One For My Baby
Frank Sinatra - Nelson Riddle Lyrics


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It's quarter to three
There's no-one in the place
'Cept You and me.
So set 'em up Joe,
I've got a little story
I think you should know

We're drinking my friend,
To the end of a brief episode
Make it one for my baby, and one more
For the road

I've got the routine
Put another nickel in the machine
I'm feeling so bad
Can't you make the music easy and sad
I could tell you a lot
But you've gotta be true to your code
Just make it one for my baby, and one more
For the road

You'd never know it, but buddy I'm a kind of poet
And I got a lot of things I'd like to say
So when I'm gloomy, won't you listen to me
'Til it's talked away
Well, that's how it goes

And Joe I know you're getting anxious to close
And thanks for the cheer
I hope you didn't mind my bending your ear
But this touch that I've found
Must be drowned or it soon might explode
So make it one for my baby
And one more for the road
The long
It's so long




The long
Very long

Overall Meaning

"One for My Baby" is a melancholic, haunting song about a man who has just broken up with his lover and seeks refuge in a bar. He finds himself alone with the bartender and proceeds to share his innermost feelings in a way that is both bleak and touching. He asks for a drink for himself and one more for the road, knowing he is about to hit the highway and leave his heart behind. He continues to pour out his heart with a poetic flair, seeking the bartender's understanding and solace. He hints at dark secrets and hidden pain, but stops short of revealing too much. Sinatra's voice and phrasing are impeccable, conveying a sense of resignation and sadness that is heartbreaking.


The song is widely regarded as one of Sinatra's best, due to his delivery of the words and the emotion that comes with it. He famously performed it as a test of a new sound system, and was moved to tears by the results. Sinatra went on to record the song several times, and it became a staple of his live performances. The lyrics capture the sense of loneliness and despair that can come with heartbreak, and the music heightens those emotions.


Line by Line Meaning

It's quarter to three
It's almost 3 a.m.


There's no-one in the place
The bar is empty


'Cept you and me.
Except for us


So set 'em up Joe,
Barman Joe, please get us drinks


I've got a little story, I think you should know
I want to tell you a story


We're drinking my friend, to the end of a brief episode
We're drinking as a goodbye to a short period of time


Make it one for my baby, and one more for the road
Please give me another drink for myself, and one more to take with me for the road


I've got the routine
I'm used to doing this


Put another nickel in the machine
Please play another sad song


I'm feeling so bad
I'm feeling very sad


Can't you make the music easy and sad
Please play a slow, melancholy song


I could tell you a lot, but you've gotta be true to your code
I have a lot to say, but I don't want to betray your trust as a bartender


Just make it one for my baby, and one more for the road
Please give me another drink for myself, and one more to take with me for the road


You'd never know it, but buddy I'm a kind of poet
You might not realize it, but I consider myself a poet


And I got a lot of things I'd like to say
I have a lot on my mind that I want to share


So when I'm gloomy, won't you listen to me
When I'm sad, can you please listen to me


'Til it's talked away
Until I feel better by talking about it


Well, that's how it goes
That's just the way things happen


And Joe I know you're getting anxious to close
And I know you want to close the bar soon, Joe


And thanks for the cheer
Thank you for making me feel better


I hope you didn't mind my bending your ear
I hope you didn't mind me talking to you for so long


But this touch that I've found
But this feeling that I have


Must be drowned or it soon might explode
I need to drink away this feeling or it might become overwhelming


So make it one for my baby
Please give me another drink for myself


And one more for the road
And one more to take with me for the road


The long
The night feels long


It's so long
The night feels very long


The long
The night feels long


Very long
The night feels extremely long




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@kevinlindsey6862

The greatest saloon song 🎵 ever recorded 🥃

@Memale2009

En effet, c'est lui qui avait lancé ce titre. Moi, j'aime aussi l'interprétation de Julie London. Mais celle-ci était un très grand succès. Merci, cher Otaku. I love this title so much!

@60otaku4

Je vous en prie, Melanie-san!!
Otaku4 d(^_^)b

@PamelaMacCarthy

Nothing finer...

@lorenzothompson2189

"She's Got to Have it" brought me here

@adrienlath1305

Bonjour Otaku, comptez vous uploader de nouvelles vidéos ? Merci pour tout, Honshu

@60otaku4

Bonjour The Sticker Review-san,
Merci pour ton commentaire à moi!
Je téléchargerai une nouvelle vidéo un jour.
Otaku4 (*^_^)/

@pappawheely

Frank had a excellent ear.......great interpretations.....he had a ..too bad he got involved in criminal elements.........he had a conscience but, was trapped   he was a great singer.

@56packmanable

+pappawheely Other than allusions of criminal activity, can you prove, with reliable sources that he was involved in criminal activity? 17 after his death, the unsealing of his FBI file and still nothing of any consequence. He was Italian-American. He sang in nightclubs. Nightclubs aren't owned by corporations run by nice WASPs, they were run by gangsters and people associated with organized crime. Did he know those people? yes, without a doubt. Was he directly involved in their activities? Never been proven in all these years.

@pappawheely

John Lauter thank you for the response and I hope your right......but my gut feelings and the friends he kept and the look in his eyes,keep me suspicious .....great singer though, no doubt

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