Billie's Blues

"Billie's Blues" is a blues song written by jazz singer Billie Holiday, composing it just before being recorded in a session in 1936. According to the article in Melody Maker, 1 August 1936: Billie's accompanied by All-Star Jam Band... Roy Eldridge (tp) Jack Teagarden (tb) Coleman Hawkins (ts) Barney Bigard (cl) Art Tatum (p) Al Casey (g) Oscar Pettiford (b) Sidney Catlett (d) Billie Holiday (v)...This session celebrates a very special evening - this was Billie Holiday's first presentation in a major concert hall and those lucky enough to have concert tickets saw her become the first black woman to sing on stage at the Metropolitan. The show was the "Esquire" magazine's All-American First Annual Jazz Concert and there Billie was presented with the 1943 female vocalist of the year. The show was partially broadcast. The slow tempo track is almost ruined by Catlett out-of-mood interventions and loud comments behind also don't help, making the audience laugh, but Billie in true fashion is not deturred by such antics. I love my man I'm liar if I say I don't
 I love my man I'm liar if I say I don't But I'll quit my man I'm liar if I say I won't I've been your slave baby
 Ever since I've been your babe 
I've been your slave Ever since I've been your babe
 But before I'll be your dog I'll see you in your grave My man wouldn't give me no breakfast Wouldn't give me no dinner Squawked about my supper then he put me outdoors Had the nerve to lay a matchbox on my clothes I didn't have so many But I had a long, long ways to go I ain't good-looking And my hair ain't curls
 I ain't good-looking
 And my hair ain't curls But my mother, she give me something
 It's going to carry me through this world Some men like me 'cause I'm happy Some 'cause I'm snappy Some call me honey Others think I've got money Some say: Billie,
Baby you're built for speed Now if you put that all together Makes me everything a good man needs