All Night Long (All Night) 1983 – Lionel Richie

This is another one of those songs I heard endlessly growing up – and if you’d asked me back then whether I liked it, I’d have told you to take a flying jump. Maybe it was because it saturated the airwaves, or because the chorus “All Night Long” started to feel like it was taking all night long to get through, thanks to its relentless repetition towards the end. This kind of ultra-commercial ’80s pop was worlds away from my sacred Dylan and Springsteen immersion, so I completely tuned it out.

Fast forward 40 years, and there I am pedalling away in my spinning class when this song comes blasting through the speakers – and suddenly, I’m in second heaven. “Where have you been all my middle adult life?” I practically shouted at it and bopped on my stationary bike like a man possessed. Well, the song’s back now, making its long-overdue resurgence. Giddyup!

All Night Long is the ultimate party anthem from a bygone era – an international dance jam bursting with the percussive flair and festive spirit of world music. The song incorporates phrases from various languages to evoke a global party atmosphere. “Fiesta” is Spanish for “party,” “Karamu” is Swahili for “party” or “banquet,” and “Liming” is a Caribbean term for socializing.
The song’s composition was a process of trial and error, with Richie struggling to find the central hook for weeks. The breakthrough came when he was leaving a dinner at a friend’s house in Jamaica, saying he had to “go back and work all night long,” which provided the now-iconic chorus.

I love how the song goes off on tangents in different parts – it’s got not one but two pre-choruses besides the verses and post choruses, and the bridge is to die for, complete with glorious African gibberish. Richie admitted in interviews that he lacked the time to hire a translator for authentic African phrases, so he invented words like “Tam bo li de say de moi ya” and “Jambo jumbo,“. The music features layered backing vocals, including contributions from Richard Marx and other session singers, who were initially misled into believing they were singing in Swahili.

The song, released as the lead single from his 1983 album Can’t Slow Down, marked a shift from his earlier ballad style towards a more dance-oriented, pop-funk sound with strong Caribbean influences, blending his Commodores roots with calypso and reggae elements. It featured a large ensemble of session musicians, including several who had worked on Michael Jackson’s Thriller, contributing to its polished, percolating groove.

[Verse 1]
Well, my friends, the time has come
To raise the roof and have some fun
Throw away the work to be done
Let the music play on
Everybody sing, everybody dance
Lose yourself in wild romance

[Pre-Chorus 1]
We’re going to party, Karamu, fiesta, forever
Come on and sing along
We’re going to party, Karamu, fiesta, forever
Come on and sing along

[Chorus]
All night long (All night, all night, all night)
All night long (All night, all night, all night)
All night long (All night, all night, all night)
All night long (All night)
Oh, yeah (All night)

[Verse 2]
People dancing all in the street
See the rhythm all in their feet
Life is good, wild and sweet
Let the music play on
Feel it in your heart and feel it in your soul
Let the music take control

[Pre-Chorus 2]
We’re going to party, Liming, fiesta, forever
Come on and sing along
We’re going to party, Liming, fiesta, forever
Come on and sing my song

[Chorus]
All night long, oh (All night, all night)
All night long, yeah (All night, all night)
All night long, yeah (All night, all night)
All night long, ah (All night, all night)

[Verse 3]
Yeah, once you get started, you can’t sit down
Come join the fun, it’s a merry-go-round
Everyone’s dancing their troubles away
Come join our party, see how we play

[Bridge]
Tam bo li de say de moi ya
Yeah, Jambo, Jambo
Way to parti, o we goin’
Oh, jambali
Tam bo li de say de moi ya
Yeah, Jambo, Jambo
Oh, yes
We’re gonna have a party, yeah, uh

[Chorus]
All night long (All night, all night, all night)
All night long, yeah (All night, all night)
All night long (All night, all night, all night)
All night long, oh (All night, all night)

References:
1. All Night Long (All Night) – Wikipedia