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."
Night and Day
Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra Lyrics
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When the jungle shadows fall
Like the tick, tick, tock of the stately clock
as it stands against the wall
Like the drip, drip, drip of the raindrops
When the summer show'are is through
So a voice within me keeps repeating
You, you, you
Night and day you are the one
Only you beneath the moon and sun
Whether near me or far
It's no matter, darling, where you are
I think of you
Night and day
Day and night
Why is it so
That this longing for you follows wherever I go
In the roaring traffic's boom
In the silence of my lonely room
I think of you
Night and day
Night and day under the hide of me
There's an Oh, such a hungry yearning
Burning inside of me
And its torment won't be trough
'Till you spent my life making love to you
Day and night
Night and day
Night and day
The song "Night and Day" by Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra is a tribute to the way love engulfs an individual completely. The lyrics of the song create an atmosphere of passion and desire, as the singer longs for their lover day and night. The repetition of sounds in the lyrics, such as the beat of the tomtom, tick-tock of the clock, and drip-drip of the raindrops, conveys the singer's state of mind - that their love is constant and ever-present.
The song begins by describing the singer's love through various sounds that create a rhythm in the listener's mind. The sound of the tomtom, for example, represents the beat of the singer's heart, while the tick-tock of the clock highlights the unchanging nature of their love. The singer thinks of their lover everywhere, from the noisy traffic on the streets to the silent confines of their room. No matter what time of day it is, their love remains unwavering.
In the second stanza of the song, the singer reveals the depth of their desire and yearning for their lover. Their hunger for intimacy and connection with their partner is so intense that they cannot rest until they are with them. In essence, "Night and Day" is a song about the power of love and its ability to consume one to the point of obsession.
Line by Line Meaning
Like the beat, beat, beat of the tomtom
Referring to the consistent and rhythmic beating of the drums, this line paints a picture of steady and unwavering emotions, much like the beat of a heart.
When the jungle shadows fall
The lyric sets the scene of a quiet night in the midst of nature, creating a sense of peacefulness and calm.
Like the tick, tick, tock of the stately clock as it stands against the wall
The imagery evokes a sense of consistency and discipline, like the ticking of a clock, and suggests the idea of always being present, even if just in the background.
Like the drip, drip, drip of the raindrops, when the summer show'are is through
The line captures the sound of a gentle and consistent drizzle, conveying a sense of calm and peace after a period of activity.
So a voice within me keeps repeating, You, you, you
The repetition of 'you' emphasizes the artist's longing for their beloved, with the voice within them serving as a constant reminder of their feelings.
Night and day you are the one
The start of the chorus emphasizes the central message of the song, highlighting the idea of the singer's beloved being the one constant in their life.
Only you beneath the moon and sun
With this line, the singer emphasizes the unique and exclusive nature of their feelings, suggesting that only the person they love exists beneath the moon and sun.
Whether near me or far
This lyric suggests that the singer's feelings for their beloved are not dependent on proximity, but rather exist regardless of distance or any other external factors.
It's no matter, darling, where you are
By addressing their beloved as 'darling', the artist conveys an affectionate tone, underscoring the idea that no matter where they are, their feelings remain true.
I think of you
This simple line reinforces the idea that the singer's beloved is constantly on their mind, with thoughts of them occupying every moment of their day and night.
Night and day
The repetition of the song's title reinforces the central message of the song, highlighting the idea that the singer's love is a constant presence in their life, both day and night.
Why is it so, that this longing for you follows wherever I go
With this line, the singer expresses confusion over their all-consuming feelings, which seem to follow them no matter what they do or where they go.
In the roaring traffic's boom, in the silence of my lonely room
The contrasting imagery of busy traffic and lonely solitude highlights the idea that no matter how busy or quiet one's surroundings may be, thoughts of the beloved remain omnipresent.
Night and day under the hide of me
The use of 'hide' instead of 'skin' suggests a deeply embedded emotion, one that is almost reduced to an instinctual impulse and has become part of who the singer is.
There's an Oh, such a hungry yearning, burning inside of me
The powerful and evocative words 'hungry', 'yearning', and 'burning' all serve to underscore the intensity and depth of the singer's emotions.
And its torment won't be trough, 'till you spent my life making love to you
The use of 'torment' reflects the idea that the artist's love is as much an ache as it is a joy, one that can only be sated through being with the beloved and expressing that love physically.
Lyrics © Roba Music Verlag GMBH, Red Brick Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind