Tom
I.F.M. Lyrics
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In the morning
At the diner
On the corner
I am waiting
At the counter
For the man
And he fills it
Only halfway
And before
I even argue
He is looking
Out the window
At somebody
Coming in
"It is always
Nice to see you"
Says the man
Behind the counter
To the woman
Who has come in
She is shaking
Her umbrella
And I look
The other way
As they are kissing
Their hellos
I'm pretending
Not to see them
And Instead
I pour the milk
I open
Up the paper
There's a story
Of an actor
Who had died
While he was drinking
He was no one
I had heard of
And I'm turning
To the horoscope
And looking
For the funnies
When I'm feeling
Someone watching me
And so
I raise my head
There's a woman
On the outside
Looking inside
Does she see me?
No she does not
Really see me
Cause she sees
Her own reflection
And I'm trying
Not to notice
That she's hitching
Up her skirt
And while she's
Straightening her stockings
Her hair
Is getting wet
Oh, this rain
It will continue
Through the morning
As I'm listening
To the bells
Of the cathedral
I am thinking
Of your voice
And of the midnight picnic
Once upon a time
Before the rain began
I finish up my coffee
It's time to catch the train
The song "Tom" by the band I.F.M. is a detailed narrative of an individual's morning as they sit in a diner waiting for their coffee. The lyrics are crafted beautifully to reveal the personality of the singer who is very observant and guarded. The lyrics reveals the singer's outward behavior as they try to avoid looking at the couple that come to the diner to have coffee, but not before exchanging pleasantries with the waiter. They notice the woman come into the diner and when she passes by their gaze, the individual finds it hard to ignore her as she straightens her stockings and hitching her skirt.
The second verse of the song shifts in perspective to reveal the singer's love interest, and the story the singer tells indicates that they are desperately waiting to hear from the other person. The singer reads the news, turns to the horoscope, and reads the funnies all while struggling to keep their interest on these things with the woman continuously distracting their attention in the diner. With the imagery of the rain continuing steadily, the singer describes feeling lonely and imagining past memories with their love interest, who they think of in the presence of the bells from the nearby cathedral. They finish their coffee as they realize it's time to catch the train.
Overall, the song "Tom" portrays an individual who is disconnected from the world around them, giving hints that the reason for such a behavior could be loneliness or avoidance of deep emotional connections in their life.
Line by Line Meaning
I am sitting
I am currently in a seated position
In the morning
During the early hours of the day
At the diner
At a small restaurant that serves casual food
On the corner
Located at the intersection of streets
I am waiting
I am staying in one place until a particular event happens
At the counter
At a high point meant for serving or transactions
For the man
For a male individual
To pour the coffee
To transfer a hot beverage into a container
And he fills it
And he puts coffee in my cup
Only halfway
He does not fill the cup entirely
And before
And in a moment before
I even argue
I do not express disagreement
He is looking
The man is focusing his gaze
Out the window
Through the transparent barrier that separates the indoors from the outdoors
At somebody
At a person
Coming in
Entering the diner
"It is always
"It is a common occurrence
Nice to see you"
Pleasure in recognizing and interacting with the person
Says the man
The male behind the counter speaks
Behind the counter
Positioned at the area meant for serving or transactions
To the woman
To a female individual
Who has come in
Who has entered the diner
She is shaking
She is actively causing her umbrella to move
Her umbrella
A personal device that protects from rain
And I look
I turn my gaze
The other way
In the opposite direction of the people talking behind me
As they are kissing
As they touch their lips to each other's in a greeting
Their hellos
Their salutation upon meeting
I'm pretending
I am acting as if something is true when it is not
Not to see them
I am purposely averting my gaze
And Instead
And in place of that
I pour the milk
I transfer a dairy product into my cup
I open
I start looking at
Up the paper
A printed medium meant for daily reading
There's a story
It contains a piece of writing meant to entertain, inform, or provide insight
Of an actor
About a person who performs on stage or in movies
Who had died
Who is no longer alive
While he was drinking
During the time that he was consuming fluids
He was no one
He was a person that was not significant
I had heard of
With whom I was not previously familiar
And I'm turning
And I am physically moving
To the horoscope
To an astrological forecast
And looking
And gazing
For the funnies
For a section with amusing content
When I'm feeling
When I have the impression
Someone watching me
Some person is observing me
And so
And thus
I raise my head
I elevate the upper part of my body
There's a woman
There is a female individual
On the outside
Positioned beyond the transparent barrier that separates the indoors from the outdoors
Looking inside
Viewing what is happening inside the diner
Does she see me?
Is she able to observe me?
No she does not
She is incapable of noticing me
Really see me
Actually perceive me
Cause she sees
Because she is observing
Her own reflection
The image of herself that is being mirrored
And I'm trying
And I am attempting
Not to notice
Not to actively become aware of something
That she's hitching
That she's lifting
Up her skirt
The garment that covers the lower half of her body
And while she's
And during the time that she is
Straightening her stockings
Removing wrinkles from leg coverings made of a thin material
Her hair
The strands that grow from the scalp
Is getting wet
Is becoming damp
Oh, this rain
Oh, the water that falls from the sky
It will continue
It will persist
Through the morning
Throughout the early hours of the day
As I'm listening
While I am actively hearing
To the bells
To the sounds made by a device meant for indicating the time of day
Of the cathedral
Of a church that holds historical importance
I am thinking
I am using my mental faculties to consider ideas or information
Of your voice
Specifically of the sound made when speaking to you
And of the midnight picnic
And of the time that we shared a meal late at night in an outdoor setting
Once upon a time
In the past
Before the rain began
Before the precipitation started falling from the sky
I finish up my coffee
I consume the remainder of my hot beverage
It's time to catch the train
It is time for me to board public transportation that travels on tracks
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SUZANNE VEGA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind