Any Old Time
Billie Holiday with Artie Shaw & His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You'll have our love to chase away the blues
And any old thing you do, I'll see you through
So just remember that I am waiting, dear

If ever you want me I'll be near
Any old time and any place where you may be

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Any Old Time" by Billie Holiday with Artie Shaw and His Orchestra speak to a deep sense of commitment and devotion between two lovers. The song's narrator pledges to be available to their partner "any old time" they need or want them, promising to stand by their side through both joy and sorrow. The lyrics suggest a deep sense of security and unwavering loyalty, with the singer emphasizing that no matter what their partner may be going through, they can always count on the singer to be there for them.

The language of the song is simple and direct, emphasizing the universality of the singer's love and willingness to help their partner in any way they can. The repetition of the phrase "any old time" underscores the song's themes of constancy and consistency, while the imagery of "sharing the tears and stormy weather" suggests a sense of emotional resilience and mutual support. Ultimately, the song's lyrics express a sense of unfailing devotion and commitment, highlighting the importance of true love and friendship in times of both joy and hardship.

Line by Line Meaning

Any old time you want me
You can have me anytime you desire

I am yours for just the asking, darling
I am willing to be with you if you just request for me

Any old time you need me
Whenever you require my presence

I'll be there with love that's lasting, darling
I will always be present, showering you with eternal love

All through the years, we'll stand together
We will be together, side by side, for all the years to come

Sharing the tears and stormy weather
We will support each other during difficult times

And the sunshine will be yours and mine
In joyous times, we will share happiness together

Any old time you're blue
Whenever you feel low

You'll have our love to chase away the blues
You can count on our love to cheer you up

And any old thing you do, I'll see you through
No matter what situation you are in, I will stand by your side

So just remember that I am waiting, dear
Always remember that I am waiting for you

If ever you want me I'll be near
Whenever you need me, I will be right by your side

Any old time and any place where you may be
No matter where you are or when you need me, I will be there

Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Artie Shaw

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@thaumastura

2y↑1

Any old time you want me
I am yours for just the asking, darling
Any old time you need me
I'll be there with love that's lasting, darling
All through the years, we'll stand together
Sharing the tears and stormy weather
And the sunshine will be yours and mine
Any old time you're blue
You'll have our love to chase away the blues
And any old thing you do, I'll see you through
So just remember that I am waiting, dear
If ever you want me I'll be near
Any old time and any place where you may be.

All comments from YouTube:

@Voiding-ofdark

14w

I love this playing, when I'm cooking or eating dinner, to finish an wonderful day.

@wardharrah55

3y↑14

I can't get enough of this song!!! Ms. Holiday's vocals and those key changes!!! With one of the best bands of all time...the ending of this song 2:54 I could put on repeat...I Don't know why, but it just stirs something deep in my soul!!! Thank you for posting this!!!

@wardharrah55

2y↑8

Here it is over a year since I commented and I am still enjoying this as much as I did the first time I heard it over 40 years ago…I can’t figure out for the life of me why that ending stirs me so…any big band song that does that minor key thing gives me goosebumps…
Thank you again for posting this and more importantly for picking up the pieces and putting back together the original professors channel…Godspeed

@TheDiannel

39w↑1

LOve Artie Shaw. My favorite big band.

@user-gs7qz8xd1i

18w

They,ll never be another one like HER.❤❤❤❤

@gladyspostma9099

46w↑1

Extraordinario!!!!❤

@nix9vex13

1y↑1

Sublime.

@ella-iz2zx

1y↑1

❤️

@georgehewett6243

14w↑3

Wonderful song and arrangement; sheeze, what "dumbo" at Victor Records prepared the label crediting "Billy" Holiday? If I'd done that, I'd have been walking around with a bag over my head in shame for weeks.

@thaumastura

2y↑1

@Trombonology

5y↑9

Billie is the best thing ever to happen this song, written by bandleader Shaw. The caustic clarinetist showed no restraint in criticizing the material he was sometimes called upon to perform -- and yet here he himself came up with an undistinguished melody and some of the most banal lyrics I've ever heard. "Any old thing you do I'll see you through ..." ... and on and on.
In the liner notes for a Sinatra CD reissue of one of the Capitol albums ( I forget which), I was reading a discussion of the various "lyric singers," who, self-explanatorily, placed greater emphasis in their song interpretations on the lyrics and "music singers," just the opposite. The writer of the piece cited both Sinatra and Billie as lyric singers and Ella as a music singer. I have to say, I think Billie placed equal importance on words and music, and "Any Old Time" proves my point. She makes us take even these lousy lyrics seriously, giving them weight and meaning, but she also makes all kinds of clever modifications to Artie's blah melody to improve it.

@bblegacy

2y↑3

Don't kid yourself. This is an exceptionally sophisticated song for the 32-measure song form, especially for 1937, from the fundamental and basic melodic and chordal movement in the melody that Artie wrote to the strategic use of clustered voicings of the horn sections when they are playing all together in full ensemble, within the orchestration that Artie also wrote for the band. And this is not to mention the fact that most of the produce of an overwhelming amount of Tin Pan Alley songwriting since the 1920s was often absolute trash and by 1936 evolved to an even worse place full of junk "riff-tunes" that that didn't even pass for having a melody ("The Dipsy Doodle"), that many of the up and coming "swing bands" (most of which are entirely forgotten, and for a good reason), were playing in the hopes of finding that one-hit nugget to fame and fortune. Shaw himself realized that was the case by the end of 1937 and by February 1938 the great clarinetist took a step back and disposed of over 100 arrangements from his own band book that he had developed over the course of previous year. Shaw retreated to concentrate on what songs he felt were "musically" WORTH playing as opposed to chasing every pop tune pushed by the song publishers' "song pluggers", and that's when Artie made the decision to quit listening to as much of that useless "advice" as possible, and if a song didn't pass his own critical judgement as being any good, he largely gave all of that Tin Pan Alley trash that came off the printing presses on a weekly basis the proverbial "finger". It was THAT 100% subjective concentration on what he felt was "any good" that determined what he would focus on and the rest of the heap of trash that was "hot off the printing press" could be played by others (at least to the extent that he could.) By 1939, after all the fame came, thanks to his devotion to focusing on "better songs" written mostly by Broadway (NOT Tin Pan Alley) songwriters, he was inundated by the parasites of the music business even more than he had been before that, and he even freely admitted that by the end of 1939 - when he quit his own band at the peak of his popular success - that the reason he walked away was because of the business pressures being put upon him... and the generally bad quality of songs that the Tin Pan Alley music publishers were constantly pressuring him to play, when finally by November 1939, enough was enough.

Having now dispensed with the prevailing quality of songwriting that was prevalent in 1937, In addition to that, as for the lyrics, are you attuned to what the lyrics ARE enough to realize the fact that Artie's lyrics were deliberately and entirely an "inside joke" and a play on the titles of other popular songs? ("I'm Yours", "Stormy Weather", "Through The Years" and "Yours And Mine"), all of which represent what he felt were some of those "better songs", and three of those four were regular parts of his regular repertoire by 1940, that few bands of the time DID NOT bother to play or record to any great extent?

So much for good songwriting, I guess. "Just play this - it'll be your biggest hit record!!" Yeah right.
"I'll rely on my own musical instincts." -and by taking that course, it's why Artie is remembered and so many others aren't.

@Trombonology

2y↑2

@@bblegacy I have read extensively on Artie and regularly mention in this environment that he recorded by far the greatest percentage of superior material of all the bandleaders, challenged only by Ellington. Too, I am extremely well-acquainted with pop music of the first half of the 20th century and the manner in which it developed. I have a right to my opinion, even if it conflicts with those of you or Artie, for whose musicianship and arranging skills I have the highest respect.

@jenniferhudin2810

49w

Clearly you are more sophisticated musically than the rest of us hacks. Would you mind listing some swing music you think is a lot better? Better lyrics? Blah melody? I would love to be educated. By the way, do you have any opinion about the Helen Forrest version of this?

@Trombonology

49w

@@jenniferhudin2810 Not sure whether or not your question is for me, but I'll take a crack at it. The exchange between the other commenter and me illustrates the fact that the only thing that should matter to each listener is what appeals to his/her ear. My favourite composer is George Gershwin and my favourite lyricist, Lorenz Hart, but there are dozens of others, from those who are highly acclaimed to those who have fallen into obscurity over the years, whose work I greatly admire. The best thing to do is just to listen to the music of the Swing Era with an open mind and follow your instincts. Your knowledge will grow and your preferences will emerge. ... Interesting that you mention the Helen Forrest take on "Any Old Time." I think we must conclude that Artie had a high opinion of his own composition, or he wouldn't have re-recorded it. Helen and Billie were actually on the Shaw bandstand together for a time: Artie understood that in certain areas of the US, audiences would not be welcoming toward an interracial outfit (it's very sad to note), so he hired Helen, who wound up coming to national attention with the Shaw band, to sing in, for example, the South. Helen was heavily influenced at the time by Billie, which is evidenced in her vocal on this tune. In purely technical terms, Helen, who was one of the finest Big Band singers, had the better vocal instrument. Too, "Any Old Time" is one instance in which she's a little more adventurous melodically. The great Mildred Bailey is said to have complained, "She sings so straight, she makes my neck hurt!" In fairness, though, the job of a big band vocalist, who generally got only one chorus in the early days, was to acquaint the audience with the straight, unadorned melody. Helen consistently did that as well as just about anybody could. This said, and though Helen does an excellent job, Billie's is the more compelling interpretation, both lyrically and melodically. She was an artist who relied on instinct, and hers were flawless. She makes the story breathe. One fascinating thing to me is that it's Helen who sings the wrong lyric: "Any old time you're blue, you'll have our love to chase the blues away" -- instead of the written "... to chase away the blues," with blues intended to rhyme with the following "And any old thing you do, I'll see you through."