The song is about a night when lead singer Mikel Jollett met a former girlfriend while out at a bar, during which he discovered that he still loved her. The entire band was present during this event.[2] The lyrics to the song were written in isolation by Jollett over the course of the next three days.[3]
"Sometime Around Midnight" was iTunes' #1 alternative song of 2008.[4] An acoustic version of this song was chosen as the Starbucks Pick of the Week for May 6.[5]
The song has two music videos, the first of which was released in August 2008, and was directed by Jason Wishnow.[6] This video is a literal re-telling of the song's events. The second video was released on April 30, 2009, and was directed by D.J. Caruso.[7] The newer video is a more abstract, surreal depiction of Jollett writing the song. Actress Anita Briem stars as the love interest in the video.
