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Sometime Around Midnight Lyrics: Cross Crutch Debate
Monday October 06th 2008, 5:35 pm
Filed under: Indie Music 2008

cross versus crutch

There’s been some debate over at RLS regarding the correct line in the song “Sometime Around Midnight” from The Airborne Toxic Event. Is it cross, crutch, crux, crush, curse…? (See: Sometime Around Midnight Lyrics) And what’s a wonderwall anyways? (The song “Wonderwall” by Oasis is actually a song about “an imaginary friend who’s gonna come and save you from yourself”- Noel Gallagher).

The lyrics in question: “But you know that she’s watching. She’s laughing. She’s turning. She’s holding her tonic like a ________. The room’s suddenly spinning. She walks up and asks how you are. So you can smell her perfume, you can see her lying naked in your arms.”

The Airborne Toxic Event – Sometime Around Midnight

Mikel (lead singer/guitarist) from the band was cool enough to offer RLS the correct word plus a brief explanation for its use: The line is “cross” and I meant it to mean sort of like she’s holding her drink ominously, as if it’s offering her comfort and guidance.

Thanks Mikel. This is another reason why we love indie music. There are still major label hits out there that are being misunderstood daily, with no courtesy in offering their listeners a valid explanation….
(See Fall Out Boy – This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an _______?)


47 Comments so far
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ah! i absolutely love this song.
its really well written, and well you can feel the emotion that went into it.

Comment by yesenia 10.19.08 @ 8:01 pm

I get a lump in my throat every time I hear this song. I love the way it builds up, I love the strings. This is how I would forever feel if I lost my love.

Comment by Terry 10.21.08 @ 9:19 am

this song is exactly what it feels like when you see someone you once loved put into awsome musical notes and chords…the twising of emotions, the memories flooding your brain and the haunting that stays with you

Comment by rebma 10.24.08 @ 8:00 pm

I love this song. Is so beautiful. I love the feeling of the song. My love of my life showed me this song and it meant a lot. Its adorable

Comment by sharon 11.30.08 @ 2:00 pm

This song made me cry the first time I heard it. I can really relate…I think this is the anthem for anyone who has ever had their heart broken.

Comment by angella 12.04.08 @ 9:07 pm

Wank-Splat

Comment by Anonymous 01.07.09 @ 5:28 pm

Great Tune.

Comment by RonPaul 01.08.09 @ 12:22 pm

riveting lyrics…a common situation i’m sure everyone has felt but can never put it into ‘words’…i accidently fell upon this song on satillite radio oneday (alt nation) and immediately fell in love. love you guys. rock on and sing from the heart.

Comment by Car 01.21.09 @ 9:14 pm

This song makes me cringe cause it hits so close to home :( It’s wonderful and I can’t stop listening.

Comment by Anonymous 01.22.09 @ 2:53 pm

I thought it was cross too but I thought it meant she was keeping him away like a vampire or other evils

Comment by Busby 02.03.09 @ 3:49 pm

You wrote that song about me. I am the girl in the white dress. And made sure he saw me leave “sometime around midnight”. You know you have a hit when someone listens to it and gets goosebumps. Your gonna make millions!!

Comment by Donna 02.04.09 @ 12:42 am

love this song!

check out ‘lost to the lonesome’ by pela – reminds me a bit of this :)

Comment by steviedc 02.06.09 @ 12:18 pm

LOVE IT!!!

Comment by Dude Americaus 02.09.09 @ 8:34 am

I’ve lived this night almost exactly the way it is written.

Comment by stich64 02.10.09 @ 2:06 pm

Absolutely brilliant track from a awesome album

Comment by Russ Field 02.17.09 @ 4:26 pm

This song is so very lovely and sad.

Comment by Barba Cornwell 02.18.09 @ 2:20 pm

cant get enough of this song & the fact that “she’s holding her tonic like a CROSS” gives it that much more depth. Brings it full circle for me. May go down as an all-time favorite for me. LOVE IT!

Comment by jenn 03.03.09 @ 2:56 am

I love this song!! One of my friends introduced it to me a couple of days ago, and it has been stuck in my head ever since. It is beautiful but heartbreaking =\ It is awesome!!

Comment by almita 03.07.09 @ 9:11 pm

This song is so great, I love it! I have had a very similar night just like the song. The lyrics are written so well, I can actually feel the pain and sorrow. The music is so beautiful, that is what I was drawn to at first, but when I stop and listened to the lyrics I felt so connected and very inspired!

Comment by Famis Joe 03.13.09 @ 2:09 pm

what can i say. can’t get enough of this song. the way it builds up, the pain, the intensity. you feel it all.

Comment by Heidi 03.28.09 @ 12:02 pm

this song is amazing.
how did he come up with these lyrics?

Comment by jack 03.28.09 @ 12:16 pm

This song reminds me of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Anyone else get that? It’s the restrained vocals; simple, evocative lyrics; and taut rhythm building to a crescendo.

Comment by M00kie 04.15.09 @ 1:53 pm

I love this song! cant stop listening to it!!!

Comment by sally 04.17.09 @ 8:19 pm

the lyrics are so simple and stabbing at the same time. the music builds and resolves into this beautiful thing but it’s still holding onto the pain. simplicity makes you feel safe, images thoughts and chords draw tears when youre not paying attention.

Comment by megan 04.24.09 @ 9:17 am

often, when someone holds a cross that they have on their necklace, their hand is on their chest. I love the imagery of someone holding their drink close to their body.

Comment by Jen 04.25.09 @ 3:04 pm

I never get sick of this song. I play it over and over..Beautiful.

Comment by Diane 04.27.09 @ 10:32 pm

This song reminds me so much of primitive radio god’s “standing outside a broken phone booth with money in my hand” in that the more you listen to it the more you feel like you can’t stop playing it. it captures the very essence of that break up that you didn’t want

Comment by mcory 05.01.09 @ 10:32 am

I think anyone can relate, whether your the girl or the guy. Thats why I love this song. It touches everyone

Comment by iamflores 05.17.09 @ 5:55 pm

This song…it’s exactly what I would want one ex-love in particular to feel if we were to ever run into each other, especially if I happened to be wearing a white dress sometime around midnight…don’t get me wrong, I’m not an out for vengeance kind of gal…but just to think for a second that he actually gave a damn…man…it’s a good song that makes you travel back in time to something that happened 16 years ago…even when you’ve been happily married to someone else for 13…love, love, love this song and can’t wait to buy the album!

Comment by jiltedkitty 05.27.09 @ 12:19 am

this song makes me cry… just about every time I sing along… and I can’t help but to sing along… this is the soundtrack to my life… at least for a while..

Comment by Kat 05.29.09 @ 12:44 am

My new favorite! Heard it, googled it, can’t stop listening to it. I’m in awe at how someone could put heartbreak so accurately into lyrics. Fits me as well as so many others. Bravo.

Comment by Roger 05.30.09 @ 3:31 am

im serious this song made me cry!!!i can really relate to the emotions in it!i love this song!!

Comment by Maria 06.16.09 @ 3:53 pm

Unbelievably good song, I have to listen to it like 20 times a day to be satisfied. It’s refreshing, it’s got feeling and it doesn’t make you feel suicidal listening to it like so many of those “you broke my heart” songs. So well done…

Comment by Lys 06.23.09 @ 11:05 pm

Love this song. It is the only hit I can recall that doesn’t have a chorus. Now that I have said that I am sure everyone will remind me of others.

Comment by KMH 06.24.09 @ 4:23 pm

this is exactly how i feel.

Comment by kate 06.28.09 @ 1:31 am

this song is so beautiful!! the lyrics are breath-taking.. the music leaves me in awe and together they leave me speechless!! so touching!!

Comment by carrie 07.02.09 @ 11:19 am

I heard this on my way home from work yesterday. I went into this state of emotion that I have not felt in a very long time with a song. Mikels heart was in this and I could feel it. After 10 years, I finally have something to listen to.

Comment by Elymayi 07.17.09 @ 4:15 pm

I can actually thank work for my finding out about this song. (which is saying something) They play little clips of indie songs along with their videos. I didn’t get to hear hardly any of the lyrics, but i caught the strings and i thought “wow thats so pretty” and looked it up when i got home. well needless to say, the lyrics caught me off guard. So much power and emotion. Best song of 2009 hands down.

Comment by Brin 07.18.09 @ 4:02 am

Wow- great stuff! Reminds me of the lyrics of Pete Munday’s songs- intensely personal and easy to identify with:

http://www.myspace.com/petemunday

http://www.petemunday.com/

Bands like TATE and Pete Munday have found ways for us to live our emotions in a shared fashion. We’re all alike a lot more than we tend to think sometimes….. And these folks know it- and tell us that we’re not alone.

Comment by music buff 07.23.09 @ 1:39 pm

i absolutely love this song. my friend played it for me and i went home “instant download” the lyrics are so beautiful and genuine and i can see the story playing in my mind as i listen to the words. music for me is not only about the beats and the sounds but these words just make me sink back into my chair and think “they’re complete and utter genius.” love it. i listen to it numerous times a day.

Comment by Monyluv 07.26.09 @ 9:57 pm

Damn straight, and dittos this song ROCKS!

Comment by Raphael 07.27.09 @ 10:25 am

The bottled up emotions in my head *come to the surface* and had me crying 4 hours

Comment by The wanderer 08.02.09 @ 11:15 pm

this is suuch a good song. the lyrics are amazing not to meantion meaningful. theres so much emotion put into it.

Comment by Mel 08.07.09 @ 4:15 pm

This is a great song, remindme when I was 20 – 24 when I met the love of my life it when we break up this use to happen.

Old memories

Comment by Chato 08.13.09 @ 9:10 am

My favourite song of the moment. Hits very, VERY close to home. Sometimes when I’m sad enough I’ll listen to it and cry because it hurts so much.

Comment by Jen 08.22.09 @ 12:40 am

I’ve bought myself a white dress because of this song. Do I have to say I love it?

Comment by Floramy 09.04.09 @ 6:39 pm

One of the most moving songs I have ever heard, it takes me back to past pain I’d forgotten how to feel. Simply beautiful.

Comment by Kate 10.18.09 @ 1:31 pm



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