'Round Midnight
The George Russell Sextet 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 George Russell Sextet's song "Round Midnight" is a ballad that evokes a mood of longing, melancholy, and heartbreak. The song begins with the singer lamenting his loneliness, particularly at night when memories of his lost love come flooding back. The line "It begins to tell, 'round midnight" suggests that the night itself is a catalyst for these painful memories. The singer acknowledges that he manages to get through the day without too much sadness, but as soon as the sun sets, he begins to feel a deep sense of loss. He can't even enjoy suppertime because his sadness is so overwhelming. As the night wears on, things only get worse. The repetition of the line "Round, Round, Round Midnight" emphasizes the cyclical nature of the singer's suffering. He seems stuck in a never-ending cycle of heartache and regret.

The second half of the song is a plea for reconciliation. The singer wonders whether a recent quarrel he had with his love means that their relationship is over for good. He admits that he still loves her and can't imagine living without her. He wants to believe that their love is strong enough to survive their disagreement, but he's not sure. The line "When a quarrel we had needs mending, does it mean that our love is ending" captures the uncertainty and anxiety the singer is feeling. He wants to reach out to his love and reconcile, but he's afraid that it's too late. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer imagining a future in which he and his love are reunited. He urges his love to "let our hearts take wings 'round midnight" and to return to him so that they can be together again.

Line by Line Meaning

It begins to tell, 'round midnight, midnight.
The start of the night is 'round midnight, and that time gives people the sense that the night is just starting.

I do pretty well, till after sundown, Suppertime I'm feelin' sad;
The time from sundown until midnight is usually fine for me, but once it hits suppertime, I tend to feel quite down and sad.

But it really gets bad, 'round midnight.
As midnight approaches, my sadness and feelings of depression get worse and become more intense.

Memories always start 'round midnight
My memories, particularly the ones related to you, always come up as midnight approaches, and it becomes too difficult to deal with them.

Haven't got the heart to stand those memories, When my heart is still with you, And ol' midnight knows it, too.
I don't have the strength to tackle those painful memories when my heart still longs for you, and it seems that midnight is aware of it as well.

When a quarrel we had needs mending, Does it mean that our love is ending.
I worry that when we have a fight, and it needs to be fixed, it means that our love is coming to an end?

Darlin' I need you, lately I find You're out of my heart, And I'm out of my mind.
My love, I miss you so much, and I have realized that you're not residing in my heart anymore, which is affecting my state of mind.

Let our hearts take wings' 'round midnight, midnight Let the angels sing, for your returning.
Let our hearts soar high around midnight, and may the angels sing in joy when you come back to me.

Till our love is safe and sound. And old midnight comes around. Feelin' sad, really gets bad. Round, Round, Round Midnight
Until our love has been secured and is safe from harm, and until midnight arrives again, the feeling of sadness continues to get worse, repeating over and over again - Round, Round, Round Midnight.

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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Comments from YouTube:

@SanJordiBluenotian

4y↑2

Amazing！
エリック・ドルフィーの鋭い音色、独特のテーマやスケールの吹き方、魅力的です。

@domimonk

Époustouflante version ! Merci !

@________4700

9y↑1

A mes oreilles, la plus aboutie des versions de ce standard. Dolphy qui se ballade sur les airs en prenant de grands détours, quelle beauté ! Quelle émotion. Une pure merveille, un bijou, que dis-je de la dentelle !