A man for whom the night becomes his true home—and who feels his self-control slipping away: «Self Control» by Raf is one of the biggest Italian hits of the 1980s and an anthem of Italo disco. In 1984, the song turned Raf—who had been relatively unknown until then—into an overnight star and topped the charts across half of Europe. Fun fact: That same summer, an American singer scored a global hit with the same song—and both versions vied for the number-one spot at the same time. Here’s how «Self Control» came to be, what it’s about, and what its imagery means.
«Self Control» – Profile
- Artist: Raf (Raffaele Riefoli)
- Published: 1984 (Single; debut album «Raf,» Carrere)
- Lyrics/Music: Giancarlo Bigazzi, Raf & Steve Piccolo · Produced by Giancarlo Bigazzi · Arranged by Celso Valli
- Genre: Italo Disco / Synth-Pop
- Special features: No. 1 in Italy and Switzerland—at the same time, Laura Branigan's cover version became an international hit
The Story Behind «Self Control»
Raf, whose real name is Raffaele Riefoli and who was born in Apulia in 1959, had initially played in the Florentine new wave scene in the early 1980s before achieving his big breakthrough in 1984. Together with the experienced producer and songwriter Giancarlo Bigazzi and the American musician Steve Piccolo, he wrote a song that combined English lyrics with a driving, modern synthesizer sound—arranged by Celso Valli.
The song was a huge success: «Self Control» spent seven weeks at the top of the charts in Italy, and did the same in Switzerland. In Germany, the song climbed to No. 2, and in Austria it made it into the Top 10—and in Italy, it was certified Gold.
Perhaps the most remarkable turn of events, however, took place at the same time on the other side of the Atlantic: That same year, American singer Laura Branigan recorded her own version. Her version—with a smoother pop sound and arranged by Harold Faltermeyer—became a worldwide hit, reaching No. 4 on the U.S. charts and No. 1 in several countries. In Switzerland, the two «Self Controls» even traded the top spot several times in the summer of 1984. Suddenly, there were two global hits with the same title—Raf’s original and the international cover.
What is «Self Control» about?
«Self Control»—literally, «self-control»—tells the story of a man for whom the night becomes his true world. During the day, he keeps a low profile, but as soon as it gets dark, nightlife casts its spell on him: lights, music, unfamiliar faces—a pull he cannot resist.
At the heart of the song is a loss of control. The singer feels as though another person—or the night itself—is gaining power over him and robbing him of the very self-control referred to in the title. Fascination and warning are closely intertwined here: the nocturnal world is both seductive and dangerous. This tension between desire and the loss of self is what makes the song so haunting to this day.
«Self Control»: Lyrics & Meaning
The lyrics to «Self Control» are protected by copyright, so we won’t reproduce them line by line here; instead, we’ll explain the key images and their meanings.
The Prologue (The World of Night). Right from the start, the song makes it clear that, for the narrator, the night is more than just a time of day—it is his true home. What for others is a time to sleep is, for him, the moment when life truly begins.
The Chorus (Loss of Control). In the chorus, everything comes to a head: another force takes hold of the narrator and robs him of his self-control. This is precisely where the song’s title comes into play—as a catchy, almost incantatory moment in which surrender and warning converge.
The distinctive spot (nearby in the dark). Every now and then, a mysterious figure takes center stage, drawing very close under the cover of darkness. She represents the allure of nightlife—attractive and yet threatening, because she robs the narrator of his sense of self.
The sound (bright sound, dark theme). The real secret lies in the contrast: a bright, danceable synthesizer sound overlays a dark theme. This tension between the cheerful exterior and the restless interior is a big part of the reason why «Self Control» is still so instantly catchy today.
«Self Control» live: Raf
The fact that Raf still carries this song with him to this day is evident in this live performance of «Self Control» featuring Raf from the Rai program «Viva Rai2!» in May 2024—decades after the original, and still with the driving energy of the classic.
Listen: Spotify · Apple Music
That's what makes «Self Control» special
- Two global hits, one title – In the summer of 1984, Raf's original version and Laura Branigan's cover version both stormed the charts at the same time; in Switzerland, they took turns at the top.
- A blueprint for Italo disco – With its English lyrics and shimmering synthesizer sound, «Self Control» became one of the songs that made the Italian disco sound popular throughout Europe.
- A video that got people talking – The sensational music video for Branigan's version was directed by film director William Friedkin («The Exorcist»); due to its night-time imagery, it was at times shown only in a toned-down version.
- Reprinted time and again – The song has been covered and sampled many times, from Ricky Martin's Spanish-language version, «Qué día es hoy,» to modern dance and pop versions from recent years.
This makes «Self Control» much more than just a dance hit from 1984—it’s the song that brought Raf international fame, and one of the prime examples of how Italian pop conquered the world in the 1980s. If you want to dive deeper into this era, read about how «Gloria» by Umberto Tozzi was born—another Italian classic that, of all people, Laura Branigan turned into a global hit—and browse through our posts about Italian music.
