Coffee To Go
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This one was always a crowd favorite. Can't say I ever really understood why. It's a quirky little reggae number with a constantly changing time signature. Perhaps it was the audience participation part when everybody shouted "Sweet!" I rarely play it anymore, which is why I decided to put it up here. Christopher Pellani was the only drummer who could ever play it correctly. When we recorded it, he got it on the first take! After Chris left the studio, we accidentally erased the first few bars. Those few bars are actually me playing the drums! Sorry for never telling you Chris.

Note from Wade: This song is a true story based on an actual prostitution ring that got busted in the early to mid ‘80s. It seems the pimp was arrested one day and the girls names were put in the newspapers as material witnesses. But what the newspapers didn’t take into consideration was, these girls were between the ages of 13 and 17, still living at home, and still in school. So suddenly their secret night life was no longer a secret. They were called the “Coffee To Go Girls” because of their setup situation. Based out of a 24 hour diner, the perspective customer would ask for, “coffee to go, light and sweet”. That was the signal for a girl to come out and join the john. If he didn’t like her, he’d say the coffee wasn’t sweet enough, and a different girl would come out. I think between the ages of 13 and 17 are confusing years for young people, especially if things aren’t going well at home. So, I felt sorry for these girls and wrote this song. I wondered what it must’ve been like to try to go back to school after the world finds out you’ve been moonlighting as a hooker. I wondered what kind of response a parent would have to finding out what their daughter had been doing. Perhaps the fire and brimstone rap, “It’s a gift from God, don’t give it to the devil” sort of response from a religious mother, or the father simply being apathetic about it...
I have another story that’s rather funny to tell you about this song. I put this song on a tape probably five years before the CD came out. I received a letter from a child who’s mom had purchased the tape. She told me that she liked the song so much that she played it for her girl scout troop. They in turn liked it so much that when they went hiking, they’d all sing it together. I told her that I was flattered, of course, and never did have the heart to tell her what the song was really about! Can you imagine, a girl scout troop hiking through the hills, happily singing Coffee To Go without having any idea what the subject matter is or caring. Now that’s innocence!

“It’s a gift from God, don’t give it all away”
You’re in a bar, you’re going to do it anyway
It’s such a routine that you might as well get paid
Don’t go to school because you know what they will say

Coffee to go, light and sweet
Coffee to go, to go

Mr. Pimp, he better find another way
For doing things like this, he’ll surely have to pay
And so you say that jail is where he ought to go
But for crimes like this you pay with your soul

Now, on the girl, it’s kind of hard to place the blame
She wants the money and she’s learned to play the game
Her daddy doesn’t know that times have really changed
She’s so alone her momma doesn’t even remember her name

Coffee to go, light and sweet
Coffee to go, to go

Self esteem, it doesn’t have enough to say
She sells herself because to her it’s all the same
Mr. Pimp, he found a weakness in her veins
‘Cause if it hurts enough, she’ll no longer have to feel the pain

And so the word’s out
Can you face the kids at school
They don’t understand and they’re so very cruel
They whisper back and forth and laugh is what they do
But compassion is all I feel for you

I wish this song could reach out and touch your heart
Maybe you could try again and make a brand new start
Maybe if you knew some people really care
Maybe then we’d find a better world out there, than

Coffee to go, light and sweet
Coffee to go, to go

“It’s a gift from God, don’t give it to the devil”
None the less, she want’s her coffee to go
“Say baby do you sell this for the night?
Hey momma can I buy you for the night
Hey baby how much for the night
Hey baby, how ‘bout it tonight?
No momma you never really loved me
No poppa you never really cared

(Note from Wade:) By the way, if and when I do drink coffee, I drink it black!

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