Harold Arlen (February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986)
Was an American compo… Read Full Bio ↴Harold Arlen (February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986)
Was an American composer of popular music. Having written over 400 songs, a number of which have become known the world over, Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the Great American Songbook. His 1938 song "Over the Rainbow” was voted the twentieth century's No. 1 song by the Recording Industry Association of America

Biography

Arlen was born Hyman Arluck, in Buffalo, New York, the child of a Jewish cantor. His twin brother died the next day. He learned the piano as a youth and formed a band as a young man. He achieved some local success as a pianist and singer and moved to New York City in his early 20s. He worked as an accompanist in vaudeville.[1] At this point, he changed his name to Harold Arlen. He performed on record with the "Buffalodians" orchestra, as well as those of Red Nichols, Henny Hendrickson and Arnold Johnson.

Between 1926 and about 1934, Arlen appeared occasionally as band vocalist on records by The Buffalodians, Red Nichols, Joe Venuti, Leo Reisman and Eddie Duchin, usually singing his own compositions.

In 1929, Arlen composed his first well-known song: "Get Happy" (with lyrics by Ted Koehler). Throughout the early and mid-1930s, Arlen and Koehler wrote shows for the Cotton Club, a popular Harlem night club, as well as Broadway musicals and Hollywood films. Arlen also continued to perform with some success, most notably on records with Leo Reisman's society dance orchestra.

Arlen's compositions have always been popular with jazz musicians because of his facility at incorporating a blues feeling into conventional American popular songs.

Arlen and Koehler wrote several hit songs during the early and mid-1930s.

In the mid-1930s, Arlen married, and spent increasingly more time in California, writing for movie musicals. It was at this time that he began working with lyricist E.Y. "Yip" Harburg. In 1938, the team was hired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to compose songs for The Wizard of Oz. The most famous of these is the song "Over the Rainbow" for which they won the Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song. They also wrote "Down with Love", a song later featured in the 2003 movie Down with Love.

Arlen was a longtime friend and former roommate of actor Ray Bolger who would star in The Wizard of Oz, the film for which "Over the Rainbow" was written.

In the 1940s, Arlen teamed up with lyricist Johnny Mercer, and continued to write hit songs like "Blues in the Night" ("My Mama Done Tol' Me") and "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive".

One For My Baby
Harold Arlen Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's quarter to three, there's no one in the place
Except you and me
So set 'em' up Joe, I 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 know the routine, put another nickel
In the machine
I feel kind of bad, can't you make the music
Easy and sad

I could tell you a lot, but it's not
In a gentleman's code
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've got a lot of things I'd like to say
And if I'm gloomy, please listen to me
Till it's talked away

Well that's how it goes, and Joe I know your gettin'
Anxious to close
Thanks for the cheer
I hope you didn't mind

My bending your ear
But this torch that I found, It's gotta be drowned
Or it's gonna explode
Make it one for my baby

And one more for the road

Overall Meaning

In Harold Arlen's classic song "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)", the singer in the song is addressing the bartender, Joe. It's late at night, the place is empty, and the singer needs a drink. He asks Joe to "set 'em up" and begins to tell him a story. The singer is drinking to the end of a brief episode, which indicates that something in his life has come to an end. The lyrics "make it one for my baby, and one more for the road" suggest that he isn't just drinking to forget something, but rather that he wants to savor the moment and the memories associated with whatever is ending.

The singer is clearly feeling melancholy, and he requests that the music be "easy and sad". This is a poignant moment, as it suggests that he wants to feel his emotions fully, as hard as it may be. We learn that the singer has a lot he'd like to say, but he's not ready to speak yet. If he's "gloomy", he asks Joe to listen until he's talked it away. At the end of the song, the singer thanks Joe for listening to him and hopes he didn't mind "bending his ear". He knows it's time to go, but he needs one last drink to drown the torch that he found, which he believes will explode if he doesn't.

Overall, "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)" is a song about endings, melancholy, and the difficulty of letting go. It suggests that sometimes, the best way to deal with these feelings is to stop and savor the moment, savor the memories, and share them with someone. The song also reminds us that sometimes, we need to drown our sorrows in order to move on.

Line by Line Meaning

It's quarter to three, there's no one in the place
It's late at night, almost three o'clock and everyone has left the place we're in.

Except you and me
Only you and me are around at this time of the night.

So set 'em up Joe, I got a little story
Let's order another drink, Joe. I have a story to tell you.

I think you should know
It's something important that I need to tell you.

We're drinking my friend, to the end
Let's drink together until the end.

Of a brief episode
This moment in time is brief, but we should enjoy it anyways.

Make it one for my baby
Bring me another drink for myself.

And one more for the road
And one more drink to go.

I know the routine, put another nickel
I am familiar with how things work, just like how I know this song requires more money in the jukebox to keep playing.

In the machine
For the jukebox, which plays music.

I feel kind of bad, can't you make the music
I feel sad, could you play some music that matches my mood?

Easy and sad
Music that is simple and emotional.

I could tell you a lot, but it's not
I have a lot of things I could share with you, but it's not considered gentlemanly to do so.

In a gentleman's code
It's not considered polite or appropriate behavior.

You'd never know it, but buddy I'm a kind of poet
You may not have realized it yet, but I consider myself a poet.

And I've got a lot of things I'd like to say
I have a lot of thoughts and emotions I would like to express.

And if I'm gloomy, please listen to me
If I'm feeling down, please hear me out.

Till it's talked away
Until I've talked through all my feelings and troubles.

Well that's how it goes, and Joe I know your gettin'
That's just how things are. Joe, I know you're eager to close this place up for the night.

Anxious to close
You can't wait to leave and lock up.

Thanks for the cheer
Thank you for the company and the drinks.

I hope you didn't mind
I hope I haven't been too much trouble or a bother to you.

My bending your ear
Talking your ear off, oversharing or being too talkative.

But this torch that I found, It's gotta be drowned
However, I need to drown out this torch that I've been carrying. I can't keep holding on to these feelings anymore.

Or it's gonna explode
If I don't let go of these feelings, it'll be too much for me to handle.

Make it one for my baby
Give me one last drink.

And one more for the road
And one more to go, so I can move on and leave these feelings behind.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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