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Songs celebrating coffee

January 06, 2016 by Lamont Antieau in music video essay

This cold weather's got my thoughts turning to coffee, early and often. And to go with our morning cup of Joe (or midday cup, as the case may be), here are six songs from Billboard's year-end Top Ten charts (1951-2015) that celebrate (or at least mention) COFFEE!!!

Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs perform their hit "Sugar Shack" (1963), which contains references to coffee and a coffeehouse, as well as a clear rendering of espresso as expresso, which was mentioned in my earlier post on eggcorns found in tweets.

The Monkees performing their hit "Last Train to Clarksville" (1966), which contains the line "We'll have time for coffee-flavored kisses."

Carly Simon performs her hit "You're So Vain" (1973), which includes several references to clouds being in her coffee...and some rather narcissistic guy or another.

In an interesting turn of phrase, Dolly Parton sings "a cup of ambition," presumably in reference to coffee, in her hit song "Nine to Five" (1980):

Jewel performing her hit "Foolish Games" (1997), which refers to "talking over coffee."

Daniel Powter performs his hit "Bad Day" (2006), which contains the line "You're faking a smile with the coffee to go."

For more on coffee in pop culture, see this episode of "Coffee Talk with Linda Richman" from Saturday Night Live. It features Mike Myers, Roseanne Barr, and two women who are no strangers to Billboard's annual Top Ten charts themselves.

 

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January 06, 2016 /Lamont Antieau
words in pop music, coffee in pop music
music video essay
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