Ernie Watts falls into that hallowed category of a musician's musician. Read Full Bio ↴Ernie Watts falls into that hallowed category of a musician's musician.
Born Ernest James Watts on October 23, 1945 in Norfolk, Virginia, he is an American jazz and rhythm and blues musician. He plays saxophone (tenor, alto and soprano) and flute. He's probably best known for his work with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and his Grammy Awards as an instrumentalist. He has also toured with the Rolling Stones, joining them on their 1981 tour.

He began playing saxophone at thirteen and later attended the Berklee College of Music on a scholarship. He toured with Buddy Rich in the mid-1960s and visited Africa with Oliver Nelson's group. He began working with Haden in the 1980s and won Grammy Awards as an instrumentalist.

He has recorded several CDs as leader of his own quartet, among them being Classic Mood, Reaching Up, Spirit Song and The Long Road Home.
He is an electrifying performer and a complete master of his instrument.

'Round Midnight
Ernie Watts Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It begins to tell
'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

Haven't got the heart to stand those memories
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

Overall Meaning

Ernie Watts's song 'Round Midnight is a classic jazz standard. The song's lyrics are about the feeling of sadness that comes in the late hours of the night, around midnight. The song discusses the memories that rush in during those hours, memories that are impossible to ignore. The first two lines of the song, "It begins to tell, 'Round midnight, midnight," set the tone for the rest of the lyrics.

The lines "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" indicate that the song is about a relationship that is going through a tough time. The singer is not sure if the relationship is going to end or if there is a chance to mend things. But the singer knows that they need their partner and that without them, they feel lost.

The last lines of the song, "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 feeling sad, really gets bad, round, round, round midnight," hold a hopeful note. The singer hopes that their love will be reunited and that the feelings of sadness that come around midnight will disappear. The singer hopes that, with time, their relationship will mend, and they will be together again.

Line by Line Meaning

It begins to tell
The night starts to reveal its secrets

'Round midnight, midnight
At the time of midnight

I do pretty well, till after sundown
I feel good until the sun sets

Suppertime I'm feelin' sad
I feel melancholic when it's time for supper

But it really gets bad
The feeling gets worse

'Round midnight
At the time of midnight

Memories always start 'round midnight
Memories of you always come back at midnight

Haven't got the heart to stand those memories
I can't bear to remember those memories

When my heart is still with you
My heart still belongs to you

And ol' midnight knows it, too
Even midnight knows about it

When a quarrel we had needs mending
When we need to reconcile after a fight