"One For My Baby" is a melancholic song about a man who is drinking alone at a bar with only the bartender, Joe, as his company. The man asks for one more drink and begins to tell Joe a story, and eventually asks him to play sad music. The man reveals that he is a poet with a lot to say, but instead of sharing his thoughts, he asks for one more drink to drown out his emotions. The song is about loneliness, heartache, and the need to drink to forget one's troubles. The man is drowning his sorrows and escaping from his problems by indulging in alcohol. The song also touches on the idea of finding comfort in the routine of a bar and the familiarity of a bartender. Overall, "One For My Baby" is a poignant tale of a man's emotional turmoil and the way he copes with it through substance abuse. The song is a classic of the jazz era and has been covered by many artists, but Billie Holiday's version is widely considered one of the best.
