About The Song
“Well my friends, the time has come…” to commemorate a very recognizable lyric and a chart anniversary for Lionel Richie. On November 12, 1983, “All Night Long (All Night)” completed its climb to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, on its way to becoming one of the anthems of his career.
Written by Richie and co-produced by the artist with James Carmichael, “All Night Long” had been moving up the US pop chart since mid-September. Furthermore, it was already in the midst of a seven-week run at No. 1 on the R&B survey. Then it started a four-week pop reign, seizing the crown from Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s “Islands In The Stream.” On the R&B chart, Motown’s strong end to the year would continue when Richie was followed to the summit by DeBarge’s “Time Will Reveal.”
“All Night Long” was one of the many hits from Can’t Slow Down, Lionel’s second solo album, which itself was an absolute sales juggernaut, certified ten-times platinum in America in just over two years, by the end of 1985. By some distance the bestselling album of Richie’s stellar career, its estimated worldwide sales are now some 20 million.
Recorded at Ocean Way Studios on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles in the spring of 1983, the track featured such celebrated players as Greg Phillinganes on synthesisers, Paulinho da Costa on percussion, and a team of backing vocalists that included a then-unknown Richard Marx.
As for the Jamaican-style chant that had Richie and the chorus singing “Tom bo li de say di moi ya, yeah, jambo, jumbo,” what did it mean? This writer asked Lionel that very question in an interview for British pop weekly Record Mirror at the time of the single’s success. “If you go back and try to find out what it means,” he said, “it’s like most of Bob Marley’s chants. They don’t really mean anything, but you know what they mean – you know what I’m saying? It’s an old Jamaican chant.”
Video
Lyric
Let’s sing along with the lyrics!
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
(Play on, play on)Everybody sing, everybody dance
Lose yourself in wild romance
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!All night long! (all night, all night)
All night long! (all night, all night)
All night long! (all night, all night)
All night long! (all night, all night)People dancing all in the street
See the rhythm all in their feet
Life is good, wild and sweet
Let the music play on
(Play on, play on)Feel it in your heart
And feel it in your soul
Let the music take control
We’re going to party
Liming, fiesta, forever
Come on and sing my song!All night long! (all night, all night)
All night long! (all night, all night)
All night long! (all night, all night)
All night long! (all night, all night)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!Tam bo li de, say de moi ya. Yeah jambo jambo
Way to party oh we’re going, oh jambali
Tam bo li de, say de moi ya. Yeah jambo jamboOh, yes
We’re gonna have a party!All night long! (all night, all night)
All night long! (all night, all night)
All night long! (all night, all night)
All night long! (all night, all night)Everyone you meet
They’re jamming in the street
All night long!
Yeah, I said
Everyone you meet
They’re jamming in the street
All night long!Be good! Feel good!