'Round Midnight
Art Pepper Lyrics


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It begins to tell
'Round midnight, midnight
I do pretty well, till after sundown
Suppertime I'm feelin' sad
But it really gets bad
'Round midnight

Memories always start 'round midnight
Haven't got the heart to stand those memories
When my heart is still with you
And ol' midnight knows it, too
When a quarrel we had needs mending
Does it mean that our love is ending
Darlin' I need you, lately I find
You're out of my heart
And I'm out of my mind

Let our hearts take wings'
'Round midnight, midnight
Let the angels sing
For your returning
Till our love is safe and sound
And old midnight comes around
Feelin' sad




Really gets bad
Round, Round, Round Midnight

Overall Meaning

In the song 'Round Midnight by Art Pepper & Georges Cables, the singer is experiencing difficult feelings and memories that come up around the time of midnight. The opening lines, "It begins to tell, 'Round midnight, midnight", set the stage for the rest of the song. The singer notes that they usually do pretty well until after sundown or suppertime, when they start to feel sad. However, it really gets bad around midnight. Memories start to flood their mind and they can't bear to stand those memories because their heart is still with the person they're thinking of. The singer wonders if a recent quarrel they had means the end of their love, and they express their need for the other person.


The chorus provides a glimmer of hope, with the suggestion that at midnight, their love could be safe and sound again. They call for their hearts to take wings and for the angels to sing for the other person's return. Ultimately, the song ends on a bittersweet note, as the singer still feels sad despite this hopeful longing. These lyrics express a sense of time passing, and with it, the persistence of painful memories and the desire for a love that may feel out of reach.


Line by Line Meaning

It begins to tell
The story starts to unfold


'Round midnight, midnight
When it's dark and late at night


I do pretty well, till after sundown
I manage to keep myself busy until the evening sets in


Suppertime I'm feelin' sad
When it's time to eat, I start feeling gloomy


But it really gets bad
But the sadness intensifies


'Round midnight
When it's late at night and memories start to resurface


Memories always start 'round midnight
The recollection of our past experiences always begin around midnight


Haven't got the heart to stand those memories
I cannot bear to face those memories


When my heart is still with you
When my heart still belongs to you


And ol' midnight knows it, too
Late at night, it's evident that I'm still thinking of you


When a quarrel we had needs mending
When we need to fix the argument we had


Does it mean that our love is ending
Does that imply our love is fading away?


Darlin' I need you, lately I find
My love, I require your presence, and lately I realize


You're out of my heart
You've moved away from my heart


And I'm out of my mind
And I'm losing my sanity over it


Let our hearts take wings'
Let's allow our hearts to soar


'Round midnight, midnight
Late at night when the stars are shining


Let the angels sing
May the angels sing


For your returning
In anticipation of your arrival


Till our love is safe and sound
Until our relationship is secure


And old midnight comes around
When it's late at night again


Feelin' sad
Feeling gloomy


Really gets bad
The sadness gets even worse


Round, Round, Round Midnight
Late at night the memories come back, and the feelings return with more intensity




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cootie Williams, Bernard D Hanighen, Theolonious S Monk

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Marshall Ignas

Fun fact about Marty Paich, his son was a member of the band Toto.

Brenda Murphy

The best sax player ever in my book

Julio Coronado

no one can play like him!!! The very best!!!

Ad supermusone

I agree. "So nice to come home to" woahhhhh

Brenda Murphy

The bear club this must be played at the next jamming session on Sunday

gad gad

big up birdy.

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