'Round Midnight
Jimmy Smith Wes Montgomery 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 Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery is a torch song that speaks about the feelings of heartbreak and memories that return late at night. The opening line "It begins to tell, 'round midnight, midnight" implies that the memories start to come back, flooding the singer's mind, as soon as the clock strikes midnight. Though he tries to be strong throughout the day, by supper time his sadness creeps in, and it only gets worse at midnight. The singer is haunted by memories of a past love and the pain associated with it. He wonders if the quarrels they had in the past mean their love is ending. The singer misses his lover and wants to reconcile, but he feels like he's losing his grip on his emotions.
The metaphor of midnight is used throughout the song as a symbol of the inner turmoil the singer feels. It is a time when most people are asleep, but for the singer, it is when he feels the most awake emotionally. The anguish is so intense that it is "really bad" and he is "out of his mind." The song ends with the hope that the two lovers will reunite, and their love will become safe and sound again.
Line by Line Meaning
It begins to tell, 'round midnight, midnight.
The story usually starts around midnight when everything is quiet and calm.
I do pretty well, till after sundown,
I am able to manage myself well until the sun sets down.
Suppertime I'm feelin' sad;
During suppertime, I start feeling sad about missing you.
But it really gets bad, 'round midnight.
It becomes worse and harder to bear around midnight when memories flood in.
Memories always start 'round midnight
Memories of you come flooding in at midnight since that is when we would usually have been together.
Haven't got the heart to stand those memories,
I am helpless when those memories come as they stir emotions that are too difficult to handle.
When my heart is still with you,
My heart still desires to be with you even though we are apart.
And ol' midnight knows it, too.
Even nights know that I am deeply in love with you.
When a quarrel we had needs mending,
Whenever we have had a disagreement that needs to be resolved,
Does it mean that our love is ending.
I wonder if that means our love is falling apart and we will not be together anymore.
Darlin' I need you, lately I find
My beloved, I crave to be with you and off late I have been feeling this need more & more.
You're out of my heart,
Does not feel like you're in my heart anymore
And I'm out of my mind.
The mere thought of that idea makes me go crazy.
Let our hearts take wings' 'round midnight, midnight
Let us be together and let our hearts be reunited at midnight.
Let the angels sing, for your returning.
The angels will rejoice upon your return to me.
Till our love is safe and sound.
May our love be secure and protected until we meet again.
And old midnight comes around.
Until the old midnight comes back again.
Feelin' sad, really gets bad
Being sad only gets worse as the night progresses.
Round, Round, Round Midnight
This cycle of sadness and longing continues like the hands of the clock moving 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
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