Two Sleepy People
"Fats" Waller and His Rhythm Lyrics

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Here we are
Out of cigarettes
Holding hands and yawning
Look how late it gets
Two sleepy people by dawn's early light
And too much in love to say goodnight

Here we are

In the cozy chair
Picking on a wishbone
From the Frigidaire
Two sleepy people with nothing to say
And too much in love to break away

Do you remember
The nights we used to linger in the hall?
Father didn't like you at all
Do you remember
The reason why we married in the fall?
To rent this little nest
And get a bit of rest

Well, here we are
Just about the same
Foggy little fella
Drowsy little dame

Two sleepy people by dawn's early light
And too much in love to say goodnight

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Two Sleepy People" by Fats Waller and His Rhythm depict a romantic scene of two people who are so in love that they do not want to part even though it is late at night. The two lovers are out of cigarettes, holding hands and yawning, indicating that they have spent a long time in each other's company, and they feel tired. However, they are too much in love to say goodnight. They are comfortable in each other's arms, in a cozy chair, picking on a wishbone from the Frigidaire. They do not have much to talk about, but they do not want to break away from each other.

The lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia when the singer asks if the other person remembers the nights they used to linger in the hall. The reference to the father not liking the other person and the reason for getting married in the fall add depth to the story of the two people. The last stanza brings the song to a close by describing the two people as a foggy little fella and a drowsy little dame. They are two sleepy people who cannot say goodnight because they are too much in love.

Line by Line Meaning

Here we are
We are currently present and accounted for in this situation.

Out of cigarettes
We are lacking a supply of tobacco products for inhalation purposes.

Holding hands and yawning
Our hands are clasping each other and we are currently opening our mouths wide for a deep inhalation of breath.

Look how late it gets
Observe the current time and note how advanced it has become.

Two sleepy people by dawn's early light
We are both feeling very tired and fatigued as the sun begins to rise.

And too much in love to say goodnight
Despite our exhaustion, we are still deeply in love and cannot bear the thought of separating for the night.

In the cozy chair
We are both currently seated in a comfortable and welcoming piece of furniture.

Picking on a wishbone
We are both pulling apart the furcula bone of a bird in order to make a wish.

From the Frigidaire
We retrieved the aforementioned bone from a refrigerator manufactured by the Frigidaire company.

Two sleepy people with nothing to say
Our fatigue has left us with no current topics of conversation to discuss.

And too much in love to break away
We are still deeply in love and connected, and cannot bring ourselves to physically distance from each other.

Do you remember
Do you have a recollection of a particular memory?

The nights we used to linger in the hall?
Do you recall the evenings we would spend together in the hallway?

Father didn't like you at all
My paternal figure harbored dislike and animosity towards you as a person.

Do you remember
Do you have another memory in mind?

The reason why we married in the fall?
Can you recall the rationale for us getting married during the autumn season?

To rent this little nest
Our marriage was primarily motivated by the desire to cohabitate in this small dwelling.

And get a bit of rest
We intended to use this abode as a means to obtain a small amount of relaxation.

Well, here we are
As previously mentioned, we are still present and involved in our current situation.

Just about the same
Our respective states, both physically and emotionally, have remained relatively constant since the past.

Foggy little fella
I am feeling rather hazy and disoriented due to my fatigue.

Drowsy little dame
My partner is also feeling tired and sluggish due to their exhaustion.

Two sleepy people by dawn's early light
Our current state of exhaustion has persisted into the early hours of the morning.

And too much in love to say goodnight
Despite our fatigue and subsequent lack of energy, we still love each other deeply and cannot bring ourselves to part ways for the night.

Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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