TC 69 Report post Posted January 8, 2014 Holy crap. I've AAALWAYS overlooked this song...not sure why! But I just had my first real moment with it. I listened to it while reading the lyrics and I just connected with it. I have no idea if I'm making it up, but she sounds like she's emulating Billie Holiday when she sings certain parts of the song...especially the little wet tears line. SOOOOOOOOOOOO good. I'm so glad Regina is still surprising me, four years on... Lady sing the blues so wellAs if she mean itAs if it's hell down hereIn the smoke-filled worldWhere the jokes are cold, they don't laugh at jokesThey laugh at tragediesCorner street societiesBut they believe herThey never leave her while she singsShe make them feel safeShe says, 'I can sing this song so blueThat you will cry in spite of youLittle wet tears on your baby's shoulderLittle wet tears on your baby's shoulderAnd I have walked these streets so longThere ain't nothin' right, there ain't nothin' wrongBut the little wet tears on my baby's shoulderLittle wet tears on my baby's shoulder.'Lady lights a cigarette, puffs away, no regretsTakes a look around, no regrets, no regretsStretches out like branches of a poplar treeSays, 'I am free;' sings so soft as if she'll breakSays, 'I can sing this song so blueThat you will cry in spite of youLittle wet tears on your baby's shoulderLittle wet tears on your baby's shoulderAnd I have walked these streets so longThere ain't nothin' right, nothin' wrongBut the little wet tears on my baby's shoulderLittle wet tears on my baby's shoulderBut on this stage I've learned to flyLearned to sing and learned to cryLittle wet tears on my baby's shoulderLittle wet tears on my baby's shoulderBut now it's time to say goodbyeSome might laugh, but I will surely cryLittle wet tears on my baby's shoulderLittle wet tears on my baby's shoulder.'Lady lights a cigarettePuffs awayAnd winter comesAnd sheForgets 1 Barth reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robertaxel 171 Report post Posted January 8, 2014 Oh, there is no doubt Regina is emulating Billie Holiday here. I read an interview that Billie was one of her main influences in college. There is also some classic Regina lyricism here.. "As if it's hell down here In the smoke-filled world Where the jokes are cold, they don't laugh at jokes They laugh at tragedies" "Lady lights a cigarette, puffs away, no regrets Takes a look around, no regrets, no regrets Stretches out like branches of a poplar tree Says, 'I am free;' sings so soft as if she'll break" Regina writes more like a short story writer than just about any songwriter I can think of.. 1 Barth reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RJLupin2 78 Report post Posted January 9, 2014 "Lady lights a cigarette, puffs away, no regrets Takes a look around, no regrets, no regrets Stretches out like branches of a poplar treeSays, 'I am free;' sings so soft as if she'll break" That's my favorite part of the whole song. I love the build up. 1 Barth reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jesse 4 Report post Posted January 9, 2014 Am I making this up, or has Regina said that this song is ABOUT Billie Holiday? I thought that was confirmed for some reason. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robertaxel 171 Report post Posted January 10, 2014 Well, Regina has generally been reluctant to specify the meaning of her songs, but she has stated in interviews that Billie Holiday was generally an influence. The imagery and phrasing of the song seem to be fairly clear references to Billie. I see the song as a tribute to Billie rather than being specifically about her... 1 Barth reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TC 69 Report post Posted January 10, 2014 Yeah! According to interviews, Regina is a huuuge Billie Holiday fan. I remember reading that Regina learned to sing by perfecting sing-y impressions of different vocalists, and I'm pretty sure Billie was one of them. Also, I think Billie Holiday was even called "Lady" sometimes? So, yeah! I think it's definitely Billie Holiday related and I'd thought that for awhile -- I'd just never listened to the song closely enough to hear the Billie Holidayness in some of the lines. Also, the line about poplar trees seems like a reference to Holiday's "Strange Fruit," one of the lines being "Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees." Edit Oh! Looks like one of Holiday's last albums is called "Lady Sings the Blues," too! 1 Barth reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChooSum 12 Report post Posted January 13, 2014 I have no idea if I'm making it up, but she sounds like she's emulating Billie Holiday when she sings certain parts of the song...especially the little wet tears line. I agree. It's really quite astounding how close Regina sounds like Billie Holiday in this song. I listen to 'Lady' right after Billie Holiday's 'Strange Fruit' all the time just to marvel at the similarities and connections between the two. I also absolutely loved the part in the end here Regina stops singing and the music kicks in. The piano and the saxophone sounded like they were battling each other for attention while unknowingly merging into one hauntingly beautiful composition. 2 Barth and TC reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Barth 28 Report post Posted January 26, 2014 This might be slightly easier to figure out if you know that the great saxophonist Lester Young caled Billie Holliday "Lady Day" a nickname that almost took theplace of her real name. So, ummm, "Lady sings the blues..." can really mean only one person (unless Lady Gaga takes to the blues, I suppose). Maybe these two clips will answer this question for you. Regina's own version of My Man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-ijAkuVcew Regina doing the original (famously recorded by many including, of course, Streisand), but, probably most notably: by Lady Day,who Regina clearly channels: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpWXAWLAwRo OK,here's the Lady herself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LHz8MvDMjk or, more recently: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf0ldEBBJhY 1 robertaxel reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites