Bubbles In My Beer
Bob Wills Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah
Just watching the bubbles in my beer
But come in, Tommy
Give us the low-down on it
Tonight in a bar alone I'm sitting
Yes
That's not good
While scenes from the past rise before me
Yeah
Just watching the bubbles in my beer
A vision of someone who loved me
Brings a lone, silent tear to my eye
Ah
Oh, I know that my life's been a failure
Just watching the bubbles in my beer
Yeah
Alright
Ah-ho
Hot Tommy
I'm seeing the road that I've traveled
Yeah
A road paved with heartaches and tears
And I'm seeing the past that I've wasted
While watching the bubbles in my beer
As I think of the heart that I've broken
And all the golden chances that have passed me by
I was afraid that was what you coming to
And the dreams that I've made, now are empty
Ah now
As empty as the bubbles in my beer
In Bob Wills's song Bubbles In My Beer, the singer is sitting alone in a bar, watching the bubbles rising in his beer. He contrasts his solitary mood with the cheer and laughter of the people around him, while scenes of his past rise up in his mind. He thinks of someone who loved him but whom he failed; the memory brings a tear to his eye. He reflects on the road he's traveled, one paved with heartaches and tears. Watching the bubbles in his beer, he wonders whether his life has been a failure, whether the dreams he once had have come to nothing.
The song's lyrics speak of disillusionment and regret, but they also capture a sense of quiet introspection. The image of the bubbles in the beer is a powerful one, suggesting transience, emptiness, and the fleetingness of life. The singer is wrestling with the weight of his past mistakes and missed opportunities, but he's doing it alone, in his own thoughts. There's a sense of resignation, even acceptance, in the song's final lines, where the dreams he once had are described as being "as empty as the bubbles in my beer."
Line by Line Meaning
Ah-ha-na
Indicating a nonchalant and mellow feeling
Yeah
Agreement or confirmation to something said prior
Just watching the bubbles in my beer
Sitting alone in a bar with nothing but his drink for company
But come in, Tommy
Extending an invitation to someone to share his company
Give us the low-down on it
Asking for an update or some gossip
Tonight in a bar alone I'm sitting
Reiterating the loneliness of the situation
Yes
Agreement or confirmation to something said prior
Apart from the laughter and the cheer
Highlighting the lack of human interaction around him
That's not good
Recognizing the negative aspects of the situation
While scenes from the past rise before me
Reflecting on past experiences and memories
A vision of someone who loved me
Thinking of someone who was once important to him
Brings a lone, silent tear to my eye
Provoking a powerful emotional response
Ah
Expression of emotion or sadness
Oh, I know that my life's been a failure
Acknowledging personal disappointment and failure
Alright
Expression of resignation or acceptance
Ah-ho
Expression of lament or sadness
Hot Tommy
Expression of encouragement or motivation to Tommy
I'm seeing the road that I've traveled
Contemplating past actions and choices
A road paved with heartaches and tears
Recognizing the difficulties and struggles faced in life
And I'm seeing the past that I've wasted
Regretting missed opportunities and choices
While watching the bubbles in my beer
A metaphor for how he has wasted his life on trivial things
As I think of the heart that I've broken
Remembering the harm he has caused to others
And all the golden chances that have passed me by
Feeling remorseful about missed opportunities
I was afraid that was what you coming to
Aware that others may see his situation in a negative light
And the dreams that I've made, now are empty
Feeling unfulfilled and disappointed about unrealized aspirations
Ah now
Expression of disappointment or sadness
As empty as the bubbles in my beer
A metaphor for the emptiness and futility he feels in his life
Lyrics © JOHNNY BOND PUBLICATIONS
Written by: Bob Wills, Cindy Walker, Tommy Duncan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind