Kent attended Newark Academy in Livingston, New Jersey. She graduated with a Degree in Comparative Literature from Sarah Lawrence College in New York, and moved to England after her graduation. While studying at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama, she met tenor saxophonist, Jim Tomlinson, whom she married on 9 Aug 1991.
Discography:
"Close Your Eyes" (1997), "The Tender Trap" (1998), "Let Yourself Go: Celebrating Fred Astaire" (2000),
"Dreamsville" (2001), "Brazilian Sketches" (2001), "In Love Again: The Music of Richard Rodgers" (2002),
"The Boy Next Door" (2003), "Collection" (2001), "Collection II" (2003), "Collection III" (2006),
"Breakfast On The Morning Tram" (2007), "Breakfast on the Morning Tram" (2008, limited edition boxset CD/DVD),
"Raconte-Moi..." (2010) , "Hushabye Mountain" (2011) , "THE CHANGING LIGHTS" (2013)
Kent has also featured in Tomlinson's 2006 album, The Lyric, which won "Album of the Year" at the 2006 BBC Jazz Awards.
Awards: British Jazz Award (2001) and BBC Jazz Award for Best Vocalist (2002).
Kent's album, Breakfast on the Morning Tram, was a nominee for Best Jazz Vocal Album at the 51st Grammy Awards (2009).
Trivia: Novelist Kazuo Ishiguro wrote the liner notes to Kent's 2003 album, The Boy Next Door, and also co-wrote four of the songs on the 2007 album, Breakfast on the Morning Tram.
Sites: Discogs
Breakfast on the morning tram
Stacey Kent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a shattered heart, it seems
Though when you arrived you thought you'd have
The holiday of your dreams
You'd cry yourself to sleep if you could
But you've been awake all night
Well here's something that you need to do
At the first hint of morning light
Walk right across the deserted city
To the Boulevard Amsterdam
And wait there
For what the citizens here
Refer to as the Breakfast Tram
Climb on board
You'll soon manage
To find at the far end of the carriage
The most wonderful buffet
There's everything you'd want to eat
You can take a feast back to your seat
Whatever you can fit onto your tray
And the mist on the windows will start to fade
As the sun climbs higher in the sky
And you can sit back with your café au lait
While outside the waking city clatters by
So things didn't quite meet expectations
But you're bound to conclude upon reflection
There's no reason you should give a damn
Just treat yourself
To a cinnamon pancake
Very soon you'll forget your heartache
When you have breakfast on the morning tram
It'll be quite quiet when you first get on
But as that tram keeps moving along
It'll fill with people starting on their day
They'll be laughing and joking as they eat
They'll be passing plates along the seats
Your night of heartache will soon seem far away
And even though you're a stranger
They'll make you feel
Right at home
They'll be offering to refill your coffee
They won't have you sitting there alone
They've seen many others just like you
And each one of them has had it happen too
So just enjoy your scrambled eggs and ham
Treat yourself
To a cinnamon pancake
Very soon you'll forget your heartache
When you have breakfast on the morning tram
And even though you're a stranger
They'll make you feel
Right at home
They'll be offering to refill your coffee
They won't have you sitting there alone
'Cause they've seen many others just like you
And each one of them has had it happen too
So just enjoy your fresh croissant and jam
And don't neglect the Belgian waffles
You'll soon forget your troubles
When you have breakfast on the morning tram
In the song "Breakfast on the Morning Tram," Stacey Kent comforts a listener with a shattered heart by describing a magical experience she can have in the city. The city in question is not named, but many listeners and critics have speculated that it is Paris, as Kent is known for her love of French cuisine and culture. Although the listener may feel dejected after arriving with high hopes for a dream vacation, they can perk up by taking a ride on the breakfast tram. This tram is filled with people who are also just beginning their day, but sharing food and drink with strangers can make anyone feel more at home. By indulging in the delicious buffet offerings and enjoying the sunrise, the listener can forget their worries.
The lyrics to "Breakfast on the Morning Tram" are not just poetic but also imbued with a deep sense of empathy. The listener is never chastised or told to get over their broken heart. Instead, Kent offers them a gentle reminder that it's okay to be sad and to take comfort in small pleasures. The listener is urged to try the food and drink available and to immerse themselves in the shared community of the breakfast tram. By the end of the song, the singer promises that the listener will forget their heartache and that they will feel right at home.
Line by Line Meaning
So here you are in this city
You have found yourself in this city
With a shattered heart, it seems
You are feeling heartbroken
Though when you arrived you thought you'd have
The holiday of your dreams
You had high hopes for your trip
You'd cry yourself to sleep if you could
But you've been awake all night
You are struggling to sleep and feeling emotional
Well here's something that you need to do
At the first hint of morning light
There is something you should do in the morning
Walk right across the deserted city
To the Boulevard Amsterdam
And wait there
For what the citizens here
Refer to as the Breakfast Tram
Go to Boulevard Amsterdam and wait for the Breakfast Tram
Climb on board
You'll soon manage
To find at the far end of the carriage
The most wonderful buffet
There's everything you'd want to eat
You can take a feast back to your seat
Whatever you can fit onto your tray
And the mist on the windows will start to fade
As the sun climbs higher in the sky
And you can sit back with your café au lait
While outside the waking city clatters by
You can enjoy the amazing breakfast buffet on the tram while watching the city wake up
So things didn't quite meet expectations
But you're bound to conclude upon reflection
There's no reason you should give a damn
Just treat yourself
To a cinnamon pancake
Very soon you'll forget your heartache
When you have breakfast on the morning tram
Although things didn't go as planned, enjoy the breakfast and forget your troubles
It'll be quite quiet when you first get on
But as that tram keeps moving along
It'll fill with people starting on their day
They'll be laughing and joking as they eat
They'll be passing plates along the seats
Your night of heartache will soon seem far away
The tram will fill up with people starting their day, making you feel less alone and your pain will fade away
And even though you're a stranger
They'll make you feel
Right at home
They'll be offering to refill your coffee
They won't have you sitting there alone
'Cause they've seen many others just like you
And each one of them has had it happen too
The other passengers on the tram will make you feel welcome and offer to refill your coffee, as they have all been through similar experiences
So just enjoy your scrambled eggs and ham
Treat yourself
To a cinnamon pancake
Very soon you'll forget your heartache
When you have breakfast on the morning tram
Enjoy the food and let the experience heal your heartache
And don't neglect the Belgian waffles
You'll soon forget your troubles
When you have breakfast on the morning tram
Don't forget to try the Belgian waffles and enjoy the experience
Contributed by Madison N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.