Introduction

In the realm of soulful ballads, few songs possess the timeless appeal and emotional resonance that Otis Redding’s ‘Cigarettes And Coffee’ does. This soulful masterpiece, released in 1966, continues to captivate audiences with its evocative lyrics and Redding’s unmistakably powerful voice. Join us on a journey to explore the depths of this classic, learning about the artist, the song’s backstory, and its enduring legacy in the world of music.Otis Redding, Author Information, Published Books, Biography, Photos, Videos, and More ☆

Did You Know?

Did you know that Otis Redding, often referred to as the “King of Soul,” was a trailblazing figure in the world of music? Born in 1941 in Dawson, Georgia, he rose to prominence during the 1960s and left an indelible mark on the soul and R&B genres. Tragically, Redding’s life was cut short in a plane crash in 1967, at the tender age of 26, leaving behind a catalog of unforgettable songs, ‘Cigarettes And Coffee’ being one of them.

The song ‘Cigarettes And Coffee’ is a poignant reflection of the soul singer’s extraordinary talent and deep emotional connection with his music. Its lyrics evoke a sense of longing and nostalgia, and when paired with Redding’s soul-stirring voice, they create a profound emotional impact on the listener. This track serves as a testament to Otis Redding’s ability to reach deep into the hearts of his audience.Otis Redding - This Day In Music

Video

Lyrics: Cigarettes And Coffee

It’s early in the morning
About a quarter ’til three
I’m sitting here talking with my baby
Over cigarettes and coffee, now
And to tell you that
Darling I’ve been so satisfied
Honey, since I met you
Baby, since I met you

All the places that I’ve been around
And all the good looking girls I’ve met
They just don’t seem to fit in
Knowing it’s particularly sad, yeah
But it seems so natural, darling
That you and I are here
Just talking over cigarettes and drinking coffee

And oh, my heart cries out
Love at last I’ve found you, oh now
And honey won’t you let me
Just build my whole life around you
And while how complete, how complete my whole life would be, yeah
If you would take things under consideration
And walk down this aisle with me
And I would love it, yeah

People, I say it’s so early in the morning
Ooh, it’s a quarter ’til three
We’re sitting here talking
Over cigarettes and drinking coffee, now, lord
And I’d like to show you, well
I’ve known nothing but good old joy
Since I met you, darling
Honey, since I’ve met you, baby, yeah

I would love to have another drink of coffee, now
And please, darling, help me smoke just one more cigarette, now
I don’t want no cream and sugar
‘Cause I’ve got you now, darling
But just let me enjoy, help me to enjoy
This good time that we’ll have, baby

It’s so early, so early in the morning
So early, so early in the morning
And I’ve got you
And you’ve got me
And we’ll have each other
And we don’t, we don’t want nothing but joy, y’all
Nothing but joy

You Missed

“I OWE EVERYTHING TO MY FATHER AND THE GHOST OF THE MAN WHO TAUGHT HIM HOW TO SING.” Those words echoed through the radio booth, a polite, rehearsed gratitude that masked the suffocating reality of his inheritance. By tethering his identity to Hank Snow and Jimmie Rodgers, the boy traded his own voice for the security of a name that belonged to the archives. He grew up in the back of tour buses, listening to the hum of tires against asphalt and the echoes of his father’s guitar. Named after the legendary Singing Brakeman, Jimmie seemed destined for the Grand Ole Opry, signed to RCA before he had even finished growing into his own skin. By eighteen, the path was clear, the industry was waiting, and the rhythm of the road was the only life he had ever known. He was a piece of the furniture in the Nashville establishment, breathing the same air as the icons who had built the genre from the ground up. Then came 1957, a year that marked a sharp, quiet departure from the expected trajectory of a country star. While his peers were chasing chart positions and radio airplay, Jimmie felt the weight of a different calling. He walked away from the recording booth and the touring life, trading the neon glow of the stage for the pulpit at Evangel Temple. It was a choice that baffled those who saw him as the natural heir to the Snow name, yet he found himself answering a different kind of audience. The sanctuary became a refuge for the very people he once entertained. Men like Kris Kristofferson found their way to his pews, searching for something that three-chord songs could no longer reach. When the music stopped for his father decades later, it was Jimmie who stood to speak, the son of the road finding his voice not in a melody, but in the silence that follows.

LILLIE WILLIAMS GRIPPED THE STEERING WHEEL OF THE DUSTY SEDAN AS SHE DROVE HER TEENAGE SON TO ANOTHER ALABAMA DANCE HALL. She did not just manage the Drifting Cowboys; she dictated the pace of the road while Hank sat in the back with his guitar. Between her side-hustle rooming houses and his radio sets, they were building a career long before a Nashville executive knew their name. Lillie Williams didn’t just raise a songwriter; she built the infrastructure for a legend out of sheer necessity and grit. Long before the lights of the Grand Ole Opry or the heavy machinery of MGM Records, Lillie was the booking agent, the driver, and the accountant. She steered her aging car across the dusty backroads of the Florida Panhandle and Georgia, hauling Hank and the Drifting Cowboys from one roadside beer joint to the next. It was a grueling, unglamorous existence defined by the sharp edges of necessity, where every nickel collected at the theater door was a victory for the family business. She managed the internal fracture of his growing unreliability with the same cold, practical focus she applied to their itineraries. There were no professional handlers in those early years, only a mother stitching together a future between rooming house shifts. She was the anchor for a talent that was already burning too bright and too fast for its own good, balancing the books while the boy in the backseat played the songs that would eventually change everything. When the national machine finally arrived, the local machinery of the station wagon faded into the past. Yet, the foundations of the Williams name remained rooted in those Alabama miles. By the time the estate disputes quieted and the dust settled on his legacy, all that remained were the memories of a mother who understood that fame was just a word for what happened after the real work was finished.