December 1963 (Oh What a Night)

Oh, what a night
Late December, back in '63
What a very special time for me
As I remember, what a night

Oh, what a night
You know, I didn't even know her name
But I was never gonna be the same
What a lady, what a night

Oh, I
I got a funny feeling when she walked in the room
Hey, my
As I recall, it ended much too soon

Oh, what a night
Hypnotizing, mesmerizing me
She was everything I dreamed she'd be
Sweet surrender, what a night

And I felt a rush like a rolling bolt of thunder
Spinning my head around and taking my body under
Oh, what a night

Oh, I
Got a funny feeling when she walked in the room
Hey, my
As I recall, it ended much too soon

Oh, what a night
Why'd it take so long to see the light?
Seemed so wrong, but now it seems so right
What a lady, what a night

Oh, I felt a rush like a rolling bolt of thunder
Spinning my head around and taking my body under
Oh, what a night (Do do do do do, do do do do) (7times)

Here's the lyrics, for further discussion.

But isn't it telling, from HLVs perspective?
"You know, I didn't even know her name" etc... let's see how "soon it ends", then.

Last edited by Harriet (October 13, 2015 9:03 pm)

Takes me right back to school discoes.

I was never very keen on it.
But I always think of Sherlock, every time I hear it now.
Then there was that time my Sherlockian pal DJ played it and dedicated it to me.

Oh yes, Stayin' Alive is just Moriarty for me...actually as well as Sinner Man and the classical piece...Thieving Magpie or whatever it is!

Everything is in the detail!

TOPIC!

The fact that they used Oh What a Night in a song about John getting married has lots of subtext.

DISCUSS.   

I guess we all know how a Johnlocker reads the subtext of this song. But if I listen to the lyrics from John's POV, and put the Johnlock feels aside, it reads slightly different. He's met this woman and fallen in love with her, after all his past-girlfriend-failures, and it feels like he's finally met the right one. Of course it turns out he doesn't really know her, not even her real name, and the song foreshadows it all ending badly.

However, the show is called Sherlock, and practically the whole episode is from Sherlock's POV, so I can't help thinking the song must be interpreted from Sherlock's POV as well. I can sort of see the meaning that Yitzock has put forward, though I am a Johnlocker at heart and I want to believe that this is about Sherlock finally realising his feelings for John at this most inopportune time. To me, "Why'd it take so long to see the light? / Seemed so wrong but now it seems so right" is so obviously telling us this. Apart from that, I think the song is definitely still the hint that Mary is not who she seems, no matter which way you look at it (from a Johnlock or friendship perspective).

Or maybe the song was chosen simply because it's one of those typical wedding/party songs that people love to dance to and feel nostalgic about, and to show how everyone else is having a good time and Sherlock is left standing alone on the sidelines not really fitting in or having anyone to dance with, even though he's been looking forward to showing off his moves. But the writers wouldn't miss an opportunity to add a little subtext with their music choice, surely? Nah!  

There is also the obvious fact that it is quite a night: wedding night, discovering the pregnancy, apprehending a murderer and the official start of Sherlock's life without John.