Round Midnight
Round Midnight 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 Thelonious Monk is a longing, melancholic ballad about a lost love that comes back to mind when the day is over and loneliness sets in. The opening lines signify the start of a painful cycle that repeats every night when the character is haunted by memories that only resurface when the darkness arrives. The singer reaches a breaking point at midnight when he is unable to push the thoughts of his lover away and realizes he is utterly alone. The lyrics express the singer's internal struggle while he tries to distance himself from the emotions that keep him bound and yearn for a resolution or a reunion with his lost love. He sees midnight as a reminder of what he's lost and a symbol of his heartbreak.
Throughout the song, the lyrics repeatedly mention the theme of memories that haunt the singer, who is unable to escape them. They come back to him at night when he's unable to distract himself, making it hard for him to move on. The emotional baggage is depicted as a heavy burden that he carries around, making it impossible to let go of the past and move on to new experiences. The lyrics evoke a sense of sadness and yearning expressed both verbally and instrumentally. The melody creates a moody, introspective atmosphere full of emotion and depth, creating a vivid picture of a man lost in contemplation and longing for his lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
It begins to tell,
'round midnight, midnight.
The story starts to unfold around midnight, when darkness creeps in.
I do pretty well, till after sundown,
Suppertime I'm feelin' sad;
But it really gets bad,
'round midnight.
The day goes smoothly until the sun sets, but by suppertime, sadness starts to kick in, and it gets really worse as midnight approaches.
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.
Midnight always brings back memories that are hard to deal with when the heart still longs for the past love, and midnight seems to know it as well.
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.
When there's a fight that needs resolving, does it signify the end of a romance? The singer needs the other person and realizes that they are both no longer in their right frame of 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.
Let our love soar at midnight, and let the angels sing to usher in the other person's return. May our love be secured until the next midnight approaches.
Feelin' sad,
really gets bad
Round, Round, Round Midnight
The sadness that's present as midnight comes around really intensifies and becomes unbearable.
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