In 1964, at the age of 11, Khan formed her first musical group, the Crystalettes. While still in high school, she joined the Afro-Arts Theater, a group which toured with Motown great Mary Wells; a few years later, she adopted the African name Chaka Khan while working on the Black Panthers' breakfast program. After quitting high school in 1969, Khan joined the group Lyfe, soon exiting to join another dance band, the Babysitters — neither was on the fast track to success, but her fortunes changed when she teamed with ex-American Breed member Kevin Murphy and Andre Fisher to form Rufus.
Debuting in 1973 with a self-titled effort on the ABC label, Rufus was among the preeminent funk groups of the decade. Distinguished by Khan's dynamic vocals, the group earned half a dozen gold or platinum albums.
While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career. Her signature hits, both with Rufus and solo, include "Tell Me Something Good", "Sweet Thing", "Ain't Nobody", "I'm Every Woman", "I Feel for You" and "Through the Fire".
Round Midnight
Chaka Khan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'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
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
Mid
Night
The song "Round Midnight" by Chaka Khan is a beautiful ballad about the pain of longing for a lost love, particularly at the late hours of the night. The opening lines, "It begins to tell, 'round midnight, midnight. I do pretty well, till after sundown," set the somber tone of the song, hinting at the singer's inner turmoil as the day transitions into night. Supper time only seems to further exacerbate the singer's feelings of sadness, and as the night stretches on, things only get worse. The memories of the lost love overwhelm the singer, forcing them to relive the pain all over again.
Yet despite the pain, the singer holds onto hope that their love can be salvaged. They wonder if a fight they had means that their love is ending, and they express a desperate need for their lover to return. The line "When a quarrel we had needs mending, does it mean that our love is ending," emphasizes the uncertainty and vulnerability that is present in many relationships. The singer recognizes that their heart is still with their lost love, and they long for their return so that their love can be "safe and sound."
Overall, "Round Midnight" is a poignant reflection on the power of memories and the pain of lost love, set against a haunting, jazz-inspired melody.
Line by Line Meaning
It begins to tell,
'round midnight, midnight.
The story of heartbreak and sadness always starts around midnight.
I do pretty well, till after sundown,
I manage to be okay during the day, until the sun sets.
Suppertime I'm feelin' sad,
When it's time for me to eat, my sadness overwhelms me.
But it really gets bad,
'round midnight.
My sadness becomes unbearable when it's late at night, around midnight.
Memories always start 'round midnight
My memories of you always come flooding in around midnight.
Haven't got the heart to stand those memories,
I can't bear to remember those memories, as it hurts my heart too much.
When my heart is still with you,
Even though we're apart, my heart is still devoted to you.
And ol' midnight knows it, too.
Even the midnight hour seems to know that my heart still belongs to you.
When a quarrel we had needs mending,
When we've had a disagreement that needs resolving,
Does it mean that our love is ending.
I worry that our love is not strong enough to overcome our arguments.
Darlin' I need you, lately I find
My dear, I need you, and lately I've realized
You're out of my heart,
That I've started to lose my feelings for you,
And I'm out of my mind.
And it's driving me crazy.
Let our hearts take wings'
'round midnight, midnight
Let our hearts be lifted up and reunited with each other, around the midnight hour.
Let the angels sing,
May the angels in heaven rejoice over our reunited love.
For your returning.
As you come back to me.
Till our love is safe and sound.
Until our love is strong and secure once again.
And old midnight comes around.
As the midnight hour arrives again and again.
Feelin' sad,
I can't help but feel down,
Really gets bad
Especially at this late hour, my sadness is overwhelming and difficult to bear.
Round
Round
Round
Mid
Night
As the repetitive cycle of this sad feeling continues, round and round again, always at midnight.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cootie Williams, Bernard D Hanighen, Theolonious S Monk
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ben - Moderator
on I'll Never B Another Fool
Corrected - thanks Saulius
Saulius
on I'll Never B Another Fool
https://princevault.com/index.php?title=Eye%E2%80%99ll_Never_B_Another_Fool
Saulius
on I'll Never B Another Fool
"Come 2 My House" album 1998