By the time of Dylan’s 1965 tour of the United Kingdom, their relationship had slowly begun to fizzle out after their having been romantically involved off and on for nearly two years. The tour and simultaneous disintegration of Baez’s and Dylan’s relationship was documented in the rock-doc Dont Look Back .
One More Cup Of Coffee
Bob Dylan & Joan Baez Lyrics
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Your eyes are like two jewels in the sky
Your back is straight, your hair is smooth
On the pillow where you lie
But I don't sense affection
No gratitude or love
Your loyalty is not to me
But to the stars above
One more cup of coffee for the road
One more cup of coffee 'fore I go
To the valley below
Your daddy, he's an outlaw
And a wanderer by trade
He'll teach you how to pick and choose
And how to throw the blade
He oversees his kingdom
So no stranger does intrude
His voice it trembles as he's calling out
For another plate of food
One more cup of coffee for the road
One more cup of coffee 'fore I go
To the valley below
Your sister sees the future
Like your mama and yourself
You've never learned to read or write
There's no books upon your shelf
And your pleasure knows no limits
Your voice is like a meadowlark
But your heart is like an ocean
Mysterious and dark
One more cup of coffee for the road
One more cup of coffee 'fore I go
To the valley below
In Bob Dylan's One More Cup of Coffee, he describes a woman who is physically beautiful and alluring, with her sweet breath, jewel-like eyes, straight back, and smooth hair. However, despite her captivating appearance, Dylan doesn't sense any affection or love from her. This is emphasized by the line "Your loyalty is not to me, but to the stars above." The woman's loyalty is not tied to Dylan, but rather to something celestial - something beyond Dylan's reach.
Dylan goes on to describe the woman's family - her father is an outlaw and a wanderer who teaches his daughter how to be independent, including how to "pick and choose" and "throw the blade." Her father is protective of his kingdom and his family, evidenced by his trembling voice when he calls out for "another plate of food." The woman's sister "sees the future," and they come from a family that values intuition and survival over book learning. Dylan ends the song with the repetition of the chorus, "One more cup of coffee for the road, one more cup of coffee 'fore I go, to the valley below."
The song is open to interpretation, but some have suggested that it may be about Dylan's turbulent relationship with his then-wife, Sara. However, as with most of Dylan's lyrical work, it can be interpreted in countless ways, leaving it up to the listener's discretion.
Line by Line Meaning
Your breath is sweet
Your breath smells pleasant
Your eyes are like two jewels in the sky
Your eyes are beautiful and shine like jewels
Your back is straight, your hair is smooth
Your posture is perfect and hair is shiny and soft
On the pillow where you lie
As you lay on your pillow
But I don't sense affection
I don't feel any loving emotions from you
No gratitude or love
You don't appreciate or love me
Your loyalty is not to me
You are not loyal to me
But to the stars above
You are loyal to something greater than me
One more cup of coffee for the road
I need another cup of coffee before I leave
One more cup of coffee 'fore I go
I need one more cup of coffee before I leave
To the valley below
Where I am headed
Your daddy, he's an outlaw
Your father is a criminal
And a wanderer by trade
He travels for a living
He'll teach you how to pick and choose
He will show you how to make decisions
And how to throw the blade
And how to use a knife
He oversees his kingdom
He controls his territory
So no stranger does intrude
So no one can enter without permission
His voice it trembles as he's calling out
He speaks in a quivering voice as he calls out
For another plate of food
Asking for another meal
Your sister sees the future
Your sister can predict the future
Like your mama and yourself
Just like your mother and you
You've never learned to read or write
You have not acquired the skills to read or write
There's no books upon your shelf
You have no books on your shelf
And your pleasure knows no limits
You indulge without limits
Your voice is like a meadowlark
Your voice is sweet and melodic
But your heart is like an ocean
Your emotions are deep and unpredictable
Mysterious and dark
Hard to understand or interpret
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sidney Whitehead
Awesome song
Pieter VanDer
Is it just me or Emmy Lou Harris sings “one more cup of coffee ‘for I go” in the first stanza ( 1:06 h ), instead of “one more cup of coffee for the road ”, clearly saying it correctly later on the second one ?
Since this is the original record of the song and Dylan known for being less concerned with those things ( see interview with Scarlett Rivera, the violinist on this album) than the overall effect of the recording, I got suspicious she did made a mistake there.
I have this album Desire since the 80s and I never noticed it. Lately being listening to it again it sounds to me that she did. Not a problem. The song is perfect as it is. Just a curiosity. I could be mistaken, of course.
Randy Herrera
Not Joan Baez tho it’s Emmylou Harris
goit toog
One line is a thousand pages