Round Midnight
Dom Minasi's DDT 2 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 Midnight
In this melancholic jazz standard, the singer shares their woes of feeling sad and unable to escape their memories, especially during the late hours of the night. The lyrics invoke a sense of longing as the singer can't help but reminisce on the past, particularly during the liminal hours between night and day. They admit to doing pretty well during the day, but once the sun sets and suppertime arrives, they start feeling sad. However, it's only when the clock strikes midnight that things really take a turn for the worse. Midnight seems to have some sort of knowledge or power over the singer's heart as they reveal that their heart is still with someone despite the quarrel they had. The singer fears that their love might be ending, expressing their need for their lover as they realize that they're out of their heart and out of their mind. Thus, they implore their hearts to take wings at midnight and for the angels to sing for their lover's return until their love is safe and sound, and until old midnight comes around once again.
One interesting fact about this song is that it was written by legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Monk in 1944, making it one of his most popular and enduring compositions. The original lyrics were actually written by Bernie Hanighen, and they were later reworked by Monk's friend, the jazz singer Cootie Williams, which led to the version we know today. The song has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Amy Winehouse, to name a few. Its haunting melody and poignant lyrics have made it a jazz standard and a go-to for musicians looking to perform a soulful ballad. Additionally, Monk's use of dissonance and unusual chord progressions in the song made it ahead of its time and helped establish him as a jazz icon.
Line by Line Meaning
It begins to tell,
'round midnight, midnight.
'Round midnight, I start to feel the weight of my memories and emotions. They begin to tell a story that only midnight can understand.
I do pretty well, till after sundown,
Suppertime I'm feelin' sad;
Throughout the day I'm okay, but as soon as the sun sets and suppertime comes around, I begin to feel the sadness set in.
But it really gets bad,
'round midnight.
The sadness and memories become even more intense and painful when midnight arrives.
Memories always start 'round midnight
Haven't got the heart to stand those memories,
My memories always seem to resurface around midnight, but I don't have the emotional strength to deal with them and they weigh heavily on my heart.
When my heart is still with you,
And ol' midnight knows it, too.
My heart is still with you, even at midnight when everything else is quiet. Midnight seems to know my heart's secrets and desires.
When a quarrel we had needs mending,
Does it mean that our love is ending.
I wonder if the need to mend a quarrel means that our love is coming to an end. It's a question that plagues me around midnight.
Darlin' I need you, lately I find
You're out of my heart,
And I'm out of my mind.
Lately, I've realized how much I need you, but I feel like you're no longer in my heart and I've been driving myself crazy with thoughts of you.
Let our hearts take wings'
'round midnight, midnight
Let the angels sing,
for your returning.
At midnight, let our hearts soar and take flight. Let the angels sing for your return to bring us both peace.
Till our love is safe and sound.
And old midnight comes around.
Let our love be safe and secure until the next midnight comes around.
Feelin' sad,
really gets bad
Round, Round, Round Midnight
The sadness and pain intensify as midnight approaches, creating a never-ending cycle that seems to go 'round and 'round.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: COOTIE WILLIAMS, BERNARD D. HANIGHEN, THEOLONIOUS S. MONK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johnsadberry4864
Paris 1964. I'm a 2nd Lt hanging out with my E4 friend from Detroit. It's about 4 am and we are hungry for soul food and hopefully some late live music. So we go to Buttercup's, a joint still run by But Powell's widow. We order greens, pig feet and cornbread with vin ordinaire to wash it down. Suddenly we heard this piano that could only be the one and only Monk. He had finished his meal and got busy. He took us non stop until well into daybreak. Precious memory now that I'm in my late 70's.
@juanrodriguezvictor292
memories make our life beautiful or full of hate or ugliness beautiful it helps to live our life to the fullest of the good under any circumstance and we can live like lucky so and so's
@room2506
I like your story John
@haroldwalton932
really great story....music can take you anywhere...long may it be that way for you
@ElenaCiampaMusic
Incredible! That might be the best memory/scene I’ve heard about all year!
@daltonneilan5651
Wow! Amazing!
@erikpryor74
I’m 56 yrs old. Meaning I was born in 1965.
I am with Monk every day.Only God knows this connection. No one else in my family has ever introduced to this music but my 2 children listen to Monk with me Daily. I’d just like the world to know that I’m a better man for ingesting this in my soul. Thank you Monk. Thank you.
@maxstenner9543
Loved your comment
@mariamartin8516
Beautiful comment. I feel the same. The world is a better place thanks to music like this.
@kevinwhite1772
So I was just sitting here on a Sunday morning. I read a few Psalms and "Round Midnight " came into my mind. I am so glad a Universe that created this guy still has regard for me. Now off to church with my family.