'Round Midnight
Joan Cartwright Lyrics

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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

The lyrics of Joan Cartwright's song 'Round Midnight revolves around the emotions of someone who feels the longing and the emptiness of a lost love that comes haunting around midnight. The song starts with the singer feeling alright, till the nighttime hits, and the memories of the person come flooding back, leading to a sense of sadness and despair. Suppertime is when the sadness is at its peak, and the singer is struggling to cope with all the emotions that come with the memories of someone they loved. The character 'ol midnight' represents the time of the day where the singer's heart is at its weakest, and the memories of the lost love come rushing back in. The lyrics go on to show the deep desire to mend the broken relationship, questioning whether a quarrel means that their love is ending.

As the song progresses, the singer expresses their need to have their loved one back, and that their heart is still with the person. The emotions are intense, and the character 'ol midnight' seems to be the only one that knows the depth of the singer's love. The singer pleads to their loved one, expressing the need for the relationship to be mended, and their hearts to take wings again. The song ends with a repetition of how the memories start around midnight and how the feelings 'get really bad' when the night falls.

Line by Line Meaning

It begins to tell
The night starts to tell a story

'Round midnight, midnight
Around midnight, at night

I do pretty well, till after sundown
I am doing okay up until the sun goes down

Suppertime I'm feelin' sad
During dinnertime, I start feeling sad

But it really gets bad
But it gets much worse

'Round midnight
Around midnight, at night

Memories always start 'round midnight
Memories always start to flood in during midnight

Haven't got the heart to stand those memories
I don't have the emotional strength to handle those memories

When my heart is still with you
When my heart still loves you

And ol' midnight knows it, too
And the night time also knows how I feel

When a quarrel we had needs mending
When we need to fix an argument we had