Lights (Journey song)

Background and writing

The song was written about San Francisco, Journey's city of origin, though it was originally composed in Los Angeles and intended to be about that city. It was one of Steve Perry's first songs with the band, recorded shortly after he joined. Perry explained that he had nearly completed the song in Los Angeles, with the line "when the lights go down in the city and the sun shines on L-A," but he was dissatisfied with how it sounded. After deciding to join Journey, his feelings shifted toward San Francisco.

He found that "the bay" fit naturally into the lyric, creating "when the lights go down in the city and the sun shines on the bay." Perry described the inspiration as an early-morning drive across a bridge, with the sun rising and the city lights fading. Released as a single in 1978, the song reached number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100. Over time, its popularity grew, and it is now frequently played on classic hits and oldies radio stations.

The song is regularly featured at San Francisco Giants baseball games, including versions led by Perry at the 2010, 2012, and 2014 World Series. It is also played at Oakland Athletics post-game fireworks, at Levi's Stadium after San Francisco 49ers home wins, and in promotions for the Golden State Warriors. The song was played before the start of game 4 of the 1989 World Series on ABC Sports. A live version released in 1993 on the Time³ box set reached number 30 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

It was the last song played during the Top 40 era of San Francisco radio station KFRC before its format change in 1986. Television station KIII in Corpus Christi, Texas used the song during sign-offs in the late 1980s.