☝️ Key Points
- The song is about loneliness and loss in love.
- The metaphor of 'Black Coffee' symbolizes the bitterness and emptiness after the end of a relationship.
- The singer spends her time waiting for someone who doesn't come.
- She describes how she talks to shadows and distracts herself with coffee and cigarettes.
- The song expresses sadness, longing for connection, and melancholy.
Interpretation
The lyrics of the song "Black Coffee" by
Ella Fitzgerald are about loneliness and loss in love. The singer describes how she feels lonely and unable to sleep. She spends her time pacing back and forth and waiting for someone who doesn't come.
The lyrics use the metaphor of "Black Coffee" to symbolize the bitterness and emptiness she feels after the end of her relationship. Black coffee represents something worn-out and joyless. She says, "Black Coffee, Love's a hand me down brew", meaning that her love is disappointing and no longer fresh.
She also describes how she talks to shadows and time passes slowly. She spends her days distracting herself with coffee and cigarettes while waiting for her lover. She feels downcast and her nerves are shot. She says, "My nerves have gone to pieces, my hair is turning gray, all I do is drink black coffee since my man's gone away".
The lyrics express the sadness and longing for connection she feels in her loneliness. It is somber and melancholic, but also honest and emotional. Ella Fitzgerald's expression of emotions through her voice and the lyrics make the song a jazz classic.