'Round Midnight
Dizzy Gillespie & Thelonious Monk Lyrics
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'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 Midnight
The song 'Round Midnight by Dizzy Gillespie Phil Woods Quintet portrays a sense of melancholy and heartbreak through its lyrics. The song begins with the line "It begins to tell, 'round midnight, midnight." The phrase "it begins to tell" suggests that the singer's emotions are beginning to make themselves known, and the mention of midnight indicates that these feelings are triggered by the night. The singer admits to doing pretty well until after sundown, but come suppertime, he is feeling sad. The emotions intensify as the night grows darker and worse around midnight. The line "But it really gets bad, 'round midnight" emphasizes the impact that the night and its memories have on the singer.
The song talks about memories that always start around midnight. The singer admits that he hasn't got the heart to stand those memories, particularly when his heart is still with his lover. He believes that midnight can sense these feelings of hurt and sadness. The singer questions whether a quarrel they had means that their love is ending, indicating that there might be tension in the relationship. The line "Darlin' I need you, lately I find you're out of my heart, and I'm out of my mind" is the climax of the song, expressing the singer's desire to have his lover back but also admitting that he is losing his sanity.
Line by Line Meaning
It begins to tell,
'round midnight, midnight.
As midnight approaches, memories begin to flood back.
I do pretty well, till after sundown,
Suppertime I'm feelin' sad;
But it really gets bad,
'round midnight.
The singer can cope with their sadness during the day, but as time goes on, the pain becomes harder to bear - especially at 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.
The singer is haunted by memories of a lost love, which are strongest at midnight - when they're the most vulnerable. They're struggling to move on because their heart still belongs to their former partner, as midnight seems to know.
When a quarrel we had needs mending,
Does it mean that our love is ending.
The artist wonders whether their past arguments with their former partner mean that they've irreparably damaged the relationship, and that it's now doomed to fail. They're worried that it's too late to fix things.
Darlin' I need you, lately I find
You're out of my heart,
And I'm out of my mind.
The artist realizes that they still love their former partner deeply, but they're struggling to deal with the fact that they're not together anymore. They can't stop thinking about them, and feel as though they're losing their grip on reality as a result.
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.
The singer longs for their former partner to come back to them, and hopes that they'll be reunited. They believe that their love can be saved, but only if their partner is willing to return to them. They're willing to wait until midnight - the time when their pain is at its most intense - in the hope that their partner will come back to them.
Feelin' sad,
really gets bad
Round, Round, Round Midnight
The singer is emphasizing how intense and overwhelming their sadness becomes at midnight. They feel trapped in a cycle of pain that repeats every night.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cootie Williams, Bernard D Hanighen, Theolonious S Monk
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
RYAAAAAAAAN
Peace.
Ladies and gentlemen, there has been, to my knowledge, no one who’s been a bigger contributor to our music than our very exciting pianist, Mr. Thelonious Monk.
[applause]
He has served you in several different capacities, including…he’s a top instrumentalist. A great composer, arranger, leader. Bon vivant…and a doll.
[Dizzy banters with bandmates]
We’re going to play one of his compositions now that has become a standard amongst jazz musicians all around the world, and it’s called “Round Midnight”.
caponsacchi
I've never seen Monk look self-conscious, even modest and humble. Very touching human moment--esp. on a tour during which Monk and Blakey were reportedly at complete odds. He also takes a beautiful solo on his most famous composition "Round Midnight" (interrupted by the jazz piano ad).
Sofia Del Campo
Aaa
Jürgen de Waal
WOW, great, thanks a lot for this gem ! Would be great, if we can enjoy more of that concert !
World of Jazz
Yes we will in the coming weeks. Check this channel. Merry Christmas to you!
Lee Dee
The heavyweights of their time and Beyond🤩 thanks for the video
Tom Gardner
Thelonious Sphere Monk, a giant of jazz.
Vicente Cordero Merino
Sublime!! Muchas gracias.
Lia Gugushvili
Wonderful, thank you very much
Udo Matthias drums
still love this music!!
Doctor Dave
It's a shame that this particular recording has so many technical difficulties that it can't be enjoyed to its fullest