About The Song
“Hot in the City” is a song by Billy Idol, released as the lead single from his 1982 self-titled debut album. It charted at No. 23 in the US and No. 58 in the UK. A remix of the song was released in 1987 and reached No. 13 in the UK.
The Exterminator Mix of the song was released as a single in the UK on 29 December 1987. It charted higher in the UK this time round, peaking at No. 13 in early 1988. This version was first released in 1985 on the remix album Vital Idol.
There are two versions of the video. The first version (the 1982 version) starts off with a girl walking into a record store. She picks up a Billy Idol record and the song starts to play. The video features scenes from New York City, interspersed with stock footage of nuclear bomb tests. The second version (the 1987 version) depicted Idol’s girlfriend Perri Lister bound to a cross; it was banned by MTV. The later version was included on the DVD edition of The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself.
Although the released version of the song has Idol shouting “New York!”, other versions of the song were recorded for various radio stations, including ones for such cities as “Amarillo”, “Boston”, “Minneapolis”, “New Haven”, “Phoenix”, “Philly”, “Chattanooga”, and “Sioux Falls”, or none at all with a repeated synthesiser stab instead.
Video
Lyrics
It’s hot here at night
Lonely, black and quiet
On a hot summer night
Don’t be afraid
Of the world we made
On a hot summer night
‘Cause when a long-legged lovely walks by
Yeah you can see the look in her eye
Then you know that it’s
Hot in the city, hot in the city tonight
Tonight
Hot in the city, hot in the city tonight
Tonight
For all the dreams and schemes
People are as they seem
On a hot summer night
Don’t be no fun
Don’t forget you’re young
On a hot summer night
A sometime someone you’re not
Don’t wait to see what you got
‘Cause you know that you’re
Hot in the city, hot in the city tonight
Tonight
Alright
Hot in the city, hot in the city tonight
Tonight
Well I’ll walk until my feet drop
I’m a train when I’m hateful
Yeah, lay right down now
And I’ll ride until your head breaks
I’m a-walkin’ ’til my brain pops
I will move with the beat now
I’m a chain ’round an A-bomb
I’m a ribbon in the heat now
New York!
Hot in the city, hot in the city tonight
Tonight
New York
Hot in the city, hot in the city tonight
Tonight
Hot in the city, hot in the city tonight
Tonight
Hot in the city, hot in the city tonight
Tonight
Hot in the city, hot in the city tonight
Tonight
Hot in the city, hot in the city tonight
Tonight