After signing a contract with Warner Bros, Laurie released a blues album Let Them Talk , which was released initially in France on April 18, 2011 and later in the UK on May 9th.
He has written one novel, "The Gun Seller," and another one, "The Paper Soldier," is tentatively scheduled for September 2009. Mr. Laurie has some musical talent, notably the piano and mouth trumpet (he can make convincing trumpet sounds using just his mouth). He played '20s numbers on the piano in the TV series "Jeeves and Wooster" (again with Stephen Fry) in addition to some original comic songs in "A Bit Of Fry & Laurie." He is currently a member of "Band from TV" with several other TV personalities. He is married with children, although he has become somewhat of an absentee father due to his work on American television while his family stays in London.
One For My Baby
Hugh Laurie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So set em up joe I got a little story I think you oughtta know
Were drinking my friend to the end of a brief episode
So make it one for my baby and one more for the road
I know the routine put another nickel in that there machine
I'm feeling so bad wont you make the music easy and sad
So 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 wanna say
And if I'm gloomy, please listen to me
Till it's all, all talked away
Well, that's how it goes and joe I know you're gettin anxious to close
So thanks for the cheer I hope you didn't mind my bending your ear
But this torch that I found its gotta be drowned
Or it soon might explode so make it one for my baby and one more for the road
In the first verse of Hugh Laurie's song "One for My Baby," the singer is in a bar with Joe, the bartender. The bar is empty except for the two of them at quarter to three in the morning. The singer asks Joe to pour him a drink and says that he has a story to share. They are drinking to the end of something that was likely painful or difficult - he refers to it as a "brief episode." The singer orders a drink "for my baby" and one more "for the road." The phrase "for the road" means that these are the last drinks, and the singer will be moving on.
In the second verse, the singer asks Joe to play a sad song on the jukebox because he is feeling down. He implies that there is more to his story than he can share with Joe because Joe has to be "true to his code." The code he is referring to means that Joe is a bartender, not a confidant. The singer orders another drink for his lost love and one more "for the road."
In the third verse, the singer reveals that he is actually a poet, and he has a lot of emotions he wants to share. He is feeling gloomy and asks Joe to listen to him until he is done talking. The singer acknowledges that Joe is getting ready to close and thanks him for listening. The last line is a metaphor - the singer is talking about a torch, meaning his love, which he wants to drown or put out before it explodes. He orders one more drink "for the road" because he is leaving this chapter of his life behind.
Overall, "One for My Baby" is a melancholy song about a man who is mourning the end of a relationship. He is using alcohol and poetry to cope with his pain. Although he is alone in the bar with Joe, he is able to articulate his feelings through the lyrics of the song. It's a poignant reminder of how music and alcohol can be a lifeline for people who are struggling with heartbreak and grief.
Line by Line Meaning
It's quarter to three, there's no one in the place cept you and me
It's late at night, the bar is empty except for us.
So set em up joe I got a little story I think you oughtta know
We're going to keep drinking while I tell you a story.
Were drinking my friend to the end of a brief episode
We're drinking to celebrate the end of a short chapter in my life.
So make it one for my baby and one more for the road
I'll have another drink for myself, and one for the road.
I know the routine put another nickel in that there machine
I know the drill, put some money in the jukebox.
I'm feeling so bad wont you make the music easy and sad
I'm feeling low, so please play some slow, sad songs.
I could tell you a lot but you gotta to be true to your code
I have a lot to say, but I don't want to compromise your values.
So make it one for my baby and one more for the road
Another drink for me, and one more for the road.
You'd never know it but buddy I'm a kind of poet
You might not guess it, but I'm actually a poet.
And I've got a lot of things I wanna say
I have a lot of thoughts and feelings to express.
And if I'm gloomy, please listen to me
If I seem sad, please listen to me and my story.
Till it's all, all talked away
Until I've said everything I need to say.
Well, that's how it goes and joe I know you're gettin anxious to close
That's how life is, and I know you want to close up soon, Joe.
So thanks for the cheer I hope you didn't mind my bending your ear
Thank you for the good company, I hope I wasn't a burden talking to you.
But this torch that I found its gotta be drowned
The emotions I've been feeling need to be put to rest.
Or it soon might explode so make it one for my baby and one more for the road
Otherwise, I might become overwhelmed, so one last drink for me, and one more for the road.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Milena Vasiljević
It's quarter to three, there's no one in the place cept you and me
So set em up joe I got a little story I think you oughtta know
Were drinking my friend to the end of a brief episode
So make it one for my baby and one more for the road
I know the routine put another dollar in that machine
I'm feeling so bad wont you make the music easy and sad
I could tell you a lot but you gotta to be true to your code
So 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 wanna say
And if I'm gloomy, please listen to me
Till it's all, all talked away
Well, that's how it goes and joe I know you're gettin anxious to close
So thanks for the cheer I hope you didn't mind my bending your ear
But this torch that I found its gotta be drowned
Or it soon might explode so make it one for my baby and one more for the road
Ivan Spoljaric
"And one for yourself of course" I love that line
blacksages
J'aime beaucoup les musiques d'Hugh Laurie, c'est exactement ce qui me plait :) Je ne suis, disons, pas un fan des "grands" tubes, le blues c'est bon ça ;p Depuis mes 11 ans jusqu'à aujourd'hui ! (17 ans ^^)
LeMaîtrePoule
Tu es maintenant plus âgé, mais de mon côté, j'ai le même âge que toi lorsque tu as écrit ce commentaire, 17 ans.
Je suis tout simplement de ton avis, même avec les années qui séparent nos opinions, je trouves les musiques actuelles très peu intéressantes et elles ne m'apportent aucune des merveilleuses emotions que je peux ressentir en écoutant du blues, ou encore du jazz !
Alors que, ce style de musique, c'est ce qui me donne le plus de sensations, c'est magnifique...
Et ce bon Hugh Laurie est un artiste incroyable... (écrivain, compositeur, chanteur, acteur, et j'en passe.)
On le retient souvent pour son talent d'acteur, qui est clairement dingue, mais très peu de personnes connaissent ses magnifiques reprises/chansons !
Bref, tout ça pour dire que je partage ton point de vue !
Nina G.
For anyone who doesn't know,this is Hugh's cover of Frank Sinatra's "One for my baby and one more for the road".
- Harsh -
The song isn't Sinatra's tho, Frank himself covered the song which was originally written and performed by Johnny Mercer and Harold something for some musical back in the 70s
Filip Ogorzelski
Hugh Laurie, always the best! :)
Jason Carpp
Awesome song! One of the best song covers since Tipitina from Let Them Talk. :)
Milena Vasiljević
It's quarter to three, there's no one in the place cept you and me
So set em up joe I got a little story I think you oughtta know
Were drinking my friend to the end of a brief episode
So make it one for my baby and one more for the road
I know the routine put another dollar in that machine
I'm feeling so bad wont you make the music easy and sad
I could tell you a lot but you gotta to be true to your code
So 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 wanna say
And if I'm gloomy, please listen to me
Till it's all, all talked away
Well, that's how it goes and joe I know you're gettin anxious to close
So thanks for the cheer I hope you didn't mind my bending your ear
But this torch that I found its gotta be drowned
Or it soon might explode so make it one for my baby and one more for the road
Kimmie Pawlak
the man is a genius
Gérard Graux
Superbe...Blues atypique...Rappelle un peu le bon vieux temps...HUGH a peut-être une carrière à suivre car il n'est pas bruyant et au contraire, mélodieux et convaincant... Musique d'ambiance ou de détente et même dansante...Musique de "tête à tête"... Voire musique "de chevet"....Stop! Je m'arrête...Mais "chapeau"... G.G