Because, It's Midnite

Heart of a lion b/w the wings of a bat

"Because, It's Midnite" is a song by Limozeen. A pastiche of glam metal, the high-energy song's lyrics feature imagery or phrases common to the genre that, while evocative on a line-by-line basis, make comically little sense in the context of the full song. In addition to a recognizable, repeated opening riff, the song is also notorious (particularly in its Guitar Hero incarnation) for an intense guitar/synthesizer solo before the bridge.

"Because, It's Midnite" has become Limozeen's signature song. It originated alongside the band's first proper appearance, in the Strong Bad Email monster truck, and the full version was soon after featured on the album Strong Bad Sings and Other Type Hits. It was also featured on day 18 of the Decemberweenvent Calendar. Limozeen's live appearances have always featured a performance of the song. Its iconic refrain "Heart of a lion, and the wings of a bat, because it's midnite!" is often quoted, occasionally humorously modified to fit the context of where it is mentioned.

Detailed Information

Sheet music from day 18 of the Decemberweenvent Calendar.

Album: Strong Bad Sings and Other Type Hits
Track: 5
Time: 2 minutes 13 seconds
Artist(s): Limozeen
Written by: Mike Chapman, Matt Chapman, Mark Cobb
Style: Glam metal
Origin: Strong Bad Email monster truck
Tablature: Because, It's Midnite Tablature

Lyrics

Walkin' the streets
I got a feelin'
It's leather-tough
You better believe it
Wakin' up late
Asleep in the gutter
Breakin' the chains! You'd better cut me some

Heart of a lion
And the wings of a bat
Because it's midnite!
Got the heart of a lion
And the wings of a bat
Because it's midnite!

Sunset Strip
California
West Hollywood
I'm gonna warn ya
Street smart soldiers
Takin' up arms
Bringin' the metal back to where it belongs!

...of a lion
And the wings of a bat
Because it's midnite!
Got the heart of a lion
And the wings of a bat
Because it's midnite!

{guitar/synth solo}

Liquid and leather
In equal measure
Champagne glass
Mix 'em together

Sweet city sweat
Vampire love
Crimson flows down
From the wings of a dove
Floatin' over the pavement
Guitars take flight
Wearin' my tightest pants, because it's midnite!

Heart of a lion
And the wings of a bat
Because it's midnite!
Got the heart of a lion
And the wings of a bat
Because it's midnite!

Ow! Ow! Ow!
Oooh

Appearances

• Debut: Email monster truck — A brief snippet of the chorus is played to promote the free performance Limozeen will be putting on after Awexome Cross '98.
• Strong Bad Sings and Other Type Hits — "Because, It's Midnite" is extended to full length and performed by a full band.
• Limozeen Thanksgiving E-Cards — The lines from the chorus are modified to celebrate Thanksgiving: "I've got the heart of a turkey, and the wings of cranberry sauce, because it's Thanksgiving!"
• Email flashback — Limozeen's congratulations message for Strong Bad's centennial email concludes with the central riff from "Because, It's Midnite".
• Because, It's Midnite (karaoke) — Included on strongbad_email.exe Disc Four.
• Limozeen vs. sloshy — sloshy and Limozeen cover each other's signature songs. The original versions are also heard, making this the first time the full version of "Because, It's Midnite" is available for free listening on the site.
• Everything Else, Volume 3 — The "bonus" menu includes Atari 2600-style music based on "Because, It's Midnite".
• Limozeen Live! - 27 Mar 2008 and 8 Nov 2008 — "Because, It's Midnite" is performed at both shows.
• Eric Conveys An Emotion: The Interview — As part of his interview at Videlectrix, Eric is asked "Why heart of a lion and wings of a bat?" (the answer is, of course, "because it's midnight")
• Behind The Bad Chapter 2: The Heist — Strong Bad listens to "Because, It's Midnite" at the Telltale Games offices.
• Homestar Runner 20th Anniversary Show — sloshy and Limozeen both performed the song at both shows.
• @strongbadactual Instagram post (26 Jul 2017) — A mockup of Game Boy game Limozeen Guitar Tabz & Tunerz includes a remix of the song.
• Lost in the Stacks Interview - 15 Dec 2017 — The hosts play "Because, It's Midnite" at the top of the show.
• Degradest Hits — Both of sloshy's versions (studio from Limozeen vs. sloshy and live from the 20th Anniversary) of the song are included.
• Strong Bad Sings on Vinyl! — A snippet of "Because, It's Midnite" is played to promote the vinyl re-release of the album.
• Disk 4 of 12 - Vampire's Castle — Rewritten lyrics accompany the band meeting their demise at the fangs of the titular vampire: "The Vampire's awake. He's at your neck!! Because, it's midnight!!"
• Fan 'Stumes 2022 — Strong Bad adapts the lyrics to recognize a fan's Limozeen costume: "I've got the heart of some sweatpants, and the wings of a really pretty impressive apparently hand-painted bootleg Limozeen T-Shirt, because it's Halloween night!"
• Decemberweenvent Calendar — Sheet music for the song is included on the 18th day, appropriately accompanied by an illustration of a bat-winged lion.
• Archive'd n' Live'd — The "SB Sings Version" of the song opens the compilation album.

Fun Facts

Trivia

A unique loading screen is shown before "Because, It's Midnite" in Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s.

• This song is included in the Rocks the 80s edition of the Guitar Hero video game franchise. This is the second time that a song from the Homestar Runner body of work has appeared in a Guitar Hero title, the first being Strong Bad's "Trogdor" as an unlockable bonus in Guitar Hero II.
  • When played on 'Expert' mode, the guitar/synth solo has been deemed "ridiculously hard" by even the most experienced players.
  • The game's credits state the song is performed by Limozeen, and goes on to list the full band. All excepting Arrison (and Palaroncini) were members of Y-O-U at the time:

Guitars: J. Christopher Arrison, Nick Niespodziani, Matt Sonnicksen

Keyboards: Eric Park

Vocals: Larry Palaroncini

Drums: Mark Cobb

Bass: Peter Olson

• The lines Crimson flows down/From the wings of a dove refer to blood, through the use of synecdoche.
• Although the solo was recorded on keyboard due to its technical difficulty, Arrison learned it on guitar for the Mar 27, 2008 "Limozeen Live!" show.

Inside References

• The song contains another mention of pants.

Real-World References

• The percussion intro of this song is very similar to that of "Working for the Weekend" by Loverboy.
• The lyric "Breakin' the chains" may be a reference to the Dokken song of the same name.

External Links

• "Because, It's Midnite" on Songwhip
• sloshy's "Because, It's Midnite" on Songwhip
  • Download sloshy's cover of Because, It's Midnight from Limozeen vs. sloshy
  • "Because, It's Midnite (Live)" on Songwhip

• Listen to the original version of the song in "monster truck"
• Listen to the original version of the song in "monster truck" on the old Flash site
• view the Flash file for the original version of the song in "monster truck"
• Listen to a sample of the CD version