'Round Midnight
Sonny Stitt 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 Sonny Stitt's song "Round Midnight" convey a feeling of sadness and nostalgia that is evoked by the night-time. The initial lyrics suggest that the singer keeps himself occupied and feels fine until after sundown, when the memories start flooding back. It is evident that the memories are connected to a lover who is no longer with him, and he seems to struggle with the weight of those memories. He finds it hard to deal with his feelings and thoughts when it comes to the relationship, wondering whether a quarrel means that their love is ending or if they can still mend their differences. The final verse adds a glimmer of hope – he wishes for his lover to return, and for their love to be safe and sound, so that even when midnight does come around, he won't have to feel so sad and lost.


Line by Line Meaning

It begins to tell
The song starts with a story


'Round midnight, midnight
The story begins around midnight


I do pretty well, till after sundown
The person is generally fine until the evening


Suppertime I'm feelin' sad
During dinner, the person feels sad


But it really gets bad
The sadness gets worse


'Round midnight
The story reaches the climax around midnight


Memories always start 'round midnight
The person's memories haunt them at midnight


Haven't got the heart to stand those memories
The person finds it difficult to deal with these memories


When my heart is still with you
The person's heart is still with their loved one


And ol' midnight knows it, too
Midnight seems to know the person's feelings


When a quarrel we had needs mending
If there was a fight between the person and their loved one


Does it mean that our love is ending
Does it imply that their relationship is over?


Darlin' I need you, lately I find
The person expresses their love and longing for their partner


You're out of my heart
However, the person feels their loved one has moved on


And I'm out of my mind
This has driven the person to the brink of madness


Let our hearts take wings'
The person wishes to reconcile with their loved one


'Round midnight, midnight
The person still hopes to do this around midnight


Let the angels sing
The person prays for divine intervention


For your returning
They hope and long for their partner's return


Till our love is safe and sound
They pray for their love to be secure


And old midnight comes around
This story will continue to play out every midnight


Feelin' sad
The person is overwhelmed by sadness


Really gets bad
This has become almost unbearable


Round, Round, Round Midnight
The person repeats the title of the song, emphasizing the importance of midnight in this story.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cootie Williams, Bernard D Hanighen, Theolonious S Monk

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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