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 lyrics of Dizzy Gillespie & Thelonious Monk's song Round Midnight revolve around a lover who reflects on the feelings of sadness and longing that come to him around midnight, when he is reminded of his lost love. He begins by reminiscing about his life before sundown and how he usually feels good until he remembers the pain. The opening lines of the song create an eerie and moody atmosphere that perfectly match the emotional intensity of the song. The stanza's repetition of midnight reinforces the central focus of the song as well as evokes the feeling of the span of the day, where one starts anew in the morning and finishes the day at midnight.
The second stanza is about the memories the singer has of his love, which is heightened when his heart is still with her at midnight, and the quarrels they've had that he wishes to mend. It's clear that the singer craves the return of his love and the apprehension he feels about the future of their relationship produces a sense of sadness and anxiety within him. The lyrics employ powerful imagery to convey this sense of longing adeptly. The last stanza of the song speaks to the hope the singer has for his love's return, expressing the desire that their love would take off into the open skies again under the cover of midnight.
Line by Line Meaning
It begins to tell
The story begins to unfold
'Round midnight, midnight
Around midnight, at the darkest hour of the night
I do pretty well, till after sundown
I'm doing alright until the sun goes down
Suppertime I'm feelin' sad
During dinner, I begin to feel sorrowful
But it really gets bad
But as the night drags on, it becomes worse
'Round midnight
When it's darkest, at midnight
Memories always start 'round midnight
It's at midnight that my memories come flooding back
Haven't got the heart to stand those memories
I'm unable to bear the memories and the pain they cause
When my heart is still with you
Even though my heart still longs for you
And ol' midnight knows it, too
At midnight, I feel even more intensely how much I miss you
When a quarrel we had needs mending
When we need to fix the fight we had
Does it mean that our love is ending
Does it signify that our love is coming to an end?
Darlin' I need you, lately I find
My dearest, I need you, and I realize more and more
You're out of my heart
That you're no longer in my heart
And I'm out of my mind
That I'm now losing my mind without you
Let our hearts take wings'
Let our hearts fly high
'Round midnight, midnight
At the darkest hour, midnight
Let the angels sing
Let the angels sing sweetly
For your returning
Hoping for your arrival
Till our love is safe and sound
Until our love is secure and built on trust
And old midnight comes around
And once again, the dark midnight hour returns
Feelin' sad
Feeling sorrowful again
Really gets bad
It becomes too much to bear
Round, Round, Round Midnight
Around and around the same cycle every midnight
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