In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
When I finally finished school
It was the first thing that I did
What every townie kid dreams of,
I packed and started west
A thousand dollars I had saved
And my sister's two cassettes:
The Dead from Fillmore East
And Otis Redding's Greatest Hits
Coffee and Cigarettes
As simple as it gets
Of all the things I think I'll miss,
There's staying up with you
Coffee and Cigarettes
Coffee and Cigarettes
Then, I commit with some restraint
To a boy I thought might care
It didn't work but I found out soon
And never dug roots there
Been a lot of places since
But nothing else compares
To easy times and easy eyes
To meet you in a stare
Coffee and Cigarettes
As simple as it gets
Of all the things I think I'll miss,
Coffee and Cigarettes
Coffee and Cigarettes
It was the first thing that I did
What every townie kid dreams of,
I packed and started west
A thousand dollars I had saved
And my sister's two cassettes:
The Dead from Fillmore East
And Otis Redding's Greatest Hits
Coffee and Cigarettes
As simple as it gets
Of all the things I think I'll miss,
There's staying up with you
Coffee and Cigarettes
Coffee and Cigarettes
Then, I commit with some restraint
To a boy I thought might care
It didn't work but I found out soon
And never dug roots there
Been a lot of places since
But nothing else compares
To easy times and easy eyes
To meet you in a stare
Coffee and Cigarettes
As simple as it gets
Of all the things I think I'll miss,
Coffee and Cigarettes
Coffee and Cigarettes
Lyrics submitted by marsenea
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Love the Otis Redding reference! My favorite band singing about my favorite singer. Doesn't get much better than that!
I really dig the two references to The grateful Dead and Otis redding! One can only assume these two legends are influences on the band, would have never guessed.
Jim actually said he can't stand the Grateful Dead, but he just really thought the character in this song would have one of their bootlegs as they drove across country looking for something new.<br /> <br /> People need to realize JEW's lyrics are a work of fiction. Jim creates characters and writes from their viewpoint.
Awesome song
This a great song, although I do like the insrumentals of the acoustic version more.
is it something about easy-sex-thing?
not even close....it's about the simple things in life that he misses....like chillin with his girl, drinking coffee and smoking cigs
The age-old story of the eternal wanderer. He leaves his small town to find his place in the world and never does, doomed to a fate of bouncing forever from place to place and never finding what he's looking for. Although it is doubtful that he would go back to where he came from, the memories of the place keep him going.
Thanks alot for giving me goosebumps, a-hole :)
Is there a gay theme? "Then, I commit with some restraint, To a boy I thought might care"
Nope it's written from a woman's perspective
yeah there is a gay theme..in your life you useless fuck. this song both applies to men and women alike. if you were'nt such a dumb fuckin nigger you would realize this. you should go kill yourself. this is one of jimmy eats world's greatest song and all you can think of is a gay theme you cock sucking son of a fuck i hope you die watching your mother get raped
I think it has something to do with the fact that some of the members used to be Mormons and I believe they went to BYU - I am not sure on that one though. It could also be about someone investigating the LDS church while at BYU and potentially joining.
"I packed and started west" - BYU is a university in the western half of the United States.
"Of all the things I think I'll miss, Coffee and Cigarettes" - It's well known that Mormon's don't drink coffee or smoke cigarettes.
One other thing, the "boy" could easily have been a missionary trying to get the person in the song to "commit" to baptism. I do know that Jimmy Eat World (or at least some of the members) were Mormons at one point but they are no longer active in the church.