The night sky is an awe-inspiring entity to gaze upon. Whether you’re into star gazing, like the dark, or other, here are the best songs about the night sky.
“All the Stars” by Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA
Year: 2018
Kendrick Lamar’s “All the Stars” focuses on a person searching for the meaning of fame, fortune, and love. Lamar explores the sacrifices they make to pursue their dreams and love in the face of uncertainty.
He pushes back against fake people who take advantage of him and asks whether love is worthwhile and everything the person imagined. SZA’s contribution is much more hopeful, as she sings of realizing her dreams and reaching for the stars in the night sky.
“A Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay
Year: 2014
One of the most moving songs about the night sky, Coldplay’s “A Sky Full of Stars” features Avicii on piano. Reflecting that collaboration, the song has a noticeably more dancy beat than is typical of Coldplay’s sound.
The song seems to revolve around new love and the powerful feelings that come with it. It focuses on someone who has fallen in love with a person he compares to a sky filled with stars. Unfortunately, despite those hopeful lyrics, the narrator seems to recognize that his love may not last. Even then, he wants to give her his heart no matter whether she ends up breaking it as she lightens up the dark in his life.      Â
“Midnight Sky” by Miley Cyrus
Year: 2020
Miley Cyrus highlights how she coped during her divorce from Liam Hemsworth in “Midnight Sky.” Her deeply personal lyrics explore their tumultuous relationship and how the media vilified her following the announcement they were separating.
The lyrics explore the singer’s longing to break free from a claustrophobic relationship. She likens her journey toward independence and singlehood to reaching for the clouds in the midnight sky.
“Look Up At the Stars” by Shawn Mendes
Year: 2020
“Look Up At the Stars” is about two lovers on a date at the end of a Friday night. Mendes paints a beautiful picture of a man who feels lucky to have fallen in love.
The ethereal lyrics describe their date night filled with light, from the streetlights they walk under to the stars shining in the sky. Despite the vulnerability of the lyrics, Mendes later confirmed the lyrics were a tribute to his many fans.
“There’s a Star” by Ash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMZKWC1XSXc
Year: 2001
In “There’s a Star,” Northern Irish rock group Ash offers up cryptic lyrics that may touch on a bad breakup to knowing that someone’s always there for you. The narrator appears to be waiting on a woman and dreaming of a future where his heart no longer feels like it’s as cold as the north winds.
Her role is ambiguous but the lyrics seem to suggest they have (or had) an intimate relationship. The song ends with a bittersweet chorus, as he sees a star shining in the night sky – the kind they both dreamed of.
“Light Up the Sky” by Yellow Card
Year: 2007
“Light Up the Sky” by Yellow Card revolves around the narrator professing his love for a girl who was previously broken-hearted. The singer recognizes the pain she feels but wants to help her heal from the wounds that broke her. He reassures her of his devotion, promising to light up the sky and even readily die for her.
The band’s frontman, Ryan Key, later revealed the song was inspired by his unsuccessful romancing of a celebrity.Â
“Clear Night Sky” by La Luz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1kKQ_F1gGs
Year: 2012
“Clear Night Sky” is a four-line psychedelic tune with uncertain lyrics that are possibly about passing on. The song starts with the narrator bluntly revealing they’ve been told they are going to die.
While heaven isn’t explicitly mentioned, they see a bright light and find themselves walking through an otherworldly night sky.
“Last Night” by Michelle Branch
Year: 2017
Michelle Branch’s “Last Night” revolves around wanting to give a lover solace and support through their pain. She wants their love to be as bright as the light from the moon and stars in the night sky.
Branch sings about how far she’d go to prove her love and pleads with them to return her feelings with the same passion. While she feels incomplete without him, the lyrics suggest he is closed off and unwilling to open up to her.
“Same Night Sky” by 2AM Club
Year: 2010
LA-based band 2AM Club sings about a man who seemingly leaves his love behind as he pursues his dreams in another city. He’s determined to succeed no matter what and finds comfort in the knowledge that he has someone waiting for him back home.
Rather than say goodbye, he reminds his lover that all they have to do is look at the night sky. As long as they both do so, they will be together in some way even when they are miles apart.
“Night Sky” by Faime
Year: 2019
With “Night Sky,” Detroit-based singer-songwriter Faime serves up movingly sentimental lyrics that capture the endless possibilities couples face in life. The poignant song is open to interpretation but the lyrics suggest that the narrator is looking back on a romantic, drunken evening spent underneath the night sky. Faime sings of the hope they shared in that moment underneath the moonlit sky for a future filled with love.
The song takes a somewhat darker turn as the narrator touches on their mortality and what might happen to them as a couple when they pass on. They promise to always love them until that day, even as their memories fade. While they don’t know what’s in store for them, they’re certain the pair will end up shining brightly together in the night sky.
“Airplanes” by B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams
Year: 2010
B.o.B and Hayley Williams from Paramore highlight the challenges of celebrity life. The rapper misses his once simple life, which was free of pressures as a celebrity. Now, B.o.B has everything he could’ve hoped for but all too often feels alone and ignored. Even his music is no longer driven by passion or ambition but to simply stay relevant.
The chorus, sung by B.o.B and Hayley Williams, movingly expresses his longing to wish on a shooting star. Unfortunately, he only sees airplane lights in the night sky instead.
“Underneath the Night Sky” by Young Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7PdfP0L4u8
Year: 2007
Young Love highlights the cycle of toxic relationships in “Underneath the Night Sky.” Its lyrics open with a woman telling her man to leave and never return after an argument.
While looking up at the night sky, she reflects on their relationship and reminisces about how it all began. Those memories leave her feeling conflicted, and the tug at her heart suggests all could be forgiven. Unfortunately, the song ends on a bitterly tragic note when the man is seemingly murdered by a mugger. The lyrics suggest he had been on his way home to apologize but took a wrong turn.
“The Big Sky” by Kate Bush
Year: 1986
“The Big Sky” is all about appreciating things adults often overlook, like gazing up at the beautiful night sky and imagining different cloud shapes. Bush reflects on the simple pleasures that came during childhood but which adults may feel silly for enjoying.
The iconic 80s singer vividly captures the wonder of a day innocently spent gazing upwards. She sees one cloud that resembles Ireland and pauses her search for shapes to watch jets fly overhead.
“My Night Sky” by DevilDriver
Year: 2016
The heavy metal song “My Night Sky” is all about someone who can’t see their negative thoughts are ruining their life and affecting those around them. The lead singer refuses to be beaten down by this person’s negativity and appears to liken their perseverance to the night sky.Â
Rather than feel sorry for others who have wronged him before, he uses his experiences as fuel to be stronger and move forward.
“Stars” by Skillet
Year: 2016
Skillet is a Christian rock band that often sings soulful music with a religious theme. In “Stars,” Skillet sings of God always being in control, no matter how overwhelming life sometimes is.
The narrator tells themselves that if God can hold up the stars in the night sky, they can also lift their heart through even the darkest days. Skillet uses these contrasts to remind listeners to have faith that God sees everything, including an individual’s pain.
“Night Sky” by Chvrches
Year: 2013
“Night Sky” is a dark exploration of a struggling relationship. In the song, the speaker wants the person they are with to stay by their side forever.
She powerfully describes herself as this person’s night sky but goes on to seemingly imply that she is frustrated by how she’s been treated. That leads her to wonder if they should try to heal their relationship or move on and never look back.
“Diamonds” by Rihanna
Year: 2012
Rihanna’s hugely successful song “Diamonds” is an energetic celebration of love and happiness. Its hopeful lyrics capture the joyous emotions of a couple that actively uplifts each other. The Bajan singer compares them to a pair of diamonds that shine brightly in the night sky.
The lyrics to “Diamonds,” which has a softer tone compared to Rihanna’s typical anthem sound, were written by Australian singer Sia. Remarkably, Sia took only 14 minutes to write the song! The track was an instant hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and being certified seven-times Platinum. In 2023, Rihanna chose “Diamonds” for her first live performance since taking a five-year break from music.
“Northern Sky” by Nick Drake
Year: 2012
“Northern Sky” is a slow jam love song from the English artist, Nick Drake. In the lyrics, Drake reflects that he has never felt a love so real as the relationship he is currently in.
He asks his lover questions about if he would still love him whether or not he had money, for his intellect, and if her love would remain so no matter the season of the year. With her in his life, he knows she is brightening up his happiness which is metaphorically portrayed as his northern sky.
“The Majesty of the Night Sky” by Emperor
Year: 1994
“The Majesty of the Night Sky” by the Norwegian black metal band Emperor is a thunderous tale of a person suffering grief and pain preparing to pass to the other side.
Emperor weaves through evocative imagery as they imagine the person’s soul going on an epic journey to be connected to the night sky’s majesty. The lyrics imply the narrator has united with the Devil, and they reveal they now have the strength of a thousand demons. By the end of the song, the narrator is now seemingly vengeful and promising a return.
“Night Sky” by Leonell Cassio featuring Julia Mihevc
Year: 1994
Leonell Cassio explores the complexities of their feelings about a person who is distant with them. He sees this person as their night sky and is trying hard to remember what they like about them. They compare that to looking for stars but lament that they’ll burn out, implying the end of their relationship.
“The Night Sky” by Mostly Autumn
Year: 2009
The harmonic flutes and wind chime noises throughout “The Night Sky” by Mostly Autumn can make you think of bright moonlight as your spirit travels through a forest-based journey.
The song’s theme discusses feeling safe at night and becoming attuned to the moon. Song lyrics play for the first three minutes. Motivating instrumental numbers last for the remaining six minutes of the piece.
“Satellite” by P.O.D.
Year: 2002
Sonny Sandoval, P.O.D.’s lead singer, lost his mother to leukemia when he was only 18 years old. She passed on at the young age of 37. Sandoval used this tragedy as inspiration for “Satellite.”
The song explores how people navigate the sense of loss and grief following the passing of a loved one. For Sandoval, peering up at the sky gave him comfort as he thought of his mother looking down on him. “Satellite’s” lyrics touch on that, with Sandoval poignantly asking their shining light in the night sky to never take their eyes off him.
“Night Into the Sky” by A.S. Red
Year: 2011
A.S. Red, a former subgroup of the K-pop band, After School, recorded “Night Into the Sky” in 2011. It centers on a person enduring a breakup and tells herself she’ll never take her lover back. Instead, she decides to be and move on. As she peers up at the night sky, she promises never to cry over her ex again.
“Watching the Night Sky” by Blaze Bayley
Year: 2010
In “Watching the Night Sky”, Blaze reflects on a failed relationship. As he peers up at the night sky, he reflects on his regrets and failure in succeeding. He imagines his lover looking at the same night sky and feeling connected despite being physically separated.
“The Night Sky” by Keane
Year: 2007
Keane highlights how violent the world has become in “The Night Sky”. Proceeds from the song’s profits were donated to benefit children in war-torn countries via the War Child UK Foundation.
“The Night Sky” illustrates an individual imagining life without war. They reflect on how daily life is negatively impacted by war. This person dreams of businesses reopening and only fireworks being the reason for night skies lighting up. He highlights how the simple pleasures of daily life are taken for granted, especially during a time of war.
Top Songs About the Night Sky, Final Thoughts
Whether pondering your dreams or remembering a late loved one, listen to these songs about the night sky, if you are feeling down.
What was your favorite song from this list? Whether it’s Kendrick Lamar’s, Coldplay’s or other, let us know your opinion in the comments section below. Of the many available to listen, we hope you enjoyed our selections.
Is there a song referring to the night sky that we missed? Tell us more about it and why you love it so much!