“In the Still of the Night” by The Five Satins stands as one of the most haunting and enduring songs of the doo-wop era. Written in 1956 by 19-year-old Fred Parris while he was on U.S. Army guard duty in Philadelphia, the song was born from deep longing for Marla, the woman he loved. Fresh from a weekend together, Parris poured his emotions into a melody that came to him under a cold, star-filled night sky.
The Five Satins later recorded the song in the basement of St. Bernadette’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut, using minimal equipment. Parris believed the setting gave the song its lasting soul, once saying it felt “blessed.” Though the relationship that inspired it eventually ended, the song lived on.
While it peaked modestly on the charts, “In the Still of the Night” became a cultural classic, immortalized through countless covers and film appearances, and remains a timeless symbol of love, nostalgia, and emotional honesty.
