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Lady sing the blues so well
As if she mean it
As if it's hell down here
In the smoke-filled world
Where the jokes are cold, they don't laugh at jokes
They laugh at tragedies
Corner street societies
But they believe her
They never leave her while she sings
She make them feel safe
She says, 'I can sing this song so blue
That you will cry in spite of you
Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder
And I have walked these streets so long
There ain't nothin' right, there ain't nothin' wrong
But the little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder.'
Lady lights a cigarette, puffs away, no regrets
Takes a look around, no regrets, no regrets
Stretches out like branches of a poplar tree
Says, 'I am free;' sings so soft as if she'll break
Says, 'I can sing this song so blue
That you will cry in spite of you
Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder
And I have walked these streets so long
There ain't nothin' right, nothin' wrong
But the little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
But on this stage I've learned to fly
Learned to sing and learned to cry
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
But now it's time to say goodbye
Some might laugh, but I will surely cry
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder.'
Lady lights a cigarette
Puffs away
And winter comes
And she
Forgets
As if she mean it
As if it's hell down here
In the smoke-filled world
Where the jokes are cold, they don't laugh at jokes
They laugh at tragedies
Corner street societies
But they believe her
They never leave her while she sings
She make them feel safe
She says, 'I can sing this song so blue
That you will cry in spite of you
Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder
And I have walked these streets so long
There ain't nothin' right, there ain't nothin' wrong
But the little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder.'
Lady lights a cigarette, puffs away, no regrets
Takes a look around, no regrets, no regrets
Stretches out like branches of a poplar tree
Says, 'I am free;' sings so soft as if she'll break
Says, 'I can sing this song so blue
That you will cry in spite of you
Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder
And I have walked these streets so long
There ain't nothin' right, nothin' wrong
But the little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
But on this stage I've learned to fly
Learned to sing and learned to cry
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
But now it's time to say goodbye
Some might laugh, but I will surely cry
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder
Little wet tears on my baby's shoulder.'
Lady lights a cigarette
Puffs away
And winter comes
And she
Forgets
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- "Lady" was a nickname people used for Holiday; she also released an album entitled "Lady Sings the Blues."
- "Corner street societies" can be used to refer to prostitution; Holiday worked as a prostitute for a short while in 1930.
- Though she was childless, her mother had her when she was thirteen and was thrown out of her parents' house; this might account for th references to a "baby."
- "No Regrets," and "Strange Fruit" are both referenced, as above posters have noted.
- Holiday's drug abuse, drinking, abusive relationships, and likely smoking caused her health to deteriorate, and she died young, age 44.
- The only truly happy part of her life was the time spent on stage.
Great song.
the way i see it, it's about a lady who lived on the street. she hates it, yet she doesn't know how to fix it, but she makes the best of her memories and she looks around her at the people laughing at tragedies who don't understand... she's learned to sing, and to fly. then, she lights another cigarette and dies. the general hopelessness and happiness of all the world in four minutes and forty-two seconds.
the first two verses and chorus are mostly reference to her hard life, and her retelling the story to her audiences.
when she sings "i have walked these streets so long...i am free" is her realizing she is ready to move on although she has no regrets about her life hence she is free to do so.
"on this stage..." is her reflecting on her life before she dies and saying goodbye to not only the stage in a performing sense but also the stage of life.
and then "lady lights a cigarette, puffs away and winter comes and she forgets" is her deah where winter is common metaphor for death (ie Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening- Frost) and then she no longer has to remember her difficult life because she is in the afterlife or lack there of or whatever it is you would like to believe.
that is my take on the song anyway.
Billie Holiday makes so much more sense, though, since all the pieces fit.
I don't particularly love the saxophone part, but I do love how you can hear the saxophone valves clicking.
but on this stage I've learned to fly
learned to sing and learned to cry
i love this! regina's songs are so lovely! i love to choreograph to them, many of them are just so smooth and flowing (apres moi is my favorite)