Born in Hampstead, London, Faithfull began her career in 1964 after attending a Rolling Stones party, where she was discovered by Andrew Loog Oldham. Her debut album Marianne Faithfull (released simultaneously with her album Come My Way on April 15, 1965) was a commercial success followed by a number of albums on Decca Records. From 1966 to 1970, she had a highly publicised romantic relationship with Mick Jagger. Her popularity was further enhanced by her film roles, such as those in I'll Never Forget What's'isname (1967), The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968), and Hamlet (1969). However, her popularity was overshadowed by personal problems in the 1970s. During that time she was anorexic, homeless and a heroin addict.
Noted for her distinctive voice, Faithfull's previously melodic and higher-registered vocals (which were prevalent throughout her career in the 1960s) were affected by severe laryngitis, coupled with persistent drug abuse during the 1970s, permanently altering her voice, leaving it raspy, cracked and lower in pitch. This new sound was praised as "whisky soaked" by some critics and seen as having helped to capture the raw emotions expressed in Faithfull's music.
After a long commercial absence, Faithfull made a comeback with the 1979 release of her critically acclaimed album Broken English. The album was a commercial success and marked a resurgence of her musical career. Broken English earned Faithfull a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and is often regarded as her "definitive recording". She followed this with a series of albums, including Dangerous Acquaintances (1981), A Child's Adventure (1983) and Strange Weather (1987). Faithfull also wrote three books about her life: Faithfull: An Autobiography (1994), Memories, Dreams & Reflections (2007) and Marianne Faithfull: A Life on Record (2014).
Faithfull is listed on VH1's "100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll" list. She received the World Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 Women's World Awards and was made a Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the government of France.
Black Coffee
Marianne Faithfull Lyrics
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Haven't slept a wink
I walk the floor and watch the door
And in between I drink
Black coffee
Love's a hand me down brew
I'll never know a Sunday
In this weekday room
I'm talking to the shadows
From 1 o'clock til 4
And lord, how slow the moments go
When all I do is pour
Black coffee
Since the blues caught my eye
I'm hanging out on Monday
My Sunday dreams to dry
Now a man is born to go a lovin'
A woman's born to weep and fret
To stay at home and tend her oven
And drown her past regrets
In coffee and cigarettes
I'm moaning all the morning
And mourning all the night
And in between it's nicotine
And not much heart to fight
Black coffee
Feelin' low as the ground
It's driving me crazy just waiting for my baby
To maybe come around... around
I'm waiting for my baby
To maybe come around
My nerves have gone to pieces
My hair is turning gray
All I do is drink black coffee
Since my man's gone away
The song “Black Coffee” by Marianne Faithfull expresses the feeling of loneliness that strikes when a heart is broken. The lyrics reveal the brutal truth that once love is gone, it leaves behind the most bitter taste, and it's hard to get rid of it. The last line, "Since my man's gone away," reiterates this idea of heartache. It suggests that the singer has nothing left to do but sit with her broken heart, drinking black coffee, while waiting for her lover to return.
The artist uses the metaphor of coffee to represent the bitter taste of love gone wrong. The line "Love's a hand me down brew" highlights how love can often feel like something that has been passed down through generations, rather than a unique and personal emotion. The lyrics also imply the idea that one can become addicted to both love and coffee. The coffee is a metaphor for the addiction that love brings, and the pain it causes when it is gone.
The song is a melancholy tribute to lost love and the difficult emotions that people go through when they lose something they hold dear. It highlights the point that even the most simple things in life, like a cup of coffee, can bring back memories of a lost love, making it both a comfort and a curse.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm feeling mighty lonesome
I'm extremely isolated and unhappy
Haven't slept a wink
I haven't slept at all
I walk the floor and watch the door
I pace around anxiously and check the door often
And in between I drink
I consume alcohol to fill the void
Black coffee
I drink black coffee
Love's a hand me down brew
Love is a low-quality, recycled drink
I'll never know a Sunday
I will never experience happiness
In this weekday room
I am trapped in a dreary and mundane place
I'm talking to the shadows
I'm conversing with my loneliness
From 1 o'clock til 4
From early morning until early afternoon
And lord, how slow the moments go
Time has slowed down considerably
When all I do is pour
All I do is pour coffee
Since the blues caught my eye
Ever since I started experiencing sadness
I'm hanging out on Monday
I'm stuck in a perpetual state of sadness and despair
My Sunday dreams to dry
My hopes for happiness have been shattered
Now a man is born to go a lovin'
Men are meant to seek out love and affection
A woman's born to weep and fret
Women are predisposed to feeling sad and anxious
To stay at home and tend her oven
Women are expected to take care of the household
And drown her past regrets
Women suppress their past regrets through distractions like coffee and cigarettes
In coffee and cigarettes
Women use coffee and cigarettes as a coping mechanism
I'm moaning all the morning
I'm expressing sadness and pain throughout the morning
And mourning all the night
I'm grieving all night
And in between it's nicotine
In addition to coffee, I use nicotine to cope with my pain
And not much heart to fight
I don't have much willpower left to keep going
Feelin' low as the ground
I'm feeling incredibly sad and defeated
It's driving me crazy just waiting for my baby
Anticipating my partner's return is making me feel insane
To maybe come around... around
I'm hoping my partner will come back to me
I'm waiting for my baby
I'm waiting for my partner
To maybe come around
I hope my partner returns to me
My nerves have gone to pieces
I'm extremely anxious
My hair is turning gray
I'm becoming physically affected by my emotional turmoil
Since my man's gone away
Ever since my partner left me
Contributed by Brayden D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.