Swing, Brother, Swing

L. Raymond & W. Bishop & C. Williams

Deep rhythm captivates me
Hot rhythm stimulates me
Can’t help but swing it boy
Swing it brothers swing

Don’t stop to diddle daddle
Stop this foolish prattle
Come on swing me Gate
Swing it brothers swing

Raring to go and ain’t nobody
Gonna hold me down
Say listen boy
Hurry up and send me
Let me go to town
Stop this diddle daddle
And this foolish prattle
Come on kill me Jo
Swing it brothers swing

Deep rhythm captivates me
Hot rhythm stimulates me
Can’t help but swing it boy
Swing it brothers swing

Don’t stop to diddle daddle
Stop this foolish prattle
Come on send me Count
Swing it brothers swing

Rarin’ to go and ain’t nobody
Gonna hold me down
Say listen boy
Hurry up and send me
Let me go to town
Stop this diddle daddle
And this foolish prattle
Come on swing me Count
Swing it brothers swing

Deep rhythm captivates me
Hot rhythm stimulates me
Can’t help but swing it boy
Swing it brothers swing

Don’t stop to diddle daddle
Stop this foolish prattle
Come on swing me boys
Swing it brothers swing

Raring to go and ain’t nobody
Gonna hold me down
Say listen boy
Hurry up and send me
Let me go to town
Stop this diddle daddle
And this foolish prattle
Come on kill me boy
Swing it brothers swing

(bridge)

Deep rhythm captivates me
Hot rhythm stimulates me
Can’t help but swing it boy
Swing it brothers swing

Don’t stop to diddle daddle
Stop this foolish prattle
Come on kill me boys
Swing it brothers swing

Rarin’ to go and ain’t nobody
Gonna hold me down
Say listen boy
Hurry up and send me
Let me go to town
Stop this diddle daddle
And this foolish prattle
Come on knock me out
Swing it brothers swing

Swing, brother, swing!

 

On LR #3 Billie mentions Count (Basie) and Jo (Jones – both were in the band). She also mentions “Gate”. I presume she could be referring to Louis Armstrong who carried this nickname at some point. And he had an strong influence on her.

228. Sun Showers

Arthur Freed & Nacio Herb Brown

Sun showers
Never mind the rain
The sun will shine again
Through sun showers

In a little while
They sky above will smile
Like luster that follows your tears

Dark clouds of sorrow
Will soon be a sunny tomorrow

While sun flowers
Raise their happy eyes
Up to the flaming skies
Then sun showers
Leave us as they follow
Rainbows in our hearts
The gray skies soon will be clear
My dear
While sun showers are here

227. Summertime (1935)

lyrics by DuBose Heyward

music by George Gerhwin

Summertime

And the livin’ is easy
Fish are jumpin’

And the cotton is high
Oh your daddy’s rich

And your ma is good lookin’
So hush little baby

Don’t you cry

One of these mornings
You’re goin’ to rise up singing
Then you’ll spread your wings
And you’ll take the sky
But till that morning
There’s a-nothin’ can harm you
With Daddy and Mammy

Standin’ by

(bridge)

One of these mornings
You’re goin’ to rise up singing
Then you’ll spread your wings
And you’ll take the sky
But till that morning
There’s a nothin’ can harm you
With daddy and mammy

Standin’ by

From the show Porgy and Bess

226. Sugar (That sugar baby o’mine) 1944

lyrics by Sidney D. Mitchell & Edna Alexander

music by Maceo Pinkard

Sugar
I call my baby my sugar
I never maybe my sugar
That sugar baby of mine
He’s special ration
Funny he never asks for my money
All I give him is honey
And that he can spend anytime

I’d make a million trips to his lips
If I were a bee
Because he’s sweeter than chocolate candy to me
He’s confectionary

Sugar I never cheat on my Sugar
‘Cause I’m too sweet on my Sugar
That sugar baby of mine

to be checked

225. Strange Fruit (1939)

Lewis Allan

Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolia sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh

Here is the fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

 

2nd version

Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolia sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh

Here is the fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

 

3rd version

(Billie Holiday intro)

Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolia sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh

Here is the fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

 

4th version

(Billie introduces the song:
“By request, it was written specially for me, it’s title is Strange Fruit)

 

Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolia sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh

Here is the fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

(applauses)

 

5th version

Southern trees bear strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolia sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh

Here is the fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

 

6th version

(Billie introduces next song: “and now a little tune written specially for me: Strange Fruit”)

 

Southern trees bear strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolia sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh

Here is the fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

(applauses)

Billie was the first to sing this song, as it was composed specially for her.
 

223. Stormy Weather (1933)

Lyrics by Ted Koehler
Music by Harold Arlen

Don’t know why
There’s no sun up in the sky
Stormy weather
Since my man and I ain’t together
Keeps raining all the time

Life is bare
Gloom and misery everywhere
Stormy weather
Just can’t get my poor self together
I’m weary all the time,
The time
So weary all the time

When he went away
The blues walked in and met me
If he stays away
Old rocking chair will get me
All I do is pray
The Lord above will let me
Walk in the sun once more

Can’t go on
Everything I had is gone
Stormy weather
Since my man and I ain’t together
Keeps raining all the time
Keeps raining all the time

When he went away
The blues walked in and met me
If he stays away
Old rocking chair will get me
All I do is pray
The Lord above will let me
Walk in the sun once more

Can’t go on
Everything I had is gone
Stormy weather
Since my man and I ain’t together
Keeps raining all the time
Keeps raining all the time

 

2nd version

Don’t know why
There’s no sun up in the sky
Stormy weather
Since my man and I ain’t together
Keeps raining all the time

Life is bare
Gloom and misery everywhere
Stormy weather
Just can’t get my poor self together
I’m weary all the time ,

When he went away
The blues walked in and met me
If he stays away
Old rocking chair will get me
All I do is pray
The Lord will let me
Walk in the sun once more

Can’t go on
Everything I had is gone
Stormy weather
Since my man and I ain’t together
Keeps raining all the time,

When he went away
The blues walked in and met me
If he stays away
Old rocking chair will get me
All I do is pray
The Lord above will let me
Walk in the sun once more

Can’t go on
Everything I had is gone
Stormy weather
Since my man and I ain’t together
Keeps raining all the time,
Keeps raining all the time

(applauses)

First appeared in the nightclub act The Cottonclub Parade; first to sing Ethel Waters

223.Stormy Blues

Billie Holiday

I’ve been down so long
That down don’t worry me
I’ve been down so long
Down don’t worry me
I just sit and wonder
Where can my good man be

When it rains in here
It’s storming on the sea
When it rains in here
It’s storming on the sea
Every time I come here
Everything happens to me

I lose my man
I lose my head
I lose my money
Feel like I’m almost dead
I need you honey
Need you bad as can be
I’ve been down so long
That down don’t worry me

222. Stars Fell On Alabama (1934)

Lyrics by Mitchell Parish
Music by Frank S. Perkins

We lived our little drama
We kissed in a field of white
And stars fell on Alabama
Last night

I can’t forget the glamour
Your eyes held a tender light
And stars fell on Alabama
Last night

I never planned in my imagination
A situation so heavenly
A fairy land where no one else could enter
And in the center
Just you and me, dear

My heart beat like a hammer
My arms wound around you tight
And stars fell on Alabama
Last night

(bridge)

We lived our little drama
We kissed in a field of white
And stars fell on Alabama
Last night

I can’t forget the glamour
Your eyes held a tender light
And stars fell on Alabama
Last night

I never planned in my imagination
A situation so heavenly
A fairy land where no one else could enter
And in the center
Just you and me, dear

My heart beat like a hammer
My arms wound around you tight
And stars fell on Alabama
Last night

First to sing: Jack Teargarden

221. St. Louis Blues (1914)

lyrics and music by  W.C. Handy

I hate to see that evening sun go down
I hate to see that evening sun go down
‘Cause my baby, he’s done, left this town
Feeling tomorrow like I feel today
If I’m feeling tomorrow like I feel today
I’ll pack my trunk make my getaway

St. Louis woman with her diamond rings
Pulls that man around by her apron strings
If it wasn’t for powder and her store-bought hair
That man I love wouldn’t have gone nowhere, nowhere

I got the St. Louis Blues
Blue as I can be
That man’s got a heart like a rock cast in the sea
Or else he wouldn’t have gone so far from me

(bridge)

I love my man like a schoolboy loves his pie
Like a Kentucky colonel loves his mint and rye
I’ll love my baby till the day I die

 

2nd version

I hate to see that evening sun go down
I hate to see that evening sun go down
‘Cause my baby, he’s done, left this town
Feeling tomorrow like I feel today
If I’m feeling tomorrow like I feel today
I’ll pack my trunk make my getaway

St. Louis woman with her diamond rings
Pulls that man around by her apron strings
If it wasn’t for powder and her store-bought hair
That man I love wouldn’t have gone nowhere, nowhere

I got the St. Louis Blues
Blue as I can be
That man’s got a heart like a rock cast in the sea
Or else he wouldn’t have gone so far from me

(bridge)

I love my man like a schoolboy loves his pie
Like a Kentucky colonel loves his mint and rye
I’ll love my baby till the day I die

220. Spreadin’ Rhythm Around (1935)

lyrics by  Teddy Koehler

music by Jimmy McHugh

Music everywhere feet are pattin’ Putting tempo in old Manhattan Everybody is out high hattin’ Spreadin’ rhythm around

Everywhere you go trumpets are blarin’ Drums and saxophones rip and tearin’ Everybody you meet is rarin’ Spreadin’ rhythm around

Up in Harlem in every flat

They give it that zing Which according to one and all

Is what they call swing

Those who can’t afford silk and satin Dance with gigolos who are Latin Come from Yonkers the Bronx and Staten Spreadin’ rhythm around

From the film King of Burlesque with Alice Faye