . November 1981 . 20 May 2023.