One For My Baby
Lena Horne with Horace Henderson and His Orchestra Lyrics

It's quarter to three, there's no one in the place
It's late at night, and there's no one else around

Except you and me
The only two people in the establishment are the singer and the bartender

So set 'em' up Joe, I got a little story
The singer asks the bartender to pour them both a drink while she shares a personal experience

I think you should know
The singer emphasizes the importance of the story she's about to share

We're drinking my friend, to the end
The two are drinking together to commemorate the end of something, likely a relationship

Of a brief episode
The 'episode' that's come to an end was short-lived

Make it one for my baby
The singer requests a drink to commemorate the end of the relationship, hinting that it may have been a painful one

And one more for the road
She asks for another drink before leaving, implying that this toast may be the last memory of the relationship

I know the routine, put another nickel
The singer knows the process of playing a song on a jukebox

In the machine
The machine referred to is a jukebox

I feel kind of bad, can't you make the music
The singer is feeling down, and requests that the bartender choose a song that suits her mood

Easy and sad
She wants the song to be melancholy to match her mood

I could tell you a lot, but it's not
The singer has a lot she wants to share with the bartender, but she's hesitant to do so

In a gentleman's code
She's abiding by social expectations of privacy and not oversharing

Make it one for my baby
She repeats her request for a drink to commemorate the end of the relationship

And one more for the road
She again asks for another drink before leaving, as a way of saying goodbye to this chapter of her life

You'd never know it, but buddy I'm a kind of poet
The singer reveals a side of herself that the bartender may not have expected - she's a writer

And I've got a lot of things I'd like to say
She has a lot of thoughts and feelings she wants to express

And if I'm gloomy, please listen to me
She's feeling down and hoping that the bartender will lend an ear

Till it's talked away
She believes that talking about her problems will make her feel better

Well that's how it goes, and Joe I know your gettin'
The singer implies that it's time for her to leave and thanks the bartender, acknowledging that he's probably ready to close up shop

Anxious to close
The singer acknowledges that the bartender is ready to finish his duties for the night

Thanks for the cheer
She thanks him for being there and for his outgoing attitude

I hope you didn't mind
She hopes that she hasn't been a burden or nuisance to the bartender

My bending your ear
She acknowledges that she's shared a lot of personal information and stories with the bartender

But this torch that I found, It's gotta be drowned
The singer feels like she needs to let go and move on from the relationship, and she uses the metaphor of a 'torch' to describe this lingering emotional attachment

Or it's gonna explode
If she doesn't let go, she feels like her emotions could become overwhelming and difficult to manage

Make it one for my baby
She reiterates her request for a drink to commemorate the end of the relationship

And one more for the road
She again asks for another drink before leaving, as a way of saying goodbye