No commodity says Brazil as much as coffee. This year, the country’s coffee exports should reach US$ 7 billion and the internal sales will be also huge: each Brazilian consumes an average of 6.4 kilos of coffee per year.
Frank Sinatra was, for a while, the main ambassador of Brazilian coffee abroad, thanks to his 1946 “The Coffee Song”, that chartered number 6 in the US. With lyrics by Bob Hilliard and music by Dick Miles, it makes sarcastic references to the omnipresence of the drink in the country – “the politician’s daughter was accused of drinking water and was fined a great big fifty dollar bill” – might be seen as a criticism or despise, but the truth is it helped reinforcing the case for Brazilian coffee – a strong brand till these days.
The Coffee Song
Way down among Brazilians
Coffee beans grow by the billions
So they’ve got to find those extra cups to fill
They’ve got an awful lot of coffee in BrazilYou can’t get cherry soda
‘Cause they’ve got to fill that quota
And the way things are I’ll bet they never will
They’ve got a zillion tons of coffee in BrazilNo tea or tomato juice
You’ll see no potato juice
‘Cause the planters down in Santos all say, “No, no, no!”The politician’s daughter
Was accused of drinking water
And was fined a great big fifty dollar bill
They’ve got an awful lot of coffee in BrazilYou date a girl and find out later
She smells just like a percolator
Her perfume was made right on the grill
Why they could percolate the ocean in BrazilAnd when their ham and eggs need savor
Coffee ketchup gives ’em flavor
Coffee pickles way outsell the dill
Why, they put coffee in the coffee in BrazilNo tea or tomato juice
You’ll see no potato juice
The planters down in Santos all say, “No, no, no!”So you’ll add to the local color
Serving coffee with a cruller
Dunking doesn’t take a lot of skill
They’ve got an awful lot of coffee,
An awful lot of coffee,
Man, they’ve got a gang of coffee in Brazil!
Now, see below Sinatra’s performance
My being a excessive coffee drinker that was neat. I liked it !