Midnight
Barbara Mandrell Lyrics


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That call was from the office and I guess I'll have to burn the midnight oil again
And hon' you know how much the boss depends on me to lend a helping hand
I watch him in the mirror as I lie and tell him I don't know how late I'll be
While I'm puttin' on my makeup I'm puttin' on the one that really loves me

The girls all got together and they called to see if I could have some fun tonight
But you know me the only thing I do is go to work and watch TV
And I watch him in the mirror as I lie and tell him I don't know how late I'll be
While I'm puttin' on my makeup I'm puttin' on the one that really loves me

And tonight I'll cheat again and tomorrow I'll be sorry
And I'll feel kind of dirty cause I'll have the midnight oil all over me
God knows his dream would shatter if he knew the devil had me and won't set me free




While I'm puttin' on my makeup I'm puttin' on the one that really loves me
While I'm puttin' on my makeup I'm puttin' on the one that really loves me

Overall Meaning

The Midnight Oil by Barbara Mandrell is a song about a woman who is torn between her personal life and her professional responsibilities. She is a hardworking employee who is always expected to stay back and work late hours. She receives a call from her office informing her that she needs to burn the midnight oil again. Her boss depends on her heavily, and she is conscious of that responsibility. As she is getting ready to leave, she watches herself in the mirror and lies to her partner about how late she'll be.


The singer is sacrificing her personal life for her professional obligations. She is unable to go out with her friends, and she feels guilty about it. She is putting on a facade to hide her feelings from her partner, and it is clear that she is not happy with the situation. The line "While I'm puttin' on my makeup I'm puttin' on the one that really loves me" implies that she is pretending to be someone she's not, and only makeup can help her hide her true emotions.


The song is a vivid representation of how women, especially in the past, had to choose between personal and professional commitments. Here, the singer is struggling to maintain a balance between the two, but she fails. The lyrics convey the struggle of many women who had to make sacrifices to achieve professional success.


Line by Line Meaning

That call was from the office and I guess I'll have to burn the midnight oil again
I received a call from work, which means I will have to work late into the night


And hon' you know how much the boss depends on me to lend a helping hand
My boss relies on me to help him and I feel obligated to do so


I watch him in the mirror as I lie and tell him I don't know how late I'll be
I deceive my partner into thinking I don't know when I'll finish work, but I secretly know it will be a late night


While I'm puttin' on my makeup I'm puttin' on the one that really loves me
While getting ready, I'm thinking about the person who truly loves me


The girls all got together and they called to see if I could have some fun tonight
My friends invited me out tonight, but I'm too busy with work and watching TV


But you know me the only thing I do is go to work and watch TV
My life revolves around work and watching television


And tonight I'll cheat again and tomorrow I'll be sorry
Tonight, I will be unfaithful to my partner and regret it tomorrow


And I'll feel kind of dirty cause I'll have the midnight oil all over me
I will feel guilty and unclean because I worked so late into the night


God knows his dream would shatter if he knew the devil had me and won't set me free
If my partner knew I was unfaithful and couldn't stop, it would ruin his dream of being with me


While I'm puttin' on my makeup I'm puttin' on the one that really loves me
As I get ready for work, I'm thinking of the person who truly loves me




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOESPH ALLEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@claytonzdroik3985

That call was from the office and I guess I'll have to burn the midnight oil again
And honey, you know how much the boss depends on me to lend a helping hand
I watch him in the mirror as I lie and tell him I don't know how late I'll be

While I'm puttin' on my makeup, I'm puttin' on the one that really loves me

The girls all got together, and they called to see if I could have some fun tonight
But you know me, the only thing I do is go to work and watch TV
And I watch him in the mirror as I lie and tell him I don't know how late I'll be
While I'm puttin' on my makeup, I'm puttin' on the one that really loves me

And tonight I'll cheat again and tomorrow I'll be sorry
And I'll feel kind of dirty 'cause I'll have the midnight oil all over me
God knows his dream would shatter if he knew the devil had me and won't set me free
While I'm puttin' on my makeup, I'm puttin' on the one that really loves me
While I'm puttin' on my makeup, I'm puttin' on the one that really loves me



All comments from YouTube:

@eddielawrence4178

This song gave me chills when it first came out.all these later it still does. A great song from a great talent

@ronalddonaldson3364

If you're a man that has been through this with an unfaithful girlfriend, or wife, this song hits you hard. I had a fiancee that did this to me. I got her out of debt, and stable. Her parents loved me, and everything. They were planning on deeding over a pretty good portion of their ranch to her and I, so they could retire when we got married. She just couldn't stay out of the damned local honky tonk. I worked a full time job, and the homestead.

@sofadviolator

Should have written another country song about your situation where she 'went to town and never came back'.

@bonster4097

😮

@jonijenkins8006

My favorite song from her! In a league of her own!

@ayronsmama05

Until you have lived it you don't know how powerful this song is......

@randyadams9809

Real country. Been through it.

@user-qu2jt9je6o

Love it ❤

@4girlsgramps

I was in 9th grade when this one hit the country radio stations....the thing I remember most about it was how my dad played it over and over on his car's 8 track player. He wore this great track by Barbara Mandrell out. No doubt she is well deserving of the Country Music Hall Of Fame. Great talent ...great track!!!!!

@cbrown3725

Awesome

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