"In a Lonely Place" by The Smithereens

Among the songs on The Smithereens' debut album, Especially for You, is one inspired by a classic film noir. "In a Lonely Place" is based on the classic 1950 film noir of the same name starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame. It was written by the late Pat DiNizio, the lead singer and songwriter of The Smithereens. Pat DiNizio was well known for his love of classic movies. It was only a few days before his untimely death in 2017 that he posted about the classic films he planned to watch.

Not only is "In a Lonely Place" inspired by In a Lonely Place (1950), but it even paraphrases the movie's most famous line. At one point in the film Dixon Steele (Humphrey Bogart) says, "I was born when she kissed me. I died when she left me. I lived a few weeks while she loved me." This is paraphrased in  "In a Lonely Place" as "I was born the day I met you,/Lived a while when you loved me,/Died a little when we broke apart." Later in the film Laurel Gray (Gloria Grahame) says to Captain Lochner (Carl Benton Reid) of the LAPD, "Yesterday, this would've meant so much to us. Now it doesn't matter..it doesn't matter at all." This is reflected in the song's lyrics as well, in the lines "Yesterday, it would have mattered./Now today, it doesn't mean a thing."

"In a Lonely Place is notable for featuring backing vocals by Suzanne Vega. Originally, Pat DiNizio had wanted Brazilian singer Astrid Gilberto, best known in the United States for the hit "The Girl from Ipanema," but he approached her about the song at one of her concerts in New York City, she simply said, "Call my manager." Pat DiNizio then figured she wasn't interested, and reached out to his friend Suzanne Vega.

Despite being one of The Smithereens' best songs, "In a Lonely Place" did very little on various charts, although it did go to no. 5 on the UK Indie Chart.