The inspiration for this post actually came from a conversation I had with my mom one day. I can’t remember how the song came up, but somehow, one of us started casually singing it, and the other joined in – great, we both know “Into the Night!” However, we both realized we knew two different versions of the song!
Of course, that sent me down a rabbit hole – which version is the original, and how many versions of the song exist? Needless to say, I was surprised by what I learned, and I’m excited to share it with you!
Origins and Meaning Of The Original “Into The Night” by Benny Mardones – The Version My Mom Knew
Benny Mardones is the original singer and co-writer of the song with Robert Tepper, and the way this piece came to be was pretty interesting and, I’m sure, unexpected. According to an interview with The Professor of Rock, Mardones explains that he and Robert were staying in Mardones’ apartment in Miami, FL, when one day, three teens who lived in the apartment with their parents came knocking on his door, upset. The teens explained that their father had left the family “destitute.” In an effort to help the family, Benny offered the teens jobs so they could help their family – one sibling, a brother, would get paid to run errands for him. Another sibling named Heidi would be paid to walk his dog for him.
Mardones said they had been working on the main part that would soon be “Into The Night,” but they couldn’t quite get it worked out, so they stayed up all night trying to figure it out. That next morning, 16-year-old Heidi, who he admitted was dressed a bit mature for her age, came to walk the dog. When she left, Robert tried to make a comment about the girl, but Mardones stopped him, saying, “She’s just 16 years old, leave her alone.” Suddenly, it hit Benny – he told Robert to play the part they had been working on, and he started singing that lyric:
She's just 16 years old
Leave her alone, they said
And the song was born!
But, he decided to add an interesting element to the song and weave in the story of the teens’ father leaving the family.
“Into The Night” was released in June of 1980 and performed very well and peaked on multiple charts over several years, including but not limited to:
- #11 on the 1980 U.S. Billboard Hot 100
- #12 on the 1980 Canadian Singles Chart
- #19 on the 1981 Australian Singles Chart
- #20 on the 1989 U.S. Billboard Hot 100
- #20 on the 1989 U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary
As fate would have it, the song became popular and controversial, so much so that some radio stations hesitated to play it. To help people understand the true meaning of the song, he revealed to the public that Heidi was the inspiration behind it. This mention caused the media to want to interview her, and these experiences and connections allowed her to cross paths with the son of a Puerto Rico-based real estate mogul, whom she went on to marry. She and her husband were able to take her family to Puerto Rico to live with them, give her brother a job, and help the family escape poverty. The family stayed in touch until Mardones’ passing in 2020.
Tifa’s Dancehall Version – The Version I Knew
We’re going to go from 1980 to 2011 when Dancehall artist Tifa released her version of the song “Into The Night [If I Could Fly].” This was my first encounter with the song, and it honestly never occurred to me that it could be a remake! I just enjoyed the song! And if you notice, she altered the lyrics at the beginning, saying:
He's so big, bad, and bold
Leave him alone, they said
Tifa’s version has a more upbeat and danceable vibe, but the message remains.
Additional Versions and Their Interpretations
Trust me, Tifa wasn’t the only one to cover this song! Over the years, Into the Night has been covered by several artists, each bringing their own spin to the song.
- Junior Tucker – A reggae version called “16 (Into the Night)” was released in 1990 and enjoyed success on the music charts in Australia.
- Usher – The R&B singer put his own spin on the soft rock hit with his 2010 song “Making Love (Into the Night).”
- Julio Iglesias Jr. – The Spanish singer/songwriter honored Benny Mardones with this 2022 “duet” of the song with Julio’s voice and Benny’s posthumous vocals.
Why “Into the Night” Still Resonates
Despite being over four decades old, Into the Night is a song that still captivates listeners of all ages around the world. Its themes of love, longing, and desire continue to resonate with listeners.
With multiple versions to choose from, listeners can experience Into the Night in new and different ways while still holding onto the magic of the original. Whether you’re drawn to the soft rock version of the original, the reggae vibes of Tifa and Junior Tucker’s, the sultry RnB version Usher created, the smooth duet with the late Mardones and Julio Iglesias, Jr., or any of the many other versions and covers out there, you’re sure to enjoy the message of the song and keep Benny Mardones legacy alive.
Which version of “Into the Night” do you like best? Let me know in the comments!
