Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: folk
Song Meaning of “Coffee Cups” by Langhorne Slim
Coffee Cups by Langhorne Slim is a song about a narrator’s attempt to find their true connection to another person. The narrator expresses their loneliness and struggles with isolation that comes from being alone. They find solace in the morning routine of brewing and drinking coffee, then with their coffee cup in hand, they look around them searching for something they feel is missing.
The lyrics contain imagery of a cold and lonely landscape in the early morning as the narrator looks for connection. The metaphor of the coffee cups point to a longing for someone to hold onto while drinking the beverage. The narrator pours their heart out in hopes that someone will listen and eventually fill the empty cup sitting next to them. This longing for another to help bring their feelings out into the open reflects a shared desire to be wanted and loved.
At the end of the song, the narrator sings “I don’t need to go home, I’m already not alone, it’s in the coffee cups…” This is an expression of relief and hope that the narrator will eventually find somebody and no longer be alone. The cups symbolize the connection between the narrator and another person, and represent that hope for fulfilling companionship.
The song captures a powerful feeling of isolation which leads to searching for something to fill the emptiness. Despite the narrator’s loneliness, they find strength in the ritual of having a mundane, yet meaningful cup of coffee. As the song draws to a close, the narrator finds solace in the ultimate connection of companionship.