Music Review: Justin Timberlake "Take Back The Night"

Justin Timberlake

Take Back The Night

Album: The 20/20 Experience: 2 Of 2

Year: 2013

           Justin Timberlake tries to get an out of control socialite to sleep with him in the shrewd  “Take Back the Night.”

           Glitzy strings open the single, setting a flamboyant tone.  Last time he saw her, she was standing next to a well-known entertainment executive in a picture on a gossip blog. It was followed by the headline: Secret Affair Ruins Marriage! She’s far known for her notorious exploits throughoutNew York, featuring a rap sheet for shoplifting and a DUI. His jaw drops as he sees her dancing around near him in the club. He maneuvers his way to the small circle surrounding her and moves in closer. Her back is turned toward him, giving him a full view of her legs and upper thighs. He bumps his shoulder into her own in an effort to get her attention. She spins around and he stammers an apology. She looks him up and down, appraising him and returns his shy smile. He takes another step to her, close enough to see the freckles on her arms. (“Yeah, this was your city/You did it all and more, broke every law except for one, babe/Attraction, are you ready?/I know you feel it/Pull you nearer till you feel it again.”)

                In the pre-chorus, he offers himself up as a one-night stand. He’s on vacation, visiting with friends. The next time he’ll see her, it will be on a gossip site.  She’s famous, people know her name and he would like to become a part of her story, someone she may mention on an entertainment show. He promises not to talk, saying he would like to experience her. (“I wanna do something right/But we can do something better/Ain't no time like tonight/And we ain't trying to save it for later/Stay out here, living the life/Nobody cares who we are tomorrow/You got that little something I like/A little something I've been wanting to borrow/Tonight's the night, come on, surrender/I won't lead your love astray, astray/Your love's a weapon, give your body some direction/That's my aim, then we could.”)

             In the chorus, he says she can sleep with him as many times as she wants. He wants to please her. Her people have been eyeing him, sizing him up. Her assistant tried to interfere but she told him no, she was fine. Since then, however, he has been hovering in the background, waiting to see what will happen.  (“ Take back the night/Come on, use me up until there's nothing left/Take back the night/Dizzy, spinning, sweating, you can't catch your breath/Take back the night/Uh, don't know when the sun is rising next/Take back the night/So if the feeling's right then raise your glass and let's/Take back the night, take back the night/They gonna try to shut us down, I'll be damned if we gonna let them/Take back the night, take back the night/You know you gonna mess around and find out there ain't no one better/Take back the night.”)

           He tells her he doesn’t believe the stories about her. She’s made some mistakes, but so has he and everyone else in the world. He continues to say that there’s no else like her. She hops up on the table, swinging her hips. She reaches for his hand, pulling up him on the table and he pretends to hold onto her waist for balance. (“Rare, there's not too many/No one but you and crowded rooms, we can do anything/Attraction can drive you crazy/And the way you moving, you go crazy, that's incentive for me.”)

                    The pre-chorus and chorus are sung again.

                   The glitzy strings return for the bridge as he says “break it down, break it down” Any second, Kelly Taylor (as played by Jennie Garth) will break in the middle of the bridge to give a heartfelt speech about her wonderful friend, Justin, who was there for her in her time of her need and wouldn’t ever hurt anyone else.  (“Break it down/Break it down/And the horns say, alright/And the horns say /Uh, and the horns say, alright/And the horns say/Take it over.”)

             Part of the chorus is sung again. (“Take back the night, take back the night/Take back the night/Oh, don't know when the sun is rising next…you know you gonna mess around and find out there ain't no one better.”)

         Part of the bridge is sung again to end the single. (“And the horns say, alright/And the horns say /Feels good to me/And the horns say, alright/Let's take it over.”)

         Timberlake’s starstruck, zealous vocals are preoccupied with looking cool. His cold ambition to become a legend is apparent, no matter how he how gets there.  Even if it’s using a known name/phrase, in this case it’s Take Back The Night.

            It can be argued Timberlake doesn’t own the title “Take Back The Night” and is free to use it any he chooses.  However, the Take Back The Night organization is recognizable, known for its protest rallies and marches against rape and sexual assault. Take Back The Night has also been featured in a same-titledBeverly Hills90210 episode in the mid-90s.  For Timberlake, it’s a dumb and inappropriate move, given he’s trying to persuade a girl to have sex with him.

        The shameless  “Take Back The Night” distorts  a phrase meant to be empowering, twisting it into a vulgar shape.