Black Coffee
Delicatessen Lyrics


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Black Coffee
Delicatessen
Composição: Indisponível

I'm feeling mighty lonesome
Haven't slept a wink
I walk the floor and watch the door
And in between I drink
Black Coffee
Love's a hand me down brew
I'll never know a Sunday
In this weekday room

I'm talking to the shadows
1 o'clock to 4
And Lord, how slow the moments go
When all I do is pour
Black Coffee
Since the blues caught my eye
I'm hanging out on Monday
My Sunday dream's too dry

Now a man is born to go a lovin'
A woman's born to weep and fret
To stay at home and tend her oven
And drown her past regrets
In coffee and cigarettes

I'm moody all the morning
Mourning all the night
And in between it's nicotine
And not much hard to fight
Black Coffee
Feelin' low as the ground
It's driving me crazy just waiting for my baby
To maybe come around

My nerves have gone to pieces
My hair is turning gray




All I do is drink black coffee
Since my man's gone awa

Overall Meaning

Delicatessen's song "Black Coffee" is a classic piece of jazz music that has become a paradigm for the broken-hearted. The song is about a woman who is lonely due to her man leaving her. She is experiencing sleeplessness and spends her days and nights drinking black coffee, smoking cigarettes, and living in her Sunday dreams. The lyrics capture the agony and turmoil of someone going through heartbreak and the emotional and physical symptoms that come with it. The singer of the song is overcome by melancholy and is struggling to cope with the pain resulting from the loss of her lover.


The song's lyrics explore the underlying turmoil of unrequited love, as evident in the verse, "Love's a hand me down brew." It highlights that the love she had with her partner was something she inherited from other people and that it wasn't something genuine. The song also highlights how hard it is for people to move on from failed relationships; they can become trapped in thoughts of their past and can't shake off the residue of their relationship. It is a song that has resonated with many people since it was released in the 1920s.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm feeling mighty lonesome
I am experiencing intense loneliness


Haven't slept a wink
I haven't slept at all


I walk the floor and watch the door
I pace around and keep an eye on the door


And in between I drink
In the meantime, I consume beverages


Black Coffee
I am consuming black coffee


Love's a hand me down brew
Love is an unoriginal mixture


I'll never know a Sunday
I will never experience a day of leisure


In this weekday room
The room feels oppressive and mundane


I'm talking to the shadows
I am having a one-sided conversation with my surroundings


1 o'clock to 4
From one in the morning until four


And Lord, how slow the moments go
The moments feel exceptionally prolonged


When all I do is pour
When my only activity is pouring drinks


Since the blues caught my eye
Since my mood has shifted towards sadness


I'm hanging out on Monday
I am living life as if it is a mundane workday


My Sunday dream's too dry
My aspirations and hopes for leisure don't feel realistic or attainable


Now a man is born to go a lovin'
Men are naturally inclined to seek out romantic relationships


A woman's born to weep and fret
Women are naturally inclined to feel anxious and sad


To stay at home and tend her oven
Women are expected to stay home and cook


And drown her past regrets
To cope with regrets, women turn to vices like coffee and cigarettes


I'm moody all the morning
I experience mood swings throughout the morning


Mourning all the night
During the night, I mourn my loss


And in between it's nicotine
In the interim, I consume nicotine


And not much hard to fight
It is not difficult to indulge in these vices


Feelin' low as the ground
I am extremely depressed


It's driving me crazy just waiting for my baby
The anticipation of my loved one's return is making me insane


To maybe come around
To potentially come back to me


My nerves have gone to pieces
My nerves are severely damaged


My hair is turning gray
My hair is turning white prematurely due to stress


All I do is drink black coffee
My only coping mechanism is drinking black coffee


Since my man's gone away
Since my significant other has departed from my life




Writer(s): J. Francis Burke, Paul Francis Webster, Sonny Burke

Contributed by Penelope D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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