I Got It Bad
Duke Ellington & His Orchestra Feat. Ivie Anderson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Though folks with good intentions
Tell me to save my tears
Well I'm so mad about him
I can't live without him

Never treats me sweet and gentle
The way he should
I've got it bad

And that ain't good

My poor heart is so sentimental
Not made of wood
I've got it so bad
And that ain't good

But when the fish are jumpin'
And Friday rolls around
My man an' I, we gin some
We pray some, and sin some

He don't love me like I love him
The way he should
I've got it bad
And that ain't good

Yes I've got it bad
And that ain't good

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Duke Ellington & His Orchestra Feat. Ivie Anderson's song, "I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good," portray a sense of deep longing and unrequited love. The singer acknowledges that although she is advised to save her tears by well-intentioned people, she is so madly in love with the man she can't be without him. The man in question does not treat her kindly or lovingly, yet she cannot help the way she feels. Her heart is deeply sentimental and longing for his love, but she knows that she has it bad, and that ain't good.

The lyrics further portray the nature of their relationship as sinful and unconventional. They drink and pray together, but she still feels unloved by him. Despite this, she acknowledges that her love for him is not reciprocated in the same way. The chorus repeats the phrase "I've got it bad and that ain't good" to emphasize the desperate state of her unrequited love.

Overall, "I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good" is a song about unfulfilled love, longing, and a deep sense of unrequited affection. The lyrics emphasize the powerlessness the singer feels in her love for someone who does not feel the same.

Line by Line Meaning

Though folks with good intentions Tell me to save my tears
Although well-meaning people advise me to stop crying about him,

Well I'm so mad about him I can't live without him
I'm so desperately in love with him that I feel like I can't live without him

Never treats me sweet and gentle The way he should
He never treats me kindly and tenderly like he should

I've got it bad And that ain't good
I am badly suffering because of how much I love him, and that's not a good thing

My poor heart is so sentimental Not made of wood
My heart is too emotional and sensitive, it's not cold and unfeeling like a wooden heart

I've got it so bad And that ain't good
My love for him is so strong and painful, and that's not a good thing

But when the fish are jumpin' And Friday rolls around My man an' I, we gin some We pray some, and sin some
But when things are good and it's the weekend, my man and I drink, pray, and do some questionable things together

He don't love me like I love him The way he should
He doesn't love me as deeply and intensely as I love him, like he should

I've got it bad And that ain't good
My intense love for him is causing me pain and distress, which is not good

Yes I've got it bad And that ain't good
Yes, I am badly suffering because of my love for him, and it's not a good thing

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, GUY WEBSTER/WEBSTER MUSIC
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, PAUL WEBSTER

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

Comments from YouTube:

@waynebrasler

7y↑20

Ivie's remarkable and remarkably individual talent has lasted through the decades. She has not been forgotten and is still gaining new admirers. Always with health problems she did not live long enough to realize she had become a living legend.

@frijolero6048

I just discovered her in the spring. Amazing!

@toddsocal2

Love her voice, just amazing.

@ColdMermaidTrueCrime

6y↑18

I love how Duke always smiled while playing piano. He truly enjoyed what he was doing!

@millemille4610

2y↑4

I was born way before my time (85) I can listen to her sing all day ✨⭐️

@MiaHessMusic

4y↑11

Wow, such sensitive singing! Bless you, Ivie!

@wertherquartett

5y↑4

I first saw Ivie with the Marx Brothers in their movie "A Day at the Races". What a beautiful singer she was.

@thefifthdementia5231

Same. First saw that movie in 1972 and spent years trying to find information about Ivie. Then the internet came along. Her voice is so captivating.

@johnrizzo2262

Yes, me too. Loved her immediately. I had to find out who she was.

@JC57515

Thanks for that, I didn't know

@keithbrescia7756

42w↑1

This brought tears to my eyes as I thought of an act of kindness by Duke Ellington at a nightclub in San Francisco right after the heartbreaker ending of the 1962 World Series. To review a bit of baseball history, Giants slugger Willie McCovey hit a scorching line drive which Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson caught for the final out with the tying and winning runs on second and third. The Yankees won the game 1-0. After the game McCovey, a fan of Ellington and other such luminaries, went to the nightclub. Ellington saw him and knew about the game, and he instructed his soloist to change the title phrase to "He hit it good, and that ain't bad." McCovey smiled in response.

@v24231

26w

Yet what an extremely high bar in this timeless jazz standard Ivie set! Very few singers can overcome it.

@ivyalston7277

9y↑14

So many musicians that worked with Duke Ellington haven't been well known. I'm glad to learn about Ivy Anderson. Especially since I share her first name.

@ccaammiinniiito2

+Ivy Alston Are you familiar with another singer of his, Joya Sherrill, "I didn't know about you"?

@tiffanyjackson3541

Ivy Alston she died so young that's part of the reason

@abcxyz-dp4rl

41w

Why didn’t they credit her on the record, she carried the song for ‘Take the A Train’
Wait, is she the vocalists? Or are my ears playing tricks

@jimbrown1559

9y↑2

Ivie was a wonderful singer, and it's great to see her on the screen. Ivy Alston -- you are blessed to be her namesake.

@askovarjorinne9074

46w

Delightful that´s all!! 😊😊🎶🎶

@NI-zd5ko

2y↑1

Thanks for uploading

@robertbrawley5048

4y↑2

I just learned Ivie Anderson's name. So beautiful and a great singer. I'm scouring the youtubes for videos about her

@jorgealbertorodriguez7525

And, most important, go to her records with the Ellington groups (1932/1942). Her true legacy is there.

@robertbrawley5048

4y↑1

@@jorgealbertorodriguez7525 thanks for the tip

@KnjazNazrath

6y↑3

Haven't heard this song since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Great stuff.

@markpieexplores

3y↑1

Pure class

@paulostroff99

13y↑2

Great singing from a now forgotten star. TY M for posting.

@heriatm2771

8y↑2

I love these Duke Ellington music "videos"!

@nickakdag

11y↑2

This video is of historic value for, amongst other things, its vivid display of Duke's picking-up-chicks skills

@skyrin9

11y↑1

Ya i agree. I am doing her for a project and it's sad how there is barley anything on her. She deserves more credit

@angelabryant8808

7y↑2

The gorgeous Ivie Anderson. "Absolutely" gorgeous voice, along with the "Gorgeous" Duke Ellington. I love you Duke💖.

@MrManorAvenue

8y↑3

Thank you for this treat on the Tube today. I've had the record for years but never saw the Soundie. I'm always way off in the way I have singers pictured just based on the sound of their voices and the same applies as to the way I had Ivie Anderson pictured mentally.

@didoudingue1801

Du grand ART.

@FireypepperCP

6y↑2

5/23/2018

So awesome to see the band in such a setting!

@tiffanyjackson3541

7y↑30

Duke is cooler than the other side of the pillow

@scotnick59

2y↑1

Love it!

@we4wary1s

12y↑2

Ivie Anderson. His lead singer. A great singer.

@paulostroff99

13y↑1

Awesome.TY MD for posting.

@deloreswilson1798

We've all been there...if we're honest...even in this day and age...🤔

@bminorscales

9y↑5

At the 2:12 point, the male dancer is Mercer Ellington (Duke's son).

@Jazz-hk7ok

4y↑1

Suspira porque un día llegue a ella el amor de su vida igual que a los demás.

@thearchive4109

2y↑1

2:06 Duke has no idea what she’s telling him to do 🤣

@gerryvinci3025

4y↑1

All of her recordings with Duke can be found on the 2 CD set " The Blanton - Webster Band"

@waldolydecker8118

Many of them, but not "all" of them. She was recording with Duke way before the Blanton - Webster years

@ccaammiinniiito2

10y↑2

I'm sitting here in the morning listening to Ivie Anderson, whom I usually, almost always, enjoy. But this song "Cotton" has got to go! lol! When you listen to the lyrics, you'll know what I mean. For a moment, I thought my dear sister had lost her mind! lol!!!

@aprilfarrington8436

Very Nice Music

@MrKuwaitwolf

10y↑1

Yeah. The drummer with the brushes is Sonny Greer. He was Duke's drummer from the start of the band to 1950 due to his unreliability and addiction to alcohol. I don't think they saw each other again after that. Sad ending for two geniuses together :/

@doc1007

2y↑1

But Sony was on Duke´s paylist until the seventies. So no complete break, fortunately.

@rubylee446

2y↑1

Biopick of ivey anderson

@jiyujizai

🌱💕☺️💚🎶❣️

@a567and8

10y↑3

I see that ALL of the women--with the possible exception of the marvelous Ms. Anderson--pass the brown paper bag test.

@IncredibleCreature

12y

There is a skate video using a song with the part from 0:25 to 0:27. I think it is remixed or something. Does anybody know? Thanks!

@MrHieronymusBosch

11y

what genre is this please? I love the klassical influence

@umbrellashotgunman

It’s very much jazz. In fact, I’ve heard the original melody originated from a random off-hours improvisation from the band’s alto sax player Johnny Hodges.