Clooney's first recordings, in May 1946, were for Columbia Records. She sang with Tony Pastor's big band. Clooney continued working with the Pastor band until 1949, making her last recording with the band in May of that year and her first as a solo artist a month later, still for Columbia.
She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit Come On-a My House written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian (better known as David Seville, the father figure of Alvin and the Chipmunks), which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" (a cover version of the Italian song Ba-Ba-Baciami Piccina by Alberto Rabagliati), "Mambo Italiano", "Tenderly", "Half as Much", "Hey There" and "This Ole House", although she had success as a jazz vocalist. Clooney's career languished in the 1960s, partly due to problems related to depression and drug addiction, but revived in 1977, when her White Christmas co-star Bing Crosby asked her to appear with him at a show marking his 50th anniversary in show business. She continued recording until her death in 2002. She was the aunt of Academy Award winning actor George Clooney; mother-in-law of singer Debby Boone; and sister to former television personality Nick Clooney. She was the ex-wife of Jose Ferrer; mother of actor Miguel Ferrer
Clooney was diagnosed with lung cancer at the end of 2001. Around this time, she gave her last concert, in Hawaii, backed by the Honolulu Symphony Pops; her last song was "God Bless America".
Black Coffee
Rosemary Clooney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Haven't slept a wink
I walk the floor from nine to four
In between I drink
Black coffee
Love's a hand-me-down brew
Never know a Sunday
In this weekday rue
I'm talkin to the shadow
One o'clock till four
And Lord, how slow the moments go
And all I do is pour
Black coffee
Since the blues caught my eye
I'm hangin' out on Monday
My Sunday dreams to dry
Now man was born to go a lovin'
But was a woman born to weep and fret
And stay at home and tend her oven
And down her past regrets
In coffee and cigarettes
I'm moonin' all the mornin'
Moanin' all the night
And in between it's nicotine
And not much heart to fight
Black coffee
Feelin' low as the ground
It's drivin' me crazy
This thinkin' 'bout my baby
Might maybe come around
Come around
The song "Black Coffee" by Rosemary Clooney is a melancholy ballad that expresses the emotions of a woman who has gone through heartbreak and is now struggling to cope with it. The lyrics revolve around loneliness, sleeplessness, and the use of black coffee as an escape from despair. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer confessing to feeling "mighty lonesome" and admitting that she hasn't slept a wink. She then goes on to describe the rest of her night, walking the floor and drinking black coffee.
The chorus of the song, "Love's a hand-me-down brew, never know a Sunday in this weekday rue," is a clever play on words that expresses the feeling of being stuck in a never-ending cycle of misery. The singer is so consumed by her feelings of heartbreak that she can't even enjoy the weekends anymore, as they are just an extension of her weekday misery. The second verse delves deeper into the singer's state of mind, as she talks to her shadow and pours more black coffee. She sings about how slow the moments go and how she is hanging out on Monday, trying to dry her Sunday dreams.
The final verse reflects on the societal expectations placed on men and women. While the lyric "Now man was born to go a lovin' but was a woman born to weep and fret" has received some criticism, it is important to consider the context in which the song was written. The verse goes on to describe how women were expected to tend to their ovens and down their past regrets, implying that men had the freedom to love and leave while women were left to pick up the pieces. The song ends by repeating the chorus and expressing a glimmer of hope that the singer's baby might eventually come back to her.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm feelin' mighty lonesome
I am experiencing a feeling of great loneliness
Haven't slept a wink
I have not slept at all
I walk the floor from nine to four
I walk around the room from nine o'clock at night until four o'clock in the morning
In between I drink
During the time between walking around, I drink things
Black coffee
I am drinking unsweetened coffee
Love's a hand-me-down brew
Love is a thing that has been passed down through generations
Never know a Sunday
I don't ever get to have a happy day
In this weekday rue
Every day is sad for me
I'm talkin to the shadow
I am speaking to an imaginary figure created by the light source and my body obstructing it
One o'clock till four
I speak to this shadow from one o' clock in the morning until four o'clock in the morning
And Lord, how slow the moments go
Time seems to be moving slower than usual
And all I do is pour
All I do is pour drinks for myself
Black coffee
I am drinking unsweetened coffee
Since the blues caught my eye
I have been feeling sad ever since I became aware of the blues genre of music
I'm hangin' out on Monday
I am stuck in a state of misery every day, including Mondays
My Sunday dreams to dry
I cannot fulfill my dreams of a happy weekend
Now man was born to go a lovin'
Men are biologically driven to seek love and affection
But was a woman born to weep and fret
Women are expected to be emotional and vulnerable
And stay at home and tend her oven
Women are expected to stay at home and cook
And down her past regrets
Women are expected to feel remorse for their past mistakes
In coffee and cigarettes
They find solace in drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes
I'm moonin' all the mornin'
I am feeling sad all morning
Moanin' all the night
I am feeling sad all night
And in between it's nicotine
During the time between feeling sad, I am smoking cigarettes
And not much heart to fight
I don't have much motivation to overcome my sadness
Black coffee
I am drinking unsweetened coffee
Feelin' low as the ground
I am feeling very sad
It's drivin' me crazy
My sadness is causing me to lose my sanity
This thinkin' 'bout my baby
My thoughts about my loved one are causing me distress
Might maybe come around
There is a possibility that my loved one may return to me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Francis Joseph Burke, Paul Francis Webster
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Star Strudel
Heard a lot of versions of this, but Rosemary's might be my favorite -- yes, even over Ella's or Peggy Lee's. Absolutely brooding, but with languid elegance.
FERNANDO Duran
I SOOOO LOVE THIS LADY& HER MUSIC, THE VOICE THAT SPEAKS AND SOOTHES THE HUMAN SOUL, LOVE 💘 YOU ALWAYS, REST IN PEACE MY LOVELY LADY
M McMahon
Heard this on an episode of Crossing Jordan starring Rosemary Clooney's son Miguel Ferrer. What a great morning after song.
chntuz1
I saw it too and new immediately
Lisa Mathis
I have heard this song since I was a child and loved this song ! George Clonney is also related to her !
Marcelo Volcato
What a song! I could listen to it all day long...
kathy guinto
Me too,and drink black coffee all day while I listen to it! ha ha ha ha ha!.John M Guinto
Lydia Rodaway
The Pointer Sisters do a great cover .
kathy guinto
black coffee,I love the drink,and adore the song,Yeah man!.John M Guinto
Gina Meehan-Simunek
I just heard it on Crossing Jordan and wonder is that his mom singing black coffee😀