When The Nightjar Sings

To start the new year my family and I traveled to Puerto Rico where my brother and his family now reside. As night fell in the surfside towns we visited, the music of crickets, birds and frogs, with seemingly perfectly orchestrated alternating rhythmic patterns, delivered a hypnotic tapestry of sound that envelops the careful listener. Curious to understand the habits of these musical creatures, I took particular interest in learning about the nightjar.

These little fellows, nearly imperceptible by eye during the day, come nightfall, their voices loom large dominating the soundscape. If you are a light sleeper, you might even come to loathe their song as it starts the moment that the sun drops and continues incessantly until the first rays of dawn when its call then becomes totally silent.

Given this creature’s dual persona – invisible by day / undeniably present by night– I worked these characteristics into a metaphor for human populations that are alternatively seen and unseen. Our immigrant neighbors epitomize this state of being and today are being brutalized for simply existing in the light of day.

The music for this song came courtesy of a new instrument recently gifted by a kind friend; a small bodied travel guitar which accompanied me on my trip and afforded me time to work the melody and harmonies to a satisfying structure. I’ve always been drawn to the plaintive singing style of traditional folk songs made contemporary by artists like Rhiannon Giddens, Sarah Jarosz and Joan Shelley. The melody and vocals attempt to evoke a similar feel here.

What animals have you used as metaphor in your lyrics? (Any whale songs out there? I’m contemplating a future composition that captures my close-up encounter with an orca.) What instrument(s) have you recently acquired/borrowed inspired a new song?

Thanks for listening and sharing.

When the nightjar sings
When the nightjar sings
Let him sing
Let him sing

When the hour comes
When the morning hour comes
Set him free
Set him free

Everything he needs
Everything the nightjar needs
The wind will always rise
Beneath his wings

When a stranger comes
When a hungry stranger comes
Let them in
Let them in
Let them in
Feed the hungry stranger
Let them in

Everything they need
Everything a stranger needs
Set the table, let them
Join the feast

Everything they need
Everything a stranger needs
Set the table, let them
Join the feast

When the nightjar sings
When the lonely nightjar sings

Words & Music (c) 2026 Mark Ippolito