62. Fine And Mellow
Billie Holiday
Follows 12 versions of the song
| rec date | type | # | discography | tk | rec time |
| 1939 | MT | 119 | Complete Commodore v.1 | 5 | 3’12” |
My man don’t love me
Treats me oh so mean
My man he don’t love me
Treats me awfully (awful mean)
He’s the lowest man
That I’ve ever seenHe wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
He wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellowBut when he starts in to love me
He’s so fine and mellowLove will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night longLove will make you do things
That you know is wrongBut if you treat me right baby
I’ll stay home every day
If you treat me right baby
I’ll stay home every dayBut you’re so mean to me baby
I know you’re gonna drive me awayLove is just like a faucet
It turns off and on
Love is like a faucet
It turns off and onSometimes when you think it’s on baby
It has turned off and gone
2nd version
| rec date | type | # | discography | tk | rec time |
| 1941 | LR | 10 | Perfect Complete Collection v.1 | 10 | 3’26” |
My man don’t love me
Treats me oh so mean
My man he don’t love me
Treats me awfully (awful mean)
He’s the lowest man
That I’ve ever seenHe wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
He wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellowBut when he starts in to love me
He’s so fine and mellowLove will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night longLove will make you do things
That you know is wrongBut if you treat me right baby
I’ll stay home every day
If you just treat me right baby
I’ll stay home every dayBut you’re so mean to me baby
I know you’re gonna drive me awayLove is just like a faucet
It turns off and on
Love is like a faucet
It turns off and onSometimes when you think it’s on baby
It has turned off and gone
3rd version
| rec date | type | # | discography | tk | rec time |
| 1944 | LR | 18 | Perfect Complete Collection v.1 | 16 | 3’40” |
My man don’t love me
Treats me oh so mean
My man he don’t love me
Treats me awful mean
He’s the lowest man
That I’ve ever seenHe wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
He wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellowBut when he starts in to love me
He’s so fine and mellowLove will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night longLove will make you do things
That you know is wrongBut if you treat me right baby
I’ll stay home every day
Just treat me right baby
I’ll stay home night and dayBut you’re so mean to me baby
I know you’re gonna drive me awayLove is just like a faucet
It turns off and on
Love is like a faucet
It turns off and onSometimes when you think it’s on baby
It has turned off and gone
4th version
| rec date | type | # | discography | tk | rec time |
| 1945 | LR | 25 | Perfect Complete Collection v.1 | 22 | 3’12” |
My man don’t love me
Treats me awfully
My man he don’t love me
Treats me awfully
He’s the lowest man
That I’ve ever seenHe wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
He wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellowBut when he starts in to love me
He’s so fine and mellowLove will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night longLove will make you do things
That you know is wrongBut if you treat me right baby
I’ll stay home every day
Yes treat me right baby
I’ll stay home night and dayBut you’re so mean to me baby
I know you’re gonna drive me awayLove is just like a faucet
It turns off and on
Love is like a faucet
It turns off and onSometimes when you think it’s on baby
It has turned off and gone
5th version
| rec date | type | # | discography | tk | rec time |
| 1946 | LR | 28 | Complete on Verve v.1 | 4 | 3’51” |
My man don’t love me
Treats me oh so mean
My man he don’t love me
Treats me awful mean
He’s the lowest man
That I’ve ever seenHe wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
He wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellowBut when he starts in to love me
He’s so fine and mellowLove will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night longLove will make you do things
That you know is wrongBut if you treat me right baby
I’ll stay home every day
Yes treat me right baby
I’ll stay home night and dayBut you’re so mean to me baby
I know you’re gonna drive me awayLove is just like a faucet
It turns off and on
Love is like a faucet
It turns off and onSometimes when you think it’s on baby
It has turned off and gone
6th version
| rec date | type | # | discography | tk | rec time |
| 1949 | LR | 61 | Perfect Complete Collection v.3 | 21 | 3’20” |
(intro – TV show)
My man don’t love me
Treats me oh so mean
My man he don’t love me
Treats me awful mean
He’s the lowest man
That I’ve ever seenHe wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
He wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellowBut when he starts in to love me
He is so fine and mellowLove will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night longLove will make you do things
That you know is wrongBut if you treat me right baby
I’ll stay home every day
Yes treat me right baby
I’ll stay home night and dayBut you’re so mean to me baby
I know you’re gonna drive me awayLove is just like a faucet
It turns off and on
Love is like a faucet
It turns off and onSometimes when you think it’s on baby
It has turned off and gone
7th version
| rec date | type | # | discography | tk | rec time |
| 1952 | LR | 94 | Perfect Complete Collection v.5 | 3 | 3’41” |
My man don’t love me
Treats me oh so mean
My man he don’t love me
Treats me awful mean
He’s the lowest man
That I’ve ever seenHe wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
He wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
But when he starts in to love me
He is so fine and mellowLove will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you do things
That you know is wrongBut if you treat me right baby
I’ll stay home every day
Just treat me right baby
I’ll stay home night and day
But you’re so mean to me baby
I know you’re gonna drive me awayLove is just like a faucet
It turns off and on
Love is like a faucet
It turns off and on
Sometimes when you think it’s on baby
It has turned off and gone
8th version
| rec date | type | # | discography | tk | rec time |
| 1954 | LR | 116 | Perfect Complete Collection v.7 | 7 | 3’55” |
(BH introduces the song:
“Thank you very much, Ladies and Gentlemen,
you’re a very, very lovely audience, I’d like trying sing
for you a little blues that I wrote, title
Fine and Mellow”)
My man don’t love me
Treats me oh so mean
My man he don’t love me
Treats me awful mean
He’s the lowest man
That I’ve ever seenHe wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
He wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
But when he starts in to love me
He is so fine and mellowLove will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you do things
That you know is wrongBut if you treat me right baby
I’ll stay home every day
Just treat me right baby
I’ll stay home night and day
But you’re so mean to me baby
I know you’re gonna drive me awayLove is just like a faucet
It turns off and on
Love is like a faucet
It turns off and on
Sometimes when you think it’s on baby
It has turned off and gone(applauses)
9th version
| rec date | type | # | discography | tk | rec time |
| 1956 | LR | 173 | Complete on Verve v.8 | 16 | 3’15” |
My man don’t love me
Treats me oh so mean
My man he don’t love me
Treats me awful mean
He’s the lowest man
That I’ve ever seenHe wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
He wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
But when he starts in to love me
He is so fine and mellowLove will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you do things
That you know is wrongBut if you treat me right baby
I’ll stay home every day
Just treat me right baby
I’ll stay home night and day
But you’re so mean to me baby
I know you’re gonna drive me awayLove is just like a faucet
It turns off and on
Love is like a faucet
It turns off and on
Sometimes when you think it’s on baby
It has turned off and gone(applauses)
10th version
| rec date | type | # | discography | tk | rec time |
| 1957 | LR | 192 | Perfect Complete Collection v.11 | 9 | 6’21” |
My man don’t love me
Treats me oh so mean
My man he don’t love me
Treats me awful mean
He’s the lowest man
That I’ve ever seen(bridge)
He wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
He wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
But when he starts in to love me
He is so fine and mellow(second bridge)
Love will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you do things
That you know is wrong(third bridge)
But if you treat me right baby
I’ll stay home every day
Just treat me right baby
I’ll stay home night and day
But you’re so mean to me baby
I know you’re gonna drive me awayLove is just like a faucet
It turns off and on
Love is like a faucet
It turns off and on
Sometimes when you think it’s on baby
It has turned off and gone
11th version
| rec date | type | # | discography | tk | rec time |
| 1957 | LR | 193 | Perfect Complete Collection v.11 | 10 | 8’00” |
Billie’s being interviewed:
“The blues to me is like
being very sad, very sick,
on church, being very happy
there’s two kinds of blues:
happy blues and the sad blues
I don’t think I ever sing it twice
I don’t think I ever sing the same tempos
sometimes a bit slower,
next time a little bit brighter,
depends on how I feel.
I don’t know…
blues is so a mixed thing to me…
One has to feel it!
Anything I do sing it’s part of my life!”
My man don’t love me
He treats me oh so mean
My man he don’t love me
He treats me awful mean
He’s the lowest man
That I’ve ever seen(bridge)
He wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
He wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
But when he starts in to love me
He is so fine and mellow(second bridge)
Love will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you do things
That you know is wrong(third bridge)
Treat me right baby
And I’ll stay home every day
Just treat me right baby
And I’ll stay home night and day
But you’re so mean to me baby
I know you’re gonna drive me awayLove is just like a faucet
It turns off and on
Love is like a faucet
It turns off and on
Sometimes when you think it’s on baby
It has turned off and gone
12th version
| rec date | type | # | discography | tk | rec time |
| 1958 | LR | 214 | Private Recording | – | 3’28” |
My man don’t love me
Treats me oh so mean
My man he don’t love me
Treats me awful mean
He’s the lowest man
That I’ve ever seenHe wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
He wears high draped pants
Stripes are really yellow
But when he starts in to love me
He is so fine and mellowLove will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you drink and gamble
Make you stay out all night long
Love will make you do things
That you know is wrongBut if you treat me right baby
I’ll stay home every day
Just treat me right baby
I’ll stay home night and day
But you’re so mean to me baby
I know you’re gonna drive me awayLove is just like a faucet
It turns off and on
Love is like a faucet
It turns off and on
Sometimes when you think it’s on baby
It has turned off and gone(applauses)
Notes |