Billie Holiday had a difficult childhood. Much information once not considered true was confirmed in the book Billie Holiday by Stuart Nicholson in 1995. Holiday's autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues, which was first published in 1956, is sketchy when it comes to details about her early life, but has been confirmed by the Nicholson research.
Her professional pseudonym was taken from Billie Dove, an actress she admired, and Clarence Holiday, her probable father. At the outset of her career, she spelled her last name Halliday, which was the birth-surname of her father, but eventually changed it to Holiday, his performing name.
Her distinct delivery made Billie Holiday's performances instantly recognizable throughout her career. A master of improvisation, Billie's well-trained ear more than compensated for her lack of music education performance really was.
In 1972, Diana Ross portrayed Holiday in the film Lady Sings the Blues, which is loosely based on the 1956 autobiography of the same name. The film earned Ross a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She also has been portrayed by Ernestine Jackson in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill and by Paula Jai Parker in a Season 7 episode of Touched by an Angel entitled "God Bless the Child," the title deriving from a song that she had written and sung.
In 1987, Billie Holiday was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1993, R&B singer Miki Howard released an album dedicated to Holiday titled Miki Sings Billie: A Tribute To Billie Holiday. The United States Postal Service introduced a Billie Holiday postage stamp in 1994, she ranked #6 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Rock n' Roll in 1999, and she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Over the years, there have been many tributes to Billie Holiday, including "The Day Lady Died," a 1959 poem by Frank O'Hara, and "Angel of Harlem," a 1988 release by the group U2. A 1953 Holiday concert in New York is a key feature of the 2009 Arthur Phillips novel The Song is You.
On May 31, 1959, Holiday was taken to Metropolitan Hospital in New York suffering from liver and heart disease. Police officers were stationed at the door to her room. She was arrested for drug possession as she lay dying, and her hospital room was raided by authorities. Holiday remained under police guard at the hospital until she died from cirrhosis of the liver (the result of several years of substance abuse) on July 17, 1959. In the final years of her life, she had been progressively swindled out of her earnings, and she died with $0.70 in the bank and $750 (a tabloid fee) on her person. Her funeral mass was held at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in New York City.
Critic John Bush wrote that she "changed the art of American pop vocals forever."She co-wrote only a few songs, but several of them have become jazz standards, notably "God Bless the Child," "Don't Explain," "Fine and Mellow," and "Lady Sings the Blues." She also became famous for singing jazz standards including "Easy Living," "Good Morning Heartache," and "Strange Fruit."
Body And Soul
Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For you I cry, for you dear only
Why haven't you seen it
I'm all for you body and soul
I spend my days in longin'
I'm wondering why it's me you're wronging
I tell you I mean it
I can't believe it
It's hard to conceive it
That you'd throw away romance
Are you pretending
It looks like the ending
Unless I can have one more chance to prove, dear
My life a hell you're making
You know I'm yours for just the taking
I'd gladly surrender
Myself to you body and soul
What lies before me
A future that's stormy
A winter that's gray and cold
Unless there's magic the end will be tragic
And echo a tale that's been told so often
My life revolves about you
What earthly good am I without you
Oh I tell you I mean it
I'm all for you body and soul
The lyrics of Billie Holiday's song Body and Soul tell the story of unrequited love, of longing, and of deep emotional vulnerability. The singer is confessing to her lover her deep love for them, her suffering in their absence, and her willingness to do anything to be with them. The words are full of sorrow and pain, reflecting the painful truth of loving someone who doesn't love you back.
In the first verse, the singer expresses her profound loneliness and her love for the person she desires above all others. In the second verse, she reveals her heartache at being wronged by the person she loves and wonders what she has done to deserve such treatment. She then proclaims her love and devotion in the chorus, stating that she would gladly give up herself to be with the one she loves.
The bridge of the song is particularly poignant, with the singer expressing her desperation and her belief that without her lover, her life will be bleak and tragic. The final verse is a plea for her lover to see the depth of her feelings for them and to give her one last chance to prove her love.
Throughout the song, the lyrics are filled with imagery that reinforces the feeling of deep emotional pain and longing. The use of metaphors such as "my life a hell you're making" and "a future that's stormy" further emphasises the singer's emotional turmoil. Billie Holiday's emotional delivery of the lyrics adds to the power of the song, making it one of the most haunting and memorable love songs of all time.
Line by Line Meaning
My days have grown so lonely
I've been feeling lonely lately.
For you I cry, for you dear only
I only cry for you and nobody else.
Why haven't you seen it
Why haven't you noticed my feelings?
I'm all for you body and soul
I am completely devoted to you, both physically and emotionally.
I spend my days in longin'
I spend my days yearning for you.
I'm wondering why it's me you're wronging
I'm wondering why you're treating me badly.
I tell you I mean it
I'm telling you that I'm serious about my feelings.
I'm all for you body and soul
I am completely devoted to you, both physically and emotionally.
I can't believe it
I can't believe what's happening.
It's hard to conceive it
It's difficult for me to understand it.
That you'd throw away romance
That you would let our romance fade away.
Are you pretending
Are you faking your feelings towards me?
It looks like the ending
It seems like our relationship is coming to an end.
Unless I can have one more chance to prove, dear
Unless you give me one more opportunity to demonstrate my love for you.
My life a hell you're making
My life is a living hell because of the way you're treating me.
You know I'm yours for just the taking
You know that I'm completely devoted to you and you can have me whenever you want.
I'd gladly surrender
I would happily give myself up to you.
Myself to you body and soul
I would give myself to you completely, both physically and emotionally.
What lies before me
I am uncertain about what the future holds for me.
A future that's stormy
A future that is full of trouble and difficulty.
A winter that's gray and cold
A period of sadness and misery in my life.
Unless there's magic the end will be tragic
Unless a miracle happens, our relationship will end badly.
And echo a tale that's been told so often
And our relationship will end up like so many other broken love stories.
My life revolves about you
My life centers around you.
What earthly good am I without you
I am nothing without you and I have no reason to exist.
Oh I tell you I mean it
I'm telling you that I'm serious about my feelings.
I'm all for you body and soul
I am completely devoted to you, both physically and emotionally.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALEXANDER FRANCIS BARRY, SERENA LAUREN RYDER, LAURA PERGOLIZZI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jenjeffrey22
Her voice, her pain, her songs of unrequited love... haunt me as my heart identifies with her in such a secret, vulnerable way. She is my favorite singer ever.
@batmandannyb
Her voice skips my ears and goes straight to my heart. She IS the story of jazz!
@Tomovox_PAMS_Radio_JIngles
There are just not enough words to fully give this woman all the praise she deserves. One of the only artists I was drawn to immediately on first listen. Thank you for sharing this.
@gabri3l367
Arte allo stato puro !!!! Anche il chitarrista ha grande classe e sensibilita' immensa.......sax e tromba troppo bravi !!!!
@lovetoo100
Such a beautiful Lady...RIP Lady Day...
@christinamarti4441
No words only one Billy Holiday
@carltonbrisbane6575
Classic beautiful sound from one of the best R.I.P Ms. holiday
@mariocinelli7862
I will love Billie forever.
@BabyLove578
I had fogotten how much I loved her & her voice
@makemineadesparados
Timeless music I wish I was born in 1910 lady day you speak to my soul