One For My Baby
Frankie Laine Lyrics

It's quarter to three, there's no one in the place
It's late at night and the bar is empty

Except you and me
Only the bartender and the singer are present

So set 'em up Joe, I got a little story
The singer asks the bartender for another drink and says he has a story to tell

I think you should know
The singer wants the bartender to hear his story

We're drinking my friend, to the end
The singer and bartender are drinking together

Of a brief episode
The singer is acknowledging that what he has to say is not going to last long

Make it one for my baby
The singer asks for a drink and dedicates it to someone

And one more for the road
The singer asks for another drink before he leaves

I know the routine, put another nickel
The singer is familiar with the jukebox and how it works

In the machine
The singer is referring to the jukebox

I feel kind of bad, can't you make the music
The singer feels sad and is asking the bartender to play some melancholic music

Easy and sad
The singer wants the music to evoke emotions of sadness

I could tell you a lot, but it's not
The singer has a lot to say but doesn't want to break the code of conduct among gentlemen

In a gentleman's code
The singer acknowledges the societal norms of not sharing personal information in public

You'd never know it, but buddy I'm a kind of poet
The singer is revealing that he's a poet

And I've got a lot of things I'd like to say
The singer has many things he wants to express through his poetry

And if I'm gloomy, please listen to me
If the singer seems sad, he wants the bartender to hear him out

Till it's talked away
The singer hopes that by talking about his problems, he can get rid of his sadness

Well that's how it goes, and Joe I know your gettin'
The singer acknowledges that it's time to leave and that the bartender is getting anxious to close

Anxious to close
The bartender wants to close the bar and go home

Thanks for the cheer
The singer thanks the bartender for being attentive and providing drinks

I hope you didn't mind
The singer hopes he didn't take up too much of the bartender's time

My bending your ear
The singer acknowledges that he was talking a lot

But this torch that I found, It's gotta be drowned
The singer must get rid of the torch-that he found and has been holding onto before it consumes him

Or it's gonna explode
If he doesn't get rid of the torch, it will consume him and cause an outburst

Make it one for my baby
The singer asks for one last drink and dedicates it to his loved one

And one more for the road
The singer asks for one more drink before leaving to hit the road