▁order ▁to ▁complete ▁the ▁long - delay ed ▁album . ▁Although ▁the ▁album ▁was ▁recorded ▁primarily ▁in ▁separate ▁stud ios , ▁" After ▁Mid night " ▁came ▁together ▁quickly ▁in ▁a ▁last - min ute ▁writing ▁session ▁when ▁the ▁tri o ▁were ▁together . ▁ ▁The ▁song ▁origin ated ▁from ▁drum mer ▁Tra vis ▁B ark er , ▁who ▁laid ▁down ▁the ▁song ' s ▁distinct ive ▁per cussion ▁and ▁l abeled ▁it ▁" Tra vis ▁Beat ". ▁Gu itar ist ▁Tom ▁De L on ge ▁and ▁bass ist ▁Mark ▁Ho pp us ▁were ▁immediately ▁inspired ▁when ▁B ark er ▁introduced ▁the ▁demo ▁to ▁them , ▁and ▁the ▁song ▁was ▁nearly ▁complete ▁three ▁hours ▁later . ▁While ▁Ho pp us ▁and ▁De L on ge ▁wrote ▁the ▁track ▁separately , ▁both ▁centered ▁lyr ically ▁on ▁rom ance . ▁L yr ically , ▁the ▁song ▁revol ves ▁around ▁two ▁broken ▁individuals ▁who ▁fall ▁in ▁love . ▁" After ▁Mid night " ▁is ▁a ▁mid tem po ▁song . ▁ ▁The ▁song ▁received ▁generally ▁positive ▁reviews ▁from ▁contemporary ▁music ▁critics , ▁many ▁of ▁whom ▁viewed ▁it ▁among ▁the ▁band ' s ▁best ▁work . ▁The ▁music ▁video ▁for ▁" After ▁Mid night ", ▁directed ▁by ▁Isaac ▁R ent z , ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁It ▁comb ines ▁a ▁narr ative ▁following ▁lo vers ▁s ne aking ▁around ▁a ▁youth ▁psych iat ric ▁w ard ▁and ▁performance ▁sh ots ▁of ▁the ▁band ▁performing ▁in ▁a ▁large ▁hang ar . ▁"