The Coffee Song

"The Coffee Song" (occasionally subtitled "They've Got an Awful Lot of Coffee in Brazil") is a novelty song written by Bob Hilliard and Dick Miles, first recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1946.^[1] Later that year it was recorded by The Smart Set, and by others in later years.

The song caricatures Brazil's coffee surplus, jokingly claiming that no other beverages are available.^[1] Snowclones on this phrase have been used in analyses of the coffee industry,^[2][3][4] and of the Brazilian economy and culture.^[5][6][7][8]

Sinatra re-recorded the song in 1960 for Ring-a-Ding-Ding!, his inaugural Reprise release.

Notable cover versions

The song has been performed by (among others) Louis Prima, The Andrews Sisters, Sam Cooke, The Smart Set, Rosemary Clooney, Eydie Gormé, Mike Doughty, Stan Ridgway, Soul Coughing, Osibisa, Hildegard Knef, and the Muppets. Bob Dorough recorded the song for inclusion on Too Much Coffee Man, a CD of music based on the eponymous Shannon Wheeler character.

The Muppets performed the song as the opening number of a 1997 episode of Muppets Tonight.^[9] Liz Torres sang the opening lyrics as part of Miss Patty’s 40th anniversary in showbiz celebration in the s5e10 episode of Gilmore Girls.

See also

• Coffee production in Brazil
• Coffee consumption in Brazil

References

1. "Pop Chronicles 1940s Program #17".
2. "There's an awful lot of coffee in - Vietnam". Retrieved 2008-07-21.
3. "An Awful Lot of Coffee in the Bin". Time Magazine. September 1967. Archived from the original on December 15, 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
4. Philip Hoplins (July 2003). "More home-grown beans in the daily grind". The Age. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
5. There's an Awful Lot of Bubbly in Brazil
6. They've got an awful lot of taxes in Brazil
7. There's an awful lot of motivation in Brazil
8. An Awful Lot of Brazilians in Paraguay
9. "Muppets Tonight S2E03".