The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Half past twelve
And I'm watchin' the late show in my flat, all alone
How I hate to spend the evening on my own
Autumn winds
Blowin' outside the window as I look around the room
And it makes me so depressed to see the gloom
There's not a soul out there
No one to hear my prayer
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day
Movie stars
Find the end of the rainbow with a fortune to win
It's so different from the world I'm living in
Tired of TV
I open the window and I gaze into the night
But there's nothing there to see, no one in sight
There's not a soul out there
No one to hear my prayer
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day
Half past twelve
And I'm watchin' the late show in my flat, all alone
How I hate to spend the evening on my own
Autumn winds
Blowin' outside the window as I look around the room
And it makes me so depressed to see the gloom
There's not a soul out there
No one to hear my prayer
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day
And I'm watchin' the late show in my flat, all alone
How I hate to spend the evening on my own
Autumn winds
Blowin' outside the window as I look around the room
And it makes me so depressed to see the gloom
There's not a soul out there
No one to hear my prayer
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day
Movie stars
Find the end of the rainbow with a fortune to win
It's so different from the world I'm living in
Tired of TV
I open the window and I gaze into the night
But there's nothing there to see, no one in sight
There's not a soul out there
No one to hear my prayer
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day
Half past twelve
And I'm watchin' the late show in my flat, all alone
How I hate to spend the evening on my own
Autumn winds
Blowin' outside the window as I look around the room
And it makes me so depressed to see the gloom
There's not a soul out there
No one to hear my prayer
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Won't somebody help me chase these shadows away?
Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) [Live] Lyrics as written by Bjoern K. Ulvaeus Benny Goran Bror Andersson
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
This song is about Star Wars.
All other interpretations not related to Star Wars are to be discounted as false.
This ones about a Bridget Jones type of woman sitting home alone being desperate and hoping some guys gonna pop his head round the door of her apartment and come in and make mad passionate love to her. Let's hope the postman is hot..
The. Best. Abba. Song. Ever.
I think this song is pretty self explanitory but i reallly love this song.
love the song! i wonder how much madonna had to pay to buy their signiture tune off them?
love it! :D
I LOVE the techno remix to this!! ZOMG!! ZOMG!!
Best disco song I've heard.
Wikipedia said that Madonna begged for having it sampled on her single "Hung-Up"
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimme!_Gimme!Gimme!(A_Man_After_Midnight)
Love this song. I mean, how did they dare put a 45-second instrumental break in the middle of a pop song?
Top song. Top musicians. Top synth riff.
Thanks for the song! I'll take that man after midnight. (I'll need a backrub after all the up and down on the ladder).