The Night We Met

**"The Night We Met"** is credited to Frankie Lou. The song describes the heartbreak of losing someone you love as they drift away: "I had all and then most of you, some and now none of you."

"Take me back to the night we met" expresses the feeling that the narrator wants a do-over, to simply never start the relationship they are now haunted by. Being haunted by love is a recurring theme in Frankie Lou's songs.

## Background and influences

Postcard XXII contains music that became "The Night We Met" and includes horizontally mirrored blurry footage of a deer running, with a caption containing lyrics from The Yawning Grave.

The single art depicts Louisa, a woman in a bluish dress, by the side of the road, looking away from the camera.

Ben Schneider explained: "On ‘The Night We Met’ I wanted to tell a story of love, but the feeling of regret at the end of a relationship where you’ve gone through so many wonderful things together but you feel like it wasn’t worth it. You wish you could go back to the origin of the relationship, and instead of commencing it, go another way."

Given the events of *Vide Noir*, it is likely that Frankie wrote this song about a relationship with Z'Oiseau. He charmed her when they first met, but according to Frankie, he was just using her. She regrets helping or even meeting him.

## Music video

Despite the song credit going to Lou, the music video depicts the beginning of Buck Vernon's quest to locate his fiancée, who left to pursue stardom. In the video Vernon seems to be suffering from visions of a woman credited as Louisa. Vernon is shown driving his car while drinking, and dozing off at the wheel. He is shown remembering or hallucinating Louisa along the side of the road and in the backseat, and in this context, this song seems to be about his failing relationship with her.

### Music video trivia

   The video is presented in ChubColor and the captioning is provided by Emerald Star CC Services. There is a split second image of a film clapperboard with a 1967 production directed by Z'Oiseaux called "*Suivrez L'Étoile Émeraude"* which translates to *"Follow The Emerald Star."* The video also has a split second shot of an Emerald Star symbol just before the credits. These were the first references to the *Vide Noir* album, which had not yet been announced at the time.

## Annotated lyrics

The lyrics for *Strange Trails* were never officially released, these lyrics are a transcript:

I am not the only traveler

Who has not repaid his debt

I've been searching for a trail to follow again

Take me back to the night we met

And then I can tell myself

What the hell I'm supposed to do

And then I can tell myself

Not to ride along with you

I had all and then most of you

Some and now none of you

Take me back to the night we met

I don't know what I'm supposed to do

Haunted by the ghost of you

Oh, take me back to the night we met

When the night was full of terrors

And your eyes were filled with tears

When you had not touched me yet

Oh, take me back to the night we met

I had all and then most of you

Some and now none of you

Take me back to the night we met

I don't know what I'm supposed to do

Haunted by the ghost of you

Take me back to the night we met

## Potential lyrical references

Frequently, Lord Huron's songs explore similar themes, sometimes they have stories that are covered by more than one song. These lyrical connections are merely for reference:

1. ↑ Frankie Lou - "Love Like Ghosts" - "Yes I know that love is like ghosts" "Oh they sing all day and they haunt me in the night".
2. ↑ The Phantom Riders - "The World Ender" - "I'll tear through the night, and I'll raise some hell"

## Sources

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gigwise interview

"Love Like Ghosts" (Francine Lu)
"Until the Night Turns" (The Phantom Riders)
"Dead Man's Hand" (Buck Vernon)
"Hurricane (Johnnie's Theme)" (The Phantom Riders)

"La Belle Fleur Sauvage" (Remy Fusil)
"**Fool for Love**" (Buck Vernon)
"**The World Ender**" (The Phantom Riders)
"Meet Me in the Woods" (Francine Lu and Claude Fox)
"The Yawning Grave"

"Frozen Pines" (H.W. Justine)
"Cursed" (Buck Vernon)
"Way Out There"
"Louisa" (Buck Vernon)
"****The Night We Met****" (Francine Lu)