Eldridge was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His nickname was Little Jazz. Eldridge played in the bands of Fletcher Henderson, Gene Krupa and Artie Shaw before making records under his own name. He also played in Benny Goodman's and Count Basie's Orchestras, and co-led a band with Coleman Hawkins.
Tea for Two
Roy Eldridge Lyrics
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Tony Bennett
(Irving Caesar/Vincent Youmans)
I'm discontented with homes that are rented so I have invented my own.
Darling this place is a lover's oasis where life's weary chase is unknown.
Far from the cry of the city, where flowers pretty caress the streams,
Cozy to hide in, to love side-by-side in. Don't let it abide in my dreams.
Picture you upon my knee, just tea for two and two for tea,
Just me for you and you for me, alone!
Nobody near us, to see us or hear us,
No friends or relations on weekend vacations,
We won't have it known, dear, that we have a telephone, dear.
Day will break and you'll awake and start to bake
A sugar cake for me to take for all the boys to see.
We will raise a family, a boy for you, a girl for me,
Oh, can't you see how happy life would be?
You are revealing a plan so appealing I can't help but falling for you,
Darling, I planned it; can't you understand it is yours to command it, so do.
All of your schemes I'm admiring, they're worth desiring but can't you see,
I'd like to wait there for some future date dear;
it won't be too late, dear, for me.
Picture you upon my knee, just tea for two and two for tea,
Just me for you and you for me, alone!
Nobody near us, to see us or hear us,
No friends or relations on weekend vacations,
We won't have it known, dear, that we have a telephone, dear.
Day will break and you'll awake and start to bake
A sugar cake for me to take for all the boys to see.
We will raise a family, a boy for you, a girl for me,
Oh, can't you see how happy life would be?
The lyrics of "Tea For Two" talk about the desire for a perfect, private, and romantic setting where the singer and their loved one can enjoy each other's company without any interruptions. The singer is discontented with rented homes and has taken it upon themselves to create their own oasis, far away from the noise of the city, where they can cherish nature's beauty and hide away from the world. They picture themselves with their loved one, just "tea for two and two for tea", completely alone with no one to see or hear them, enjoying each other's company until day breaks. The lyrics describe their desire to bake a sugar cake and raise a family - a boy for you, a girl for me - creating a happy and fulfilling life together.
The song seems to be an expression of longing and desire for intimacy and domestic life. The use of tea as a metaphor for intimacy also seems to evoke feelings of comfort and warmth. Interestingly, the line "Don't let it abide in my dreams" suggests that the singer is not content with merely dreaming of such a life; they want it to become a reality.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm discontented with homes that are rented so I have invented my own.
I'm unhappy with living in rented homes, so I have made a place of my own.
Darling this place is a lover's oasis where life's weary chase is unknown.
This place is a sweet haven for lovers where the issues of life are not felt.
Far from the cry of the city, where flowers pretty caress the streams,
It is situated in a serene environment away from the noise of the city where there are beautiful streams and flowers.
Cozy to hide in, to love side-by-side in. Don't let it abide in my dreams.
It's a comfortable place to live and love with your partner, and I hope it comes to pass instead of just being in my imagination.
Picture you upon my knee, just tea for two and two for tea,
I can imagine us sitting together, having tea for two.
Just me for you and you for me, alone!
It's just the two of us together, with no other person around.
Nobody near us, to see us or hear us,
There's no one close to us that can either hear or see us.
No friends or relations on weekend vacations,
We won't have anyone visiting us during weekend vacations.
We won't have it known, dear, that we have a telephone, dear.
We won't want anyone to know that we have a phone in our house.
Day will break and you'll awake and start to bake
Morning will come, and you will wake up to start baking.
A sugar cake for me to take for all the boys to see.
You will bake a cake that I will take to show off to my friends.
We will raise a family, a boy for you, a girl for me,
We will have kids - a son for you and a daughter for me.
Oh, can't you see how happy life would be?
Can't you see how happy our life would be together?
You are revealing a plan so appealing I can't help but falling for you,
Your plan is so desirable, and I can't help but fall for you.
Darling, I planned it; can't you understand it is yours to command it, so do.
My darling, I came up with this plan. Can't you understand that it's yours to control?
All of your schemes I'm admiring, they're worth desiring but can't you see,
I appreciate your ideas; they're worth wanting. However, can't you see?
I'd like to wait there for some future date dear;
I want to wait for some more extended period.
it won't be too late, dear, for me.
It won't be too late for me to fulfill my desires.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IRVING CAESAR, VINCENT YOUMANS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind