Lights

This is about San Francisco, the "City by the bay." Journey formed there and became popular in that area before hitting it big. If you haven't seen a sunset in San Francisco you don't know what you're missing.

This was one of the first Journey songs featuring lead singer Steve Perry. He was accepted into the band after the group's manager listened to his audition tape for only 15 seconds.

Even though this is about San Francisco, it was written in Los Angeles, where the band had relocated. Steve Perry explained in an interview with Joe Benson of Arrow 93.1 FM: "I had the song written in Los Angeles almost completely except for the bridge and it was written about Los Angeles. It was 'when the lights go down in the city and the sun shines on LA.' I didn't like the way it sounded at the time. And so I just had it sitting back in the corner. Then life changed my plans once again, and I was now facing joining Journey. I love San Francisco, the bay and the whole thing. 'The bay' fit so nice, 'When the lights go down in the city and the sun shines on the bay.' It was one of those early morning going across the bridge things when the sun was coming up and the lights were going down. It was perfect." Perry finished writing the song with Journey guitarist Neal Schon, who says they "banged it out in about 20 minutes."