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Midnight
A Tribe Called Quest Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

The night is on my mind
The sun'll still shine
But the night is on my mind

So parlay while I drop this rhyme

See, Jake be gettin illy when the sun get dark
He be coming out for heads but shit don't let me start
There's activities a-plenty in the nighttime
For the ghetto child it seem to be the right time
See, kids be getting stuck with jewels and fly gimmicks
Shorty see the action and then start to mimic
Running to the corner, the dice game is blazing
Looking at the loot, it seems so amazing
Puts the short down, to be exact one pound
He shakes the stones in his hand, then he lets it down
Scared money don't make none
He threw a trick on the ace now he's out son
Hits the local bodega to wolf down a gyro
Son is on a midnight run like De Niro
Spots a shorty rock standing on his block
The fiends be hounding him to pump so he asked it it's not
Conversation that he kicked to the shorty was a sly one
Increased intensity, 'cause damn she was a fly one
Took her to the crib there she ran her jibs
About mind upliftment and being positive
He yawned and he sighed 'til 1:05
Then he finally realized that honey wasn't live
At least he didn't plan on building for the evening
Threw the Fila on the dome and said, "Come on yo, we leaving"
Came out on the scene as he told her to beep him
Saw his man Stan with the blunt in his hand
(Ah sh-) You know the transaction
Brothers gettin' lost in the weed satisfaction
Coming down the block man loud as
You would swear Redman was inside the truck
As the night seemed darker, cops is on a hunt
They interrupt your cipher, and crush your blunt
See you left your work at home so they pat you down for nothing
Why in the hell does 10-4 keep fronting?
You push to the park even though it's still dark
The kid is nice on the hoop, he said, "I'll spot you troop"

The night is on my mind
The sun'll still shine
But now the night is on my mind

The night is on your mind
Ayo the sun'll still shine
But now the night is on my mind

As for me I'm a nocturnal animal, God concentrates
On a young black man who makes the niggas speakers shake
The nighttime is busy, it's word to Aunt Kizzy
It's the time we get down, yo son, you know the sound
The flavas on the top with the rugged beat to back it
The night makes the aura and the Jake can't hack it
The way the moon dangles in the midnight sky
And the stars dance around, ayo, I think it's fly
Intensity, most rappers don't see it
Spirit wise, musically, you gotta be it
Serenity and silence of the sounds and emotions
In the concrete jungle and the sun don't bungle
I think it's hard to find the words on how I feel
I paid about a deuce twenty for the Ampex steel
But let me slow down, I think I ran my jibs enough
Peace out to the Nation, stay rugged and rough

The night is on my mind
The sun'll still shine
Ha, The night is on my mind
The night is on my mind
The night is on my mind
Yeah, The sun'll still shine
But now the night is on my mind
Uh huh, the night is on my mind
The night is on your mind
You know the sun'll still shine
But now, the night is on the mind
Yeah, the night is on the mind
The night is on the mind
Ayo, the sun'll still shine
But now the night is on the mind
Yeah, the night is on the mind
The night is on the mind
Ayo, the sun'll still shine

Did you know that the rate of aids
In the black and hispanic community
Is rising at an alarming rate?
Education is proper means for slowing it down

Overall Meaning

The song "Midnight" by A Tribe Called Quest explores the idea of the lure of the night for those living in inner-city ghettos. For these people, the night represents a time when they can make something of themselves by participating in illicit activities such as gambling and drug dealing. The lyrics of the song delve into these activities and the potential consequences of engaging in these actions, including incarceration and disease. The song also touches on the idea of finding solace in the grim reality of the inner city through positive thinking and music.


The lyrics of "Midnight" are full of vivid imagery that paint a picture of life in a rundown, urban environment. The song talks about young people getting involved in dice games and being lured into a life of crime by the temptation of money and status. The lyrics also detail the oppression that inner-city youth face, as they are constantly harassed by the police and face a lack of opportunities.


One interesting fact about "Midnight" is that it was released in 1993 as part of A Tribe Called Quest's third album, "Midnight Marauders." The song was produced by the group's own Q-Tip and was met with critical acclaim upon its release. In fact, "Midnight Marauders" is widely regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time.


Another interesting fact about "Midnight" is that it tackles a number of social issues that were prevalent in the early 1990s, including the AIDS epidemic and the rising rate of incarceration of young black men. The song's lyrics call for education and awareness as a means of combating both of these issues.


Line by Line Meaning

The night is on my mind
The singer is preoccupied with the nighttime and its activities.


The sun'll still shine
Despite the nighttime, the sun will still rise in the morning.


But the night is on my mind
The singer's thoughts keep returning to the nighttime and its allure.


So parlay while I drop this rhyme
The artist is inviting the listener to relax and listen to the music while he raps.


See, Jake be gettin illy when the sun get dark
Jake becomes dangerous and violent when the sun goes down.


He be coming out for heads but shit don't let me start
Jake seeks out confrontation at night, but the singer doesn't wish to dwell on that topic.


There's activities a-plenty in the nighttime
There are many things to do in the nighttime, especially for those in the ghetto.


For the ghetto child it seem to be the right time
The nighttime seems to hold more opportunities for those living in poverty.


See, kids be getting stuck with jewels and fly gimmicks
Children are getting robbed of their expensive items in the nighttime.


Shorty see the action and then start to mimic
Young people imitate the violence and greed they see at night.


Running to the corner, the dice game is blazing
People gather on street corners to gamble with dice.


Looking at the loot, it seems so amazing
The rewards for winning at gambling seem very enticing.


Puts the short down, to be exact one pound
The singer makes a bet of one pound (money) on the dice game.


He shakes the stones in his hand, then he lets it down
The singer rolls the dice and lets them fall.


Scared money don't make none
If you're afraid to take risks, you won't make money.


He threw a trick on the ace now he's out son
The artist loses his bet after rolling the wrong number on the dice.


Hits the local bodega to wolf down a gyro
The artist goes to a corner store to quickly eat a sandwich.


Son is on a midnight run like De Niro
The singer is running around town late at night, like Robert De Niro in some of his movies.


Spots a shorty rock standing on his block
The singer sees a young woman he finds attractive standing nearby.


The fiends be hounding him to pump so he asked it it's not
Drug users are asking the artist for drugs, but he tries to ignore them and ask the young woman if she's interested.


Conversation that he kicked to the shorty was a sly one
The artist was trying to charm the young woman with smooth talk.


Increased intensity, 'cause damn she was a fly one
The artist was very taken with the young woman and became more earnest in his conversation.


Took her to the crib there she ran her jibs
The singer took the young woman to his apartment where she chatted a lot.


About mind upliftment and being positive
The young woman spoke about positive thinking and mental health.


He yawned and he sighed 'til 1:05
The singer began to feel tired and looked at the clock which read 1:05.


Then he finally realized that honey wasn't live
The singer realized that the young woman wasn't as attractive or interesting as he initially thought.


At least he didn't plan on building for the evening
The singer wasn't looking for a deeper relationship with the young woman, so he wasn't too disappointed.


Threw the Fila on the dome and said, "Come on yo, we leaving"
The artist put on a hat and told the young woman it was time for them to leave his apartment.


Came out on the scene as he told her to beep him
The artist returned to the streets and gave the young woman his phone number.


Saw his man Stan with the blunt in his hand
The singer saw his friend Stanley smoking marijuana.


(Ah sh-) You know the transaction
The singer excused himself because he knew Stanley was dealing drugs.


Brothers gettin' lost in the weed satisfaction
People become addicted to the feeling of being high on marijuana.


Coming down the block man loud as
People were walking down the street making a lot of noise.


You would swear Redman was inside the truck
The noise was so loud that it sounded like the rapper Redman was actually in a nearby truck.


As the night seemed darker, cops is on a hunt
As the night went on, police began looking for people breaking the law.


They interrupt your cipher, and crush your blunt
Police ruin your social gathering and destroy your marijuana.


See you left your work at home so they pat you down for nothing
If you're not carrying drugs, weapons or anything illegal, you'll be searched and found holding nothing.


Why in the hell does 10-4 keep fronting?
The police department keeps acting as if there's a lot of crime, even when there isn't much happening.


You push to the park even though it's still dark
The singer goes to a park even though it's still nighttime.


The kid is nice on the hoop, he said, "I'll spot you troop"
There's a boy who's good at basketball and he offers to play a game with the artist.


As for me I'm a nocturnal animal, God concentrates
The artist is naturally suited to being awake at night and feels God has designed him this way.


On a young black man who makes the niggas speakers shake
The singer is a skilled rapper whose music people enjoy and which causes their speakers to vibrate.


The nighttime is busy, it's word to Aunt Kizzy
The nighttime is bustling with activity, as the singer's Aunt Kizzy had always said.


It's the time we get down, yo son, you know the sound
It's the time of day when people party and enjoy music, as the listener is likely aware of.


The flavas on the top with the rugged beat to back it
The music is fresh and exciting, with a rough and edgy quality.


The night makes the aura and the Jake can't hack it
The artist loves the feeling and energy of the nighttime, but those who aren't accustomed to it can't handle it.


The way the moon dangles in the midnight sky
The singer appreciates the beauty of the moon hanging in the sky at night.


And the stars dance around, ayo, I think it's fly
The artist thinks it's cool when the stars twinkle in the sky.


Intensity, most rappers don't see it
The singer thinks that many rappers lack intensity in their music.


Spirit wise, musically, you gotta be it
To be successful, a rapper must have both spiritual depth and musical talent.


Serenity and silence of the sounds and emotions
The nighttime is peaceful and quiet, which can evoke strong feelings.


In the concrete jungle and the sun don't bungle
The city is a harsh environment, but the sun still rises every day.


I think it's hard to find the words on how I feel
The artist has trouble expressing the depth of his emotions about the nighttime.


I paid about a deuce twenty for the Ampex steel
The singer spent $220 dollars on a high-quality audio recorder.


But let me slow down, I think I ran my jibs enough
The singer wants to stop talking and let the music take over.


Peace out to the Nation, stay rugged and rough
The artist wishes peace to his fellow rappers and advises them to stay tough and strong.


Did you know that the rate of aids
The artist is shifting to a new topic of discussion.


In the black and hispanic community
The artist is specifically addressing HIV rates among certain racial groups.


Is rising at an alarming rate?
HIV infections are increasing rapidly.


Education is proper means for slowing it down
The artist believes that education could help reduce the spread of HIV.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Kamaal Fareed, Ali Muhammad, Malik Taylor

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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