In 2009, Ledisi released her fourth album Turn Me Loose , which earned her a couple more Grammy nominations.
Ledisi's fifth album, Pieces Of Me, was released on June 14, 2011 debuting at #8 on the Billboard 200, her first entry on the top 10 of the album chart.
She and her band are from a new breed of modern soul singers (that fall into the New Organic Soul movement in the U.K.) that do not bow to the formulated 'pop' format that permeates the national charts of the U.K. and the U.S.A.
Her mother sang in an R & B band and opened her daughter's ears to classical music, then to jazz and gospel.
‘My mother is an inspiration to me because she was an R & B singer when I was growing up, and I'd watch her perform in the park by our house. I grew up on Earth, Wind and Fire. Tina Turner is my favorite’.
As a teenager Ledisi first sang in a friend’s band, but soon realised she'd have to form her own if she was going to get the creative freedom she desired.
She formed the group Anibade.
The band consisted of:
Sundra Manning (keyboards)
Cedrickke Dennis (guitar)
Nelson Braxton (bass)
Wayne Braxton (saxophone)
and Tommy Bradford on (drums)
Anibade means ‘my mother is great’ in Yoruba and also happens to be Ledisi's middle name.
The band the group performed at several nightspots including Bruno's, The Black Cat, and Rasselas, in the San Francisco area before, successfully, getting a local radio station, KMEL, to play the single ‘Take Time’, without any major label distribution.
Ledisi said, ‘We took it to other labels to try and get a deal, but we found that they didn't get it 'cause it wasn't already out there. We got frustrated with that.’
Ledisi is said to be recording a jazz record with bassist Marcus Shelby on Noir Records.
That album was due in early 2000, although the set has not yet surfaced.
Her first solo album ‘Soulsinger’, was, however, released in 2000, to critical acclaim.
The album addressed several personal issues, none more so than the track ‘Papa Loved To Love Me’, a harrowing tale of a father sexually abusing his daughter.
The track is uncomfortably close to home.
Ledisi said ‘My family heard it, though, and they said, 'Wow, you went and told everything!'. I know it's giving something away about myself, but it's a part of me. That's why people relate to a story like that.’
Eric Benét and Rahsaan Patterson recently attended her groups' concerts and they have opened for Eric Benet, D’Angelo and Angie Stone.
A second album entitled 'Feeling Orange And Sometimes Blue' was released in early 2002.
Ledisi travelled to London's Jazz Cafe in March 2003 for more gigs following a successful concert at Subterranea in the autumn of 2002.
She was supported by the Braxton Brothers along with several other performers.
'Round Midnight
Ledisi 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
Ledisi's song "Round Midnight" is a soulful and emotional expression of longing for a lover who is no longer around. The lyrics describe the experience of someone who is able to keep busy and stay positive during the day, but at night, when memories come flooding back, they feel overwhelmed with sadness and grief. The line "I do pretty well, till after sundown" suggests that the singer is able to put on a brave face and carry on with their daily activities, but when night falls, they are unable to ignore their feelings any longer.
The refrain of "round midnight" emphasizes the theme of the passage of time and the cyclical nature of memories. The memories of the singer and their lover always seem to come back around midnight, suggesting that this is a time of day when they are particularly vulnerable to their emotions. The use of the phrase "old midnight" also implies that the night is an old and familiar companion to the singer, one that knows their deepest, most personal feelings.
Despite the pain of separation and the fear that their love may be ending, the singer remains hopeful that their lover will return to them someday. The lines "Let our hearts take wings / Round midnight, midnight / Let the angels sing / For your returning" express the idea that the singer wants to be reunited with their lover and is willing to wait as long as it takes for that to happen. Ultimately, the song is a powerful meditation on the power of love, memory, and the passage of time to shape our lives and experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
It begins to tell
The story starts to unfold
Round midnight, midnight
At the time of night when the clock strikes twelve
I do pretty well, till after sundown
I'm okay until the sun goes down
Suppertime I'm feelin' sad
I feel sad during mealtime
But it really gets bad
And it only gets worse
Memories always start round midnight
My memories always come back at midnight
Haven't got the heart to stand those memories
I don't have the courage to face those memories
When my heart is still with you
When my heart still belongs to you
And ol' midnight knows it, too
And the night knows it as well
When a quarrel we had needs mending
When we have an argument that needs to be resolved
Does it mean that our love is ending
Does that mean our love is over?
Darlin' I need you, lately I find
Baby, I've been realizing I need you more and more lately
You're out of my heart
But it seems like you don't feel the same way
And I'm out of my mind
And it's driving me crazy
Let our hearts take wings
Let our hearts fly free
Round midnight, midnight
At midnight
Let the angels sing
Let the angels sing out
For your returning
For your return to me
Till our love is safe and sound
Until our love is secure
And old midnight comes around
And when midnight comes back again
Feelin' sad
Feeling down
Really gets bad
It gets even worse
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cootie Williams, Bernard D Hanighen, Theolonious S Monk
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ov Bello
It will all begin
Round midnight midnight
And I do pretty well till after sundown
suppertime I’m feelin' bad
and old midnight comes around
Memories always start
round midnight midnight
haven’t got the heart
to stand those memories
Touch my heart is still with you
and old midnight know it too
When some quarrel we had needs mending
Dose it mean that our love is ending
Darling I need you lately
I find you’re out of my arms
and out of my mind
Let our love take live
To midnight ol' midnight
and let the angels sing
And show their mending
Let our love is safe and sound
and all midnight comes around
when some quarrel we had needs mending
dose it mean that our love is ending
darling I need you oh lately
I find you're out of my arms
and out of my mind
oh la la la take lives of midnight ol' midnight
and let the angels sing
and show their mending
let our love is safe and sound
and old midnight it comes around
oh old midnight it comes around
when ol' midnight comes around
when ol' midnight comes around
Alina Sansyzbay
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
Dalie K
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....mid.....night....
김오잉
It begins to tell,
round midnight, midnight.
I do pretty well, till after sundown,
Suppertime Im feelin sad;
But it really gets bad,
round midnight.
Memories always start round midnight
Havent 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
Youre out of my heart,
And Im 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
이름 없는 풀꽃
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
KazamaFury
What a unique rendition!
Vatrece Williams
I love this song.... this song fits her voice very well. I love her voice and her vocal progressions are so pure and unique..... her scats and notes are just endless.... I can listen to her all day. Ledisi is just awsome
MissNYC2012
This woman paints wild art with her voice, that's why you just wanna kep on "watching". Her Jazzy voice has something dirty and something sweet and frisky at the same time....very unique, i love it
Maria Rusu
Such an amazing tune! How come it’s not on Apple Music?
Duilio Flamino
NOSSA QUE GROUVE ,SWEEGUEIRA TOTAL ,ISSO É SOUL ISSO É MUSIC.... PREACHER DUILIO.
Shavonne Sealy
THIS IS MY FAVOURITE VERSION OF THIS SONG SO FAR. LOVE IT, WISH I COULD HAVE IT ON REPLAY.
Man-I.F.E.-Station
+Shavonne Sealy ...oh but have you experienced Jasmine Sullivan's version?
Roy Byrd III
She's simply amazing 💜
Alana Sims
Ledisi is so adorable! She is so beautiful and her voice is amazing!
Ferenč Horvâth
Love you Ledisi! perfect Voice 😘