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The actual event that inspired the song occurred on November 9, 1965. A massive blackout caused by a failure in the electrical grid left approximately 30 million people in darkness across New York and parts of Canada. As the saga unfolded, a Scandinavian Airlines flight, presumed to be a Boeing 747, was approaching Idlewild Airport — the predecessor to JFK Airport. As the pilots prepared for landing, the lights of the runway suddenly vanished, plunging them into uncertainty. Arguably, this scenario encapsulates the album's title track perfectly, with its harrowing imagery of disorientation and the unexpected encounter of strangers during an extended power outage.