One For My Baby
LaVerne Butler Lyrics

It's quarter to three, there's no one in the place
The singer and the bartender are the only ones left in the bar at 2:45 in the morning.

Except you and me
The singer is addressing the bartender.

So set 'em up Joe, I got a little story
The singer asks the bartender to pour another drink as she has a story to tell.

You oughtta know
The singer is seeking advice or sympathy from the bartender.

I'm drinking, my friend, to the end
The singer is drinking to forget or cope with the end of something important.

Of a brief episode
The end the singer is drinking to is something brief but intense.

So make it one for my baby
The singer wants the bartender to pour one drink for the person or thing she is mourning.

And one more for the road
The singer wants one last drink before leaving the bar.

I got a routine, so drop another nickel
The singer has a preference for a particular song on the jukebox and asks the bartender to put in another coin.

In the machine
The singer is pointing to the jukebox.

I'm feeling so bad, I wish you'd make the music
The singer wishes the jukebox would play a sad and dreamy song to match her mood.

Dreamy and sad
The singer is looking for a song that is both melancholy and soothing.

I could tell you a lot, but you've got to be
The singer is hinting at something she wants to share but is hesitant to disclose.

True to your code
The singer trusts the bartender to maintain confidentiality or abide by a certain moral compass.

You'd never know it, but buddy I'm a kind of poet
The singer is revealing a lesser-known talent, suggesting she has something to contribute artistically.

I've got a lot of things to say
The singer has ideas, emotions, or experiences she wants to express through her poetry or music.

And when I'm gettin' gloomy, you simply gotta listen to me
The singer turns to the bartender for a listening ear when she is feeling down.

Until it's talked away
The singer hopes that talking about her problems or feelings will help alleviate them.

So that's how it goes, and Joe I know you're getting
The singer acknowledges that time is running out and the bartender wants to close up the bar.

Anxious to close
The singer is aware that the bartender is eager to close up shop.

So thanks for the cheer
The singer expresses her gratitude for the bartender's company and service.

I hope you didn't mind my bending your ear
The singer hopes she did not burden the bartender with her troubles or stories.

This torch I found, must be drowned
The singer has been carrying an intense and potentially destructive passion and recognizes that it must be extinguished.

Or it just might explode
The singer fears that if she does not let go of her torch, it could cause her harm or destroy her.

So make it one for my baby
The singer once again requests a drink in honor of what she is letting go of.

And one more for the road
The singer asks for one more drink before leaving, possibly to help her deal with the emotions she has been expressing throughout the song.