The Coffee Song isn't one of Frank Sinatra's biggest hits by any stretch, but the catchy tune holds up well, even today. One reason is the fact that Frank Sinatra was the one who opted to record The Coffee Song in the first place. But there's more to The Coffee Song than Ol' Blue Eyes and the music. Recorded by Frank in 1946, The Coffee Song captured a post-war era when the rest of the world didn't seem so far away anymore.
The U.S. increasingly opened its doors to imports from throughout the world, and there was a feeling of unbridled optimism, which was captured perfectly by The Coffee Song, especially in the hands of one of the masters of popular song, Frank Sinatra. The Coffee Song was just one of the many songs crafted by songwriter Bob Hilliard, who also penned Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Back Seat, another humorous piece that was released in the 1950s. But don't think he was limited to novelty numbers, Bob also wrote the music for Alice in Wonderland, including I'm Late Song. The Coffee Song was also known as They've Got an Awful Lot of Coffee in Brazil, which was part of its witty lyrics: You date a girl and find out later She smells like a percolator Her perfume was made right on the grill Hey they could percolate the ocean in Brazil. The song continues to extol the coffee surplus in Brazil, noting that the daughter of a politician was caught drinking a beverage besides coffee and was fined a great big $50 bill.
It's a real throw back to a much simpler time and if you're having a swinging cocktail party, you've got to include it on the playlist. If you don't like Frank, not to worry. The Coffee Song was also recorded by Sam Cooke, Rosemary Clooney and even the Muppets did a version of The Coffee Song. Of course, The Coffee Song isn't the only song about coffee out there. Also check out: Tennessee Earnest Ford's 40 Cups of Coffee, 5 Cups of Coffee by The Jayhawks and a Lonesome Cup of Coffee by another crooner, Mel Torme.
Joining The Coffee Song and these other odes to coffee is Johnny Cash's A Cup of Coffee. About halfway through the song you realize coffee isn't going to do the trick as he manhandles a big rig loaded with grain down the highway. This is just a small cross-section of coffee hits that The Coffee Song is part of. With all the songs about coffee one wonders why there isn't a dance to go with them. The Jitter Bug or Shake, Rattle and Roll, perhaps?
