Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
Bessie Smith Lyrics
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Spending my money, I didn't care
I carried my friends out for a good time
Buying bootleg liquor, champagne and wine
Then I began to fall so low
I didn't have a friend, and no place to go
So if I ever get my hand on a dollar again
I'm gonna hold on to it till them eagle's grin
Nobody knows you when you down and out
In my pocket not one penny
And my friends I haven't any
But If I ever get on my feet again
Then I'll meet my long lost friend
It's mighty strange, without a doubt
Nobody knows you when you down and out
I mean when you down and out
Mmm, when you're down and out
Mmm, not one penny
And my friends I haven't any
Mmm, well I felt so low
Nobody wants me round their door
Mmm, without a doubt
No man can use you wen you down and out
I mean when you down and out
In "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," Bessie Smith sings about the harsh reality of experiencing a sudden downfall from wealth to poverty. She describes her past life as a millionaire where she spent money carelessly on her friends by buying them expensive bootleg liquor, champagne, and wine. However, she eventually falls from her glorious life and has no friends or money left. The people who were once her friends when she was wealthy have abandoned her because she is no longer of use to them. The song speaks to the power dynamics that exist between the rich and the poor and the fickle nature of social relationships that are often based on financial gain.
The song has a theme of resilience and the desire to rise again from the depths of despair. Bessie Smith holds onto the hope of one day finding a dollar and vowing to hold onto it tightly until she can rise again. She longs for her past friends and dreams of the day when she can reconnect with them after finding her feet again. The song highlights the truth that people often only want to be friends with people who can offer them something substantial in return, and they will abandon those who can't.
Overall, "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" is a compelling song that addresses the complexities of human relationships, power dynamics, and resilience. It highlights the fact that wealth and poverty can affect human interactions, and true friendships are difficult to find.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I lived the life of a millionaire
There was a time when I was wealthy and enjoyed spending money carelessly.
Spending my money, I didn't care
When I was rich, I didn't care much about how much money I spent.
I carried my friends out for a good time
I used my wealth to take my friends out and entertain them.
Buying bootleg liquor, champagne and wine
I would spend money on illegal alcohol, and expensive champagne and wine.
Then I began to fall so low
After some time, I started losing my wealth and status.
I didn't have a friend, and no place to go
As I fell into poverty, I lost my friends and even my home.
So if I ever get my hand on a dollar again
If I ever make money again.
I'm gonna hold on to it till them eagle's grin
I will save it and not spend it carelessly like I did before.
Nobody knows you when you down and out
People won't recognize you or pay attention to you when you are poor and struggling.
In my pocket not one penny
I have no money left in my pocket.
And my friends I haven't any
I lost all my friends after losing my wealth and status.
But If I ever get on my feet again
If I am able to become wealthy again.
Then I'll meet my long lost friend
I will reconnect with the friends that I lost after falling into poverty.
It's mighty strange, without a doubt
It's strange how people change and treat you differently based on your financial status.
Mmm, when you're down and out
When you are poor and struggling.
Mmm, not one penny
I don't have any money at all.
And my friends I haven't any
I lost all my friends and have no one to turn to.
Mmm, well I felt so low
I am feeling really down and hopeless.
Nobody wants me round their door
No one wants to associate with me anymore.
Mmm, without a doubt
It's absolutely true that people won't pay attention to you when you are struggling financially.
No man can use you wen you down and out
When you are poor, no one wants to use you or take advantage of your wealth.
I mean when you down and out
I'm talking about the situation when you are poor and struggling financially.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jimmy Cox
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JohnSpawn1
Once I lived the life of a millionaire
Spending my money, I didn't care
I carried my friends out for a good time
Buying bootleg liquor, champagne and wine
Then I began to fall so low
I didn't have a friend, and no place to go
So if I ever get my hand on a dollar again
I'm gonna hold on to it till them eagle's grin
Nobody knows you when you down and out
In my pocket not one penny
And my friends I haven't any
But If I ever get on my feet again Then I'll meet my long lost friend
It's mighty strange, without a doubt Nobody knows you when you down and out
I mean when you down and out Mmm, when you're down and out Mmm, not one penny
And my friends I haven't any
Mmm, well I felt so low
Nobody wants me round their door Mmm, without a doubt
No man can use you wen you down and out
I mean when you down and out
@concernedcitizen4852
LYRICS:
Once I lived the life of a millionaire
Spent all my money, didn't have any care
Took all my friends out for a mighty good time
Bought bootleg whisky, champagne and wine
Then I began to fall so low
Lost all my good friends, I did not have nowhere to go
I get my hands on a dollar again
I'm gonna hang on to it till that eagle grins
'Cause no, no, nobody knows you
When you're down and out
In your pocket, not one penny
And as for friends, you don't have any
When you finally get back up on your feet again
Everybody wants to be your old long-lost friend
Said it's mighty strange, without a doubt
Nobody knows you when you're down and out
When you finally get back upon your feet again
Everybody wants to be your good old long-lost friend
Said it's mighty strange
Nobody knows you
Nobody knows you
Nobody knows you when you're down and out
Read more: Bessie Smith - Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out Lyrics | MetroLyrics
@sammy5674
This woman from a 100yrs ago makes me feel things I don't even feel in the modern world. She is amazing and gives me total goosebumps ❤ i feel like ive lived a life long ago, some sort of connection. I couldnt honestly say.. its just a feeling i have ❤
@ceeceetracey9839
U may have been here before😊
@djahchqawa7678
Agrees
@hazelrabun1396
Things change in the world but not everything!!! Different scenario same feelings.❤
@jeremyhennessee6604
I call that feeling Spiritual Nostalgia Miss Sammy .
And if you identify so deeply with that aspect of history, it's quite likely that your Soul was a Part of It.
@BIG-BlueNation8569
Nice comment ☝️
@quixotic4233
It's not just that she has a gorgeous voice, it's that she understood it. She's so strong, but the "without a doubt" curl is vulnerable, almost desperate, and then it's back to her normal strong voice. Just spectacular. Janis Joplin was right, Ms. Smith had it all.
@puddingpop3073
Bessie Smith voice is so rich, full of soul and grit.❤️
@johnking7008
I love that song. Indeed, nobody knows you when you are out and down. I been there.
@JohnDonovanProductions
With Bessie Smith , the blues became a major force in American popular music . On her first test in the studio , in 1922 , she was rejected as too coarse - supposedly because she broke off a take to say , " I gotta spit . " Her first release , " Down Hearted Blues , " recorded in February 1923 , was one of the biggest - selling records of the year , and despite the usually short - lived tastes of the record - buying public , she continued to be one of the major recording artists of the 1920s . She had learned some of her style from Ma Rainey , when she toured with her as a 20 - year - old with The Rabbit's Foot Minstrels , but when she began her recording career , she was in her late 20s and had matured , gaining a range of phrasing and expression that went beyond any of the other classic blues performers . Within a year , she was outselling every other blues artist . the early 1930s , despite the wear on her voice from overuse and too much alcohol , she did a last session - produced by John Hammond - with Benny Goodman and Jack Teagarden . Her career was richly productive , and some of her brooding presence was captured in the short film St. Louis Blues , where , after a raffish plot encumbered with most of the period's racial stereotypes , she is shown performing the song in a bar with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra accompanying her and the Hall - Johnson choir joining in from the tables around her . It is an unforgettable glimpse of one of popular music's most significant performers . " Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out " is one of her classic songs , done in the late 1920s when her voice had darkened , and it opens with an eloquent statement of the verse by cornetist Ed Allen , who was working with the Williams studio groups at this time . Her recording has been imitated by hundreds of other singers , but no one has caught the introspection and brooding power of Bessie's performance .