Black Coffee
Sarah Vaughan Lyrics


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I'm feeling mighty lonesome
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'll never know a Sunday
In this weekday room

I'm talking to the shadows
One o'clock to four
And Lord, how slow the moments go
When all I do is pour
Black coffee

Since the blues caught my eye
I'm hanging out on Monday
My Sunday dream's too dry

Now, a man is born to go a-loving
A woman's born to weep and fret
And stay at home and tend her oven
And drown her past regrets
In coffee and cigarettes

I'm moody all the morning
Mourning all the night
And in between, it's nicotine
And not much hard to fight
Coffee

Feeling low as the ground
It's driving me crazy




This waiting for my baby
To maybe come around

Mmh, mmh, mmh

Overall Meaning

The song "Black Coffee" by Sarah Vaughan is a melancholic ballad about a woman who is feeling lonely and heartbroken. The lyrics indicate that she hasn't slept all night, is pacing in a room and drinking black coffee. The coffee represents her way of dealing with the pain caused by the loss of her lover. The main theme of the song is that love can be bittersweet like a strong cup of black coffee. The coffee symbolises the woman's internal pain and the longing that she feels for her lover.


She sings that love is like "hand-me-down brew," meaning that it's something that has already been used and passed on, indicating that love hasn't been kind to her. The lyrics "I'll never know a Sunday in this weekday room" imply that she feels trapped in her current situation and is unable to experience the joys of a happy relationship. She's lost in her thoughts, talking to shadows, and drowning in her sadness. The line "My Sunday dream's too dry" indicates that she once had a dream of a happy relationship, but it now seems unattainable.


The lyrics in the last verse compare the roles of men and women in relationships. The woman is expected to stay at home, tend her oven, and drown her regrets in coffee and cigarettes, while the man is expected to go out and enjoy himself, fall in love, and create a future. The song is a poignant reminder of the pain that love can cause and the powerlessness of women in society during that era.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm feeling mighty lonesome
I am overwhelmed with loneliness


Haven't slept a wink
I am unable to sleep


I walk the floor and watch the door
I pace restlessly around and anxiously wait for someone to arrive


And in between I drink
To ease my pain, I drink coffee


Black coffee
A metaphor for the bitterness that I am feeling


Love's a hand-me-down brew
Love is like a pre-owned, reheated drink


I'll never know a Sunday
I won't ever experience happiness


In this weekday room
I feel trapped in a space that lacks warmth and enchantment


I'm talking to the shadows
I am withdrawn from society and having imaginary conversations with myself


One o'clock to four
I remain awake during the wee hours, feeling the extreme emotions


And Lord, how slow the moments go
Time seems to drag by and the discomfort is lasting forever


When all I do is pour
I pass time by saturating myself with coffee


Black coffee
The bitterness is growing stronger


Since the blues caught my eye
I have been trapped in a state of despair and negativity


I'm hanging out on Monday
My life is joyless and lacking motivation


My Sunday dream's too dry
The happiness that I previously experienced is no longer present


Now, a man is born to go a-loving
Men naturally seek love and happiness


A woman's born to weep and fret
Women are naturally emotional and have many worries


And stay at home and tend her oven
Women are often relegated to domestic chores rather than pursuing their own aspirations


And drown her past regrets
Women often try to forget their past sorrows by indulging in coffee and cigarettes


In coffee and cigarettes
Drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes can help to soothe feelings of regret and loss


I'm moody all the morning
I feel sad and unmotivated throughout the day


Mourning all the night
I am grieving the loss of love and happiness throughout the night


And in between, it's nicotine
I use cigarettes to numb my emotions


And not much hard to fight
It is not difficult to succumb to these negative coping mechanisms


Coffee
I am addicted to coffee to help me survive


Feeling low as the ground
I feel completely hopeless


It's driving me crazy
The situation I am in is making me increasingly unstable


This waiting for my baby
I am anxiously waiting for my lover to return and heal my broken heart


To maybe come around
I am unsure if my lover will ever return


Mmh, mmh, mmh
A vocalization of my grief and despair




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: J Francis Burke, Paul Francis Webster

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@learafisura6424

I'm feeling mighty lonesome
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'll never know a Sunday
In this weekday room
I'm talking to the shadows
1 o'clock to 4
And Lord, how slow the moments go
When all I do is pour
Black Coffee
Since the blues caught my eye
I'm hanging out on Monday
My Sunday dream's too dry
Now a man is born to go a lovin'
A woman's born to weep and fret
To stay at home and tend her oven
And drown her past regrets
In coffee and cigarettes
I'm moody all the morning
Mourning all the night
And in between it's nicotine
And not much hard to fight
Black Coffee
Feelin' low as the ground
It's driving me crazy just waiting for my baby
To maybe come around
My nerves have gone to pieces
My hair is turning gray
All I do is drink black coffee
Since my man's gone away



All comments from YouTube:

@rocketpost1

Sarah is one of the great voices of all time along with Ella. How anyone could vote this down I don't know : because they can and because they know nothing about music. What an incredible voice !.

@thomascordery7951

I expect some down votes may be about the "B" section lyrics, which these days sound like a period piece. But then, the song is a period piece.

"Now a man is born to go a lovin', A woman's born to weep and fret, And stay at home to tend her oven, And drown her past regrets, In coffee and cigarettes".

Perhaps someone might want to come up with a different lyric through that section or use it for an instrument solo if they were recording it today. Or not.

@mikeya247

She had the most vocal control of just about any singer of all time!!❤

@gnarlton7084

Maybe the PC Police should get a fucking life and do something worth a damn. Sarah Vaughan, 1949?! Not good enough for ya?!

@sumerioasirioacadiobabilon6108

Super voice ❤Masterpiece

@LaNoire27

Why is music SO different now? This sounds straight classy! How could one not like this?!

@boffo63

Things got electrified.

@epf1961

Up until the '50s, jazz, blues and the pop standards of the day were the thing. The advent of rock and roll in the mid-50s changed everything-- because the music was simpler, even kids could learn a few chords, buy an electric guitar and be "stars".. That's what it was-- music by kids for kids. So music that was UNSOPHISTICATED became popular.. Then when the Beatles hit, that was the final death-blow to anything resembling elegant, swinging and sophisticated music. So British music took America by storm, real American Music (jazz) went underground, where it remains to this day, only played and appreciated by an elite few. Let the unwashed masses have their metal, rap, hip-hop and all that other crap.

@LaNoire27

@@epf1961 Amen 💯

@RoeserFan1

@@epf1961 Though I like much R&R, I agree with you 100%, especially your excellent point about music becoming for and by kids. The sophistication was lost. I would say that applies to the broader culture as well.

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