The Night Has a Thousand Eyes is a jazz standard composed by Jerry Brainin with lyrics by Buddy Bernier, written for the 1948 Paramount film Night Has a Thousand Eyes. The story in the film revolves around a nightclub fortune teller, and the title suggests that the night itself can reveal truth and romance. It was introduced in 1948 and quickly became a staple in the jazz repertoire. Notable early jazz recordings include Horace Silver’s 1956 Blue Note version on the Horace Silver Quintet album, which is often cited as the first jazz recording of the tune, as well as later versions by John Coltrane (around 1960), Sonny Rollins (1962 on What’s New), and Paul Desmond with Jim Hall. The tune is frequently performed as a swing or Latin-tinged piece and appears in the Real Book, having been recorded by many artists across jazz and pop.
