Nod Over Coffee
Mark Heard Lyrics


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All the unsaid words that I might be thinking

And all the little signs that I might give you

They would not be enough

No they would not be enough

So we nod over coffee and say goodbye

Smile over coffee and turn to go

We know the drill and we do it well

We love it, we hate it

Ain't that life

Ain't that the curse of the second hand

Ain't that the way of the hour and the day

If I weren't so alone and afraid

They might pay me what I am worth

But it would not be enough

You deserve better

So we nod over coffee and say goodbye

Do whatever has to be done again today

Get in the traffic and time will fly

Look at the sun and pray for rain

Ain't that the curse of the second hand

Ain't that the way of the hour and the day

The dam of time cannot hold back

The dust that will surely come of these bones

And I'm sure I will not have loved enough

Will not have loved enough

If we could see with wiser eyes

What is good and what is sad and what is true

Still it would not be enough

Could never be enough

So we nod over coffee and say goodbye

Bolt the door it's time to go

Into the car with the radio on

Roll down the window and blow the horn





Ain't that the curse of the second hand

Ain't that the way of the hour and the day

Overall Meaning

In Mark Heard's song "Nod Over Coffee," the lyrics describe the limitations of communication and comprehension in relationships. The singer acknowledges that there are many things they may think or feel but are unable to express. They also recognize that even if they did try to communicate these things, it would still not be enough to truly convey the depth of their emotions. This leads to the routine of nodding and smiling over coffee as a form of goodbye, of doing what needs to be done, and getting through the day. The singer also acknowledges the passing of time and the fleeting nature of life, expressing regret that they may not have loved enough. Overall, the lyrics of the song touch on themes of loneliness, frustration, routine, and mortality.


Line by Line Meaning

All the unsaid words that I might be thinking
I have a lot of unspoken thoughts that I'm keeping inside


And all the little signs that I might give you
Even if I give you all the small hints that I could, it still wouldn't be enough


They would not be enough
No matter what I do, it won't be sufficient


So we nod over coffee and say goodbye
We have a routine of simply nodding when we meet, over coffee, then leave


Smile over coffee and turn to go
We put on a happy facade and leave quickly


We know the drill and we do it well
We're used to this process and can perform it with ease


We love it, we hate it
We have feelings of both enjoyment and disdain towards this routine


Ain't that life
This is just how things are


If I weren't so alone and afraid
Maybe if I were more confident and less lonely


They might pay me what I am worth
My level of compensation would be more appropriate


You deserve better
You're worth more than what we're both getting right now


Do whatever has to be done again today
It's just another day of going through the motions


Get in the traffic and time will fly
Driving in traffic makes the day go by faster


Look at the sun and pray for rain
Sometimes we just hope for something different to break up the monotony


The dam of time cannot hold back
We can't stop time from moving forward


The dust that will surely come of these bones
Someday we'll just become dust after we die


And I'm sure I will not have loved enough
I know that I won't have loved to the fullest extent before I die


If we could see with wiser eyes
If we could see things more clearly


What is good and what is sad and what is true
If we knew what was actually good, sad, or true


Still it would not be enough
Even with more knowledge, it wouldn't be complete


Could never be enough
Nothing will ever be fully satisfying


Bolt the door it's time to go
Locking up the door marks the end of the day


Into the car with the radio on
We listen to music to distract ourselves on the car ride home


Roll down the window and blow the horn
We try to feel some sense of freedom while driving


Ain't that the curse of the second hand
This is the drawback of living a life that's predetermined


Ain't that the way of the hour and the day
This is just how time passes




Contributed by Alexander W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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