Saturday Night

Album: Famous Monsters (1999)
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Songfacts®:

  • There are multiple theories about the meaning of "Saturday Night," from the metaphorical death of a relationship to the guilt-riddled responsibility the narrator takes for the death of his girlfriend in a car accident. The Misfits aren't known for their use of metaphor or songs about failed relationships, so the theory that seems most obvious may well be the most accurate.

    The song begins by mentioning that there are 52 ways to murder anyone - two more than there are ways to leave your lover, coincidentally - and goes on to mention people screaming and going viciously and quietly away under the cover of night. Still, the relative ambiguity of the lyrics does leave some room for interpretation.
  • "Saturday Night" is a rare Misfits ballad, reminiscent of a 50s be-bop tune, and can be found on the album Famous Monsters, released in 1999 after Glenn Danzig had been replaced by frontman Michale Graves. It's the second studio album by the Misfits featuring Graves; the title is riffed from an old horror magazine, Famous Monsters of Finland. The covers of the magazine featured part of the title written in the same style that the Misfits would borrow for their new band name logo in 1981, when they also dropped "the" from the band name and became simply Misfits.

Comments: 23

  • Warlordatf from EarthThe song is about a girl overdosing and the guilt her boyfriend feels for turning her onto drugs, even though he did not give her the fatal dose.
  • Jhizzle from The BurghThis song is about the death of his dog
  • Randika ChristaIts about the Legendary Serial Killer "Jack The Ripper", Explanation & Fact:
    1. "Saturday Night": All of Jack's victims were killed on Weekend

    2. "52 Ways to murder" : 1 year has 52 weeks (365/7=52.14)

    3. "I'm coming clean for Amy
    Julie doesn't scream as well and the cops won't listen all night":
    Before to the murders, Jack sent a letter to the police force, in the letter jack said that there would be another victim, in the letter he mentioned the location, but the police response was slow,
    When Stride's body (3rd victim) was found(the location is exactly what it says on the letter),, Forensics stated that the murder was committed 30 minutes ago, then the police blocked the road a 100m radius, quarters of an hour after that, the police received information that there had been a murder not far from where Stride's body was found, and that is jack's 4th victim, Eddowes.
    Jack really embarrassed the police, because at a time like that he could still get away.

    4. "Doesn't Screem": All of Jack's victims were killed with cuts on the neck
  • Vdmenzella from RosarioA song about a serial killer masked as 50s be-bop tune
  • Deaded from 91774 La Punte AcCool Song
  • Collin from UsaI never thought about it being a car accident before but it makes sense "the backseat of my car feels so lonely without you" maybe she was sitting in the back and was flung out the windshield.
  • Lee from District Of ColumbiaPersonally, I don't think this song is about a car accident. But, I wanted to point out that a car accident is a legitimate interpretation. If you read thr entire song as taking place in a single "moment" while the narrator is reliving the accident and coming to terms with the guilt he feels over it, then that interpretation becomes stronger.

    *There's 52 ways to murder anyone. One or two are the same...*

    He's thinking of the fact he accidently killed someone. It wasn't intentional, but it feels "the same" to him. Someone is dead either way.

    *I'm coming clean for Amy, Julie doesn't scream as well..."*

    He's "coming clean" to himself. Accepting that he feels guilty of murder whether the law blames him or not. Julie may be either someone in the accident who didn't die. Or perhaps doesn't carry the guilt he does.

    *The cops won't listen all night...*

    He's recalling explaining the accident to police. Or possibly thinking of trying to get them to arrest him now so he can be punished and help get rid of his guilt. But he can't give a sob story of his anguish; the cops won't care. He has to give a quick confession they will accept.

    "I'm sitting in the bedroom...watching you die."

    Because of the guilt, he keeps reliving the accident. All he knows anymore is that he feels her absence and he knows he caused it.

    Anyway, this is not my take. But I can see why people would intepret this song that way.
  • Scott from Texas“Shoe Pond Murder”. Song writing is an art that requires flexibility in creative license to tell the story and remain musically poetic and relatable. Maybe another story? But it’s a female at the police station that the cops aren’t believing because the boy she is pointing the finger at is known and beloved in the town. Like a star hs athlete. Or it’s about baking pies? Wtf do I know?
  • Scott from TexasIt’s a love triangle/murder. Pay attention to live performances. He makes it clear many times the song is”Dark” and other words in the direction. He also sings “she said maybe I’ll be over, just as soon as I can fill them all in.” It’s not the dude talking to the cops.
  • B from New York Hey yo! Serial killers are like addicts. “Chasing the dragon” first high. He is reminiscing about his first murder. He knows when she’s home because her body is decaying around his property. And if he kept her alive he may have given her cigarettes to calm her while in his head ur may have been seen as intimate. Serial killers have fun w the chase and it’s a blast for them.

    My only thing is it’s killing me searching for either the one movie or real life SK from around the ‘50s that is most aligned hahahah
  • Ryan from UsaI had the exact interpretation as Mike. A serial killer reminiscing about his victims.
  • Jacob from United StatesI'm sorry but that is false when looking for the meaning of this song I noticed that people always try to suggest that this song is innocent but clearly they know little to no information about the Misfits They are a Horror Punk band which combining dark lyrics usually from movies and punk music this song is clearly referencing 1950's horror mixed with a possibility of something that has happened to Emmanual Michael C like a breakup or some other tragedy or maybe it's just supposed to reference 1950's horror also has anyone else noticed how this song kinda describes that one guy "Eddie Gluskin" from the game "Outlast The Whistle Blower" which if you don't know he tried to make everyone he found into his wife and ended up killing everyone, now I'm not saying the Misfits where referencing Outlast I'm saying Outlast possible referenced the Misfits or where referencing 1950's horror.
  • MikeSeems to me that the song is about a guy who kills every woman he’s been with (Julie and Amy to name a few). He’s also very open about it because in some twisted way he thinks the women enjoy it as much as he does: “I’ll be over as soon as I fill them all in” (fill in their graves). He also has his murder methods of choice (about 52 of them ????.....ya,this guy is f--ked). He then reminisces about seeing her last, “running Around having a blast” (she’s running for her life and he thinks it’s fun). He’s then cruising around alone listening to “our song” ( he tells everyone of his girls/victims that this is “our song”. All this behaviour is text book serial killer tendencies. And the fact that it’s Saturday night is because that’s date night. “you go viciously and quietly away” (Viciously murdered).
  • Benjamin from Michigan I hate to suggest this but maybe he introduced her to blasting heroin or iv drug use aka "blasting" and...well u see where I'm going with this
  • Stefan from Landshut, Germany...i wonder, why you do talk about a car accident, when the song show us lines like this:
    "I'm sitting in the bedroom, where we used to sit and smoke cigarettes, and I'm watching, watching you die". Is there a bedroom in the car, or what?
    Also this line: "I'm coming clean for Amy,Julie doesn't scream as well - And the cops won't listen all night. And so maybe, maybe I'll be over, Just as soon as I fill them all in" I ask again: Car crash? What the...?
    I am from Germany, but i do understand this very well! Car accident...Pah! Which idiot wrote this about this song?
  • Mike from Tx, TxYou need to go to the source and ask Michale. The song is not about a horror movie or sci-fi. The song is not about any known serial killer, etc. There is a reason Michale still plays this song at just about every show he does. It's a personal thing to him. And the Song Helena is the only thing on Famous Monsters about Boxing Helena- It has nothing to do with Saturday Night.
  • Johnn from Tijuana, Mexicovery cool song, michale make this when i was out of the misfits in 1996-1998,the original demo it's more like the 50'ths bit,the song it's about the movie Boxing Elena tells the story of Nick Cavanaugh a surgeon obsessed with a girl named Helena. After she is injured in a grievous hit-and-run motor vehicle accident in front of his home, he kidnaps and treats her in his house surreptitiously, amputating both of her legs. Later, he amputates her healthy arms as well.

    Though Helena is the victim of Nick's kidnapping and mutilation, she dominates the dialogue with her constant emasculating ridicule of him for all of his shortcomings.

    After some time living together she becomes lonely and returns his affection.

  • Rachel from Cincinnati, Ohall i know is that saturday night is one of the best misfits song about a girl.
  • Jeff from Austin, TxThe best song on an overall pretty lame album.
  • Chloe from Michigan, Miduuude,
    He killed her, and he said "the backseat of the drive in is so lonely without you"

    and he's talking about how he forgot to tell her that He was crying because he heard their song on the radio and he was crying.
    It's sort of self explanitory, in a way.
  • Bobbilyn from Jacksonville, FlAll the songs on the album are related to horror movies or cult classics. It's about a serial killer. Duh... I think that fact is totally wrong. Love the Misfits!!!
  • Rob from Wilkes-barre, PaYea I'm pretty positive it's about killing a girl.
  • Skeletonowl from Place, NjThat is true but it also seems to relate to killing a girl, possibly over jealousy.
    "I'm coming clean for Amy, Julie doesn't scream as well and the cops won't listen all night"
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