I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
Duke Ellington & His Orchestra Feat. Ivie Anderson Lyrics

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The poets say that all who love are blind
But I'm in love and I know what time it is!
The Good Book says "Go seek and ye shall find
"Well, I have sought and my what a climb it is!
My life is just like the weatherIt changes with the hours
When he's near I'm fair and warmer
When he's gone I'm cloudy with showers;in emotion
Like the ocean it's either sink or swim

When a woman loves a man like I love him
Never treats me sweet and gentle the way he should
I got it bad and that ain't good!
My poor heart is sentimental not made of wood
I got it bad and that ain't good!
But when the weekend's over and Monday rolls aroun'
I end up like I start out just cryin' my heart out
He don't love me like I love him nobody could
I got it bad and that ain't good
Like a lonely weeping willow lost in the wood
I got it bad and that ain't good!
And the things I tell my pillow no woman should
I got it bad and that ain't good!
Tho folks with good intentions ell me to save my tears
I'm glad I'm mad about him I can't live without him

Lord above me make him love me the way he should
I got it bad and that ain't good

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Duke Ellington and Teresa Brewer's "I've Got It Bad And That Ain't Good" express the emotions of someone deeply in love with a man who doesn't treat them well. The first few lines acknowledge the common belief that love can blind someone to the faults of their beloved, but the singer asserts that they are aware of their situation. The next few lines allude to religious scripture, comparing the singer's search for love to a climb, acknowledging the effort and sacrifice that went into pursuing their passion.

The following lines use weather and oceanic imagery to describe the singer's emotional state when around the man they love. When he is near, they are "fair and warmer", but when he leaves, they are "cloudy with showers". The implication is that the singer's emotions are at the mercy of their lover, rising and falling with his presence. The chorus repeats the title phrase several times and emphasizes the singer's sentimentality and vulnerability. They cry and tell their pillow things "no woman should".

Despite the pain it causes, the singer insists that they "can't live without him" and begs for divine intervention to make the man love them "the way he should". Overall, the song paints a vivid picture of the all-consuming and emotionally tumultuous experience of unrequited love.

Line by Line Meaning

The poets say that all who love are blind
According to poets, love makes people blind to flaws.

But I'm in love and I know what time it is!
However, I am in love and aware of the challenges I face.

The Good Book says "Go seek and ye shall find
The Bible suggests that if you search for something, you will find it.

Well, I have sought and my what a climb it is!
And indeed, I have searched and it's been a difficult journey.

My life is just like the weather
My life is unpredictable and ever-changing.

It changes with the hours
It can shift rapidly based on my circumstances or mood.

When he's near I'm fair and warmer
When the one I love is with me, life feels more colorful and bright.

When he's gone I'm cloudy with showers;in emotion
But when he leaves, I feel stormy and sad.

Like the ocean it's either sink or swim
My love is intense and all-consuming, like the ocean's powerful and unpredictable waves.

When a woman loves a man like I love him
When a woman loves a man as much as I do.

Never treats me sweet and gentle the way he should
However, he doesn't treat me with the kindness and care that he is capable of.

I got it bad and that ain't good!
I experience the pain and heartache of an unrequited love.

My poor heart is sentimental not made of wood
My heart is emotional and tender, not unfeeling or insensitive.

But when the weekend's over and Monday rolls aroun'
But when the fleeting moments of our time together end and I face the everyday routine

I end up like I start out just cryin' my heart out
I feel as heartbroken and lost as I did before I met him.

He don't love me like I love him nobody could
He doesn't return my love, and no one else could love him the way I do.

Like a lonely weeping willow lost in the wood
I feel as if I am a tree all alone, weeping and unable to find my way in the dark forest.

I got it bad and that ain't good!
I am in the midst of an agonizing unrequited love, which is a terrible place to be.

And the things I tell my pillow no woman should
I confess my heartbreak and longing to my pillow, which is something no one should have to do.

Tho folks with good intentions ell me to save my tears
Although well-meaning people suggest that I shouldn't cry,

I'm glad I'm mad about him I can't live without him
I am glad that I love him so much, even though the pain is almost unbearable. Without him, life feels unbearable.

Lord above me make him love me the way he should
I pray that God will help him love me as he should, with the same depth and intensity that I feel for him.

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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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.