Nearly God is Tricky's unofficial second album, released under the alias N… Read Full Bio ↴Nearly God is Tricky's unofficial second album, released under the alias Nearly God -- he calls it a collection of brilliant, incomplete demos. When Tricky signed his contract with Island, it allowed him to release an album a year under a different name and Nearly God is the first of these efforts. Tricky recorded the record with a diverse cast of collaborators -- in addition to his partner Martina, there's Terry Hall, Björk, Neneh Cherry, Cath Coffey, Dedi Madden, and Alison Moyet (Damon Albarn pulled his track just before the album's release). Building on the ghostly, dark soundscapes of Tricky's debut, Maxinquaye, Nearly God narrows the focus of his first record by making the music slower, hazier, and more distubing. It's not as coherent as Maxinquaye, but that's part of its appeal. Nearly God is a haunting, fractured, surreal nightmare that doesn't always make sense, but never fails to make an impact. Certain collaborators work better than others -- Tricky understands the eeriness of Terry Hall's voice, but he does nothing to tame Alison Moyet's inappropriate bluesy shrieking -- but the overall effect of the album is quietly devastating. It gets under your skin and stays there. It's a brilliantly evocative nightmare..

Black Coffee
Nearly God Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Move over, move over, yeah you heard what I said, move over.

I feel so lonely, 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 never know why Sunday in this weekday brew?
I'm talking to the shadows, 1 o'clock till 4

And Lord how slow the moments go.
All I do is pour black coffee.

Since the blues caught my eye,
I'm hanging out on Monday,
But Sunday dreams too dry
They say a man is born to go alone
And a woman is born to weep and fret
To stay at home and drown her past regrets
In coffee and cigarettes.
And moody all the morning, moody all night.

And in between I drink black coffee.
Black coffee.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Black Coffee" by Nearly God revolve around the feeling of loneliness and heartbreak. The song begins with a demand to make space for oneself, indicating the need for solitude. The lyrics then move on to talk about the pain of heartbreak, with the singer being unable to sleep, walking aimlessly and drinking coffee between bouts of talking to the shadows. The lyrics convey the feeling of being stuck in the moment and the emptiness that follows a failed relationship.

The song Black Coffee, as interpreted by Nearly God, epitomizes the melancholy, soulful quality of the blues. It is a powerful reflection of how a broken heart can lead one down a spiraling path which is reflected in the lyrics. The lyrics highlight the fragile and complex aspects of human relationships that create our joys and sorrows, and how powerful emotions could be exploited to create something meaningful.

Line by Line Meaning

Move over, move over, yeah you heard what I said, move over.
I need some personal space, please move aside.

I feel so lonely, haven't slept a wink.
I feel sad and alone and have been unable to sleep.

I walk the floor, and watch the door.
I pace around, waiting and watching for someone or something.

And in between I drink black coffee.
To pass the time, I drink black coffee.

Love's a hand-me-down brew.
Love is a pre-used and unsatisfying experience.

I never know why Sunday in this weekday brew?
I don't understand why Sunday feels like a weekday, and not a relaxing or restful day.

I'm talking to the shadows, 1 o'clock till 4
I'm talking to myself, or past memories, late into the night.

And Lord how slow the moments go.
Time moves incredibly slowly and painfully.

All I do is pour black coffee.
I am unable to do anything, so I drink coffee.

Since the blues caught my eye,
Since I became aware of depression or sadness,

I'm hanging out on Monday,
I feel down and unhappy, even on a typically positive day like Monday.

But Sunday dreams too dry
Sunday feels unfulfilling, and not like a daydream or escape from reality.

They say a man is born to go alone
It's said that men are meant to be alone and self-sufficient.

And a woman is born to weep and fret
Women are meant to be emotional and worry excessively.

To stay at home and drown her past regrets
Women are expected to stay at home and use substances or vices to cope with their regrets and disappointments.

In coffee and cigarettes.
Specifically, women are expected to cope with their problems by drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes.

And moody all the morning, moody all night.
I am constantly in a bad mood, both during the day and at night.

And in between I drink black coffee.
To distract myself from my moodiness, I drink black coffee.

Black coffee.
A reminder that the singer is still drinking black coffee.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, GUY WEBSTER/WEBSTER MUSIC
Written by: Francis Joseph Burke, Paul Francis Webster

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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