Patricia Lee Smith (IPA: /pəˈtrɪʃə liː smɪθ/; born December 30, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter and poet. She was influential in the birth of punk rock with her 1975 debut album Horses. Called "Godmother of Punk" she integrated the beat poetry performance style with three-chord rock. Her allusions introduced American teens to 19th century French poetry, while her "unladylike" language defied the disco era. Smith is most widely known for the song "Because the Night", which was co-written with Bruce Sp.