Black Coffee When the World Was Young
Peggy Lee Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

They call me coquette, and mademoiselle,
And I must admit I like it quite well.
It's something to be the darling of all;
Le grande femme fatale, the belle of the ball,
There's nothing as gay as life in Paris,
There's no other person, I'd rather be,
I love what I do, I love what I see,
But where is the schoolgirl that used to be meâ?¦.

Ah, the apple trees,
Where at garden teas,
Jack-o-lanterns swung:
Fashions of the day,
Vests of applique,
Dresses of shantung,
Only yesterday.
When The World Was Young

While sitting around we often recall,
The laugh of the year ' the night of them all,
The blonds who was so attractive that year,
Some opening night that made us all cheer;
Remember that time we all got so tight,
And Jacques and Antoine got into a fight,
The gendarmes who came, passed out like a light,
I laugh with the rest ' it's all very bright.

Ah, the apple trees,
Sunlight memories,
Where the hammock swung,
On our backs we'd lie;
Looking at the shy,
'Til the stars were strung,
Only last July,




When the World Was Young.

You'll see me in Cape D'Antibes , or in Spain ,
I follow the sun by boat or by plane,
It's any old millionaire in a storm,
For I've got my mink to keep my heart warm:
And sometimes I drink too much with the crowd,
And, sometimes I talk a little too loud,
My head may be aching, but it's unbowed,
And sometimes I see it all through the cloudâ?¦

Ah, the apple trees,
And the hive of bees,
Where we once got stung,
Summers at Bordeau:
Rowing at bateau,
Where the willow hung,
Just a dream ago,
When the World Was Young

Overall Meaning

In the song "When the World Was Young", Peggy Lee recollects her past life as a coquette and a mademoiselle, and how she loved being the centre of attention. She remarks that being the belle of the ball and the grande femme fatale in Paris is something she enjoyed. The song's lyrics convey the idea that the singer misses her past life and fantasizes about going back in time to revisit the memories that once made her young. The apple trees and garden teas represent her innocence and childhood, so is the hammock where she used to spend summer days with her lover, looking at the star-studded sky.


Peggy Lee reveals her love for the sunny side of life, the opportunity to follow the sun through her travels, and being able to live her life luxuriously as a millionaire. She recalls drinking and partying with the crowd, the noise of the night, and how some memories still feel just like yesterday. But ultimately, she misses the schoolgirl that she used to be, and the reminiscence of her past makes her nostalgic.


"When the World Was Young" is a song that reflects on bittersweet recollections of life's passing through intervals. It portrays the desire for a time machine to relive past memories, savoring each moment that once made the singer young.


Line by Line Meaning

They call me coquette, and mademoiselle,
People call me flirt and miss, and I rather enjoy it.


And I must admit I like it quite well.
I like being called that way.


It's something to be the darling of all;
It's wonderful to be everyone's favorite.


Le grande femme fatale, the belle of the ball,
Being an attractive and alluring woman who steals men's hearts and is the most beautiful at a gathering is fascinating.


There's nothing as gay as life in Paris,
Life in Paris is the most enjoyable, fun-filled and lively experience.


There's no other person, I'd rather be,
There's no one else that I prefer to be than myself.


I love what I do, I love what I see,
I love my job and all the wonderful visuals it provides me.


But where is the schoolgirl that used to be me….
But I often wonder about the young and innocent girl I used to be.


Ah, the apple trees,
The apple trees, oh what fond memories they bring to me.


Where at garden teas,
Where we used to host garden receptions.


Jack-o-lanterns swung:
Jack-o-lanterns were hanging overhead.


Fashions of the day,
The styles of clothing that were popular at that time.


Vests of applique,
Vests adorned with ornamental needlework.


Dresses of shantung,
Silk fabrics dresses made from shantung.


Only yesterday.
It feels as if it was just yesterday.


When The World Was Young
When things were simpler and easier, and my heart was unscathed.


While sitting around we often recall,
When reminiscing, we often talk about the past.


The laugh of the year ' the night of them all,
The most humorous memory of the year, the night that outshone all nights.


The blonds who was so attractive that year,
That attractive blonde person who caught everyone's eye that year.


Some opening night that made us all cheer;
A particular opening night that we all enjoyed and cheered for.


Remember that time we all got so tight,
Remember the time we all got drunk,


And Jacques and Antoine got into a fight,
And Jacques and Antoine engaged in a fight.


The gendarmes who came, passed out like a light,
The police who arrived got unconscious quickly.


I laugh with the rest ' it's all very bright.
I laugh along with everyone because it was all quite amusing.


You'll see me in Cape D'Antibes, or in Spain,
You can find me enjoying myself in Cape D'Antibes or Spain.


I follow the sun by boat or by plane,
I chase the sun using airplanes or boats.


It's any old millionaire in a storm,
Any rich person can afford to do the same.


For I've got my mink to keep my heart warm:
I have a mink coat that keeps me warm and comfortable in cold weather.


And sometimes I drink too much with the crowd,
Occasionally I consume an excessive amount of alcohol with others.


And, sometimes I talk a little too loud,
At times, my voice becomes loud and noisy.


My head may be aching, but it's unbowed,
Although my head is aching, I am still not ashamed.


And sometimes I see it all through the cloud…
Occasionally, I feel everything is clouded and unclear.


And the hive of bees,
The hive of bees, a place where honey is produced.


Where we once got stung,
Where my friend and I got stung by bees.


Summers at Bordeau:
Spending summertime at Bordeaux, enjoying the sunshine.


Rowing at bateau,
Rowing a boat at Bateau.


Where the willow hung,
Where the willow tree was located, with its branches hanging.


Just a dream ago,
It feels like it was just a dream only some time ago.


When the World Was Young
Back when my years were golden and everything was within my reach.




Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Michel Philippe-Gerard, Marie Vannier, Johnny Mercer

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

Anonymous


on Why Don't You Do Right (Get Me Some Money Too)

Why Don't You Do Right - Casey Abrams - Lyrics
You had plenty money 1922
You let other women make a fool of you
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?

Get out of here and get me some money too?
You're sitting there wondering what it's all about
You ain't got no money, they will throw you out
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Get out of here and get me some money too?

Musical Interlude

You had plenty money 1922
You let other women make a fool of you
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Get out of here and get me some money too?
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?