Well, listening so much to Billie Holiday all this weekend. I kinda wrote down this song, which at two places refers to two of her different songs. I have tried to write down the kind of song/poem she used to sing in her satin voice.

I have titled it:

When you come to my memory

When you come to my memoryI conjure up a story
A delightful story
Of a summer romance
Wherein we had met
Perchance
In the small cafe
Across the way
And danced
To Billie Holiday
Singing, ‘If you were mine…’
Remember your serene face
Like sunlight falling on pines
Your sweet gaze
Like the moon shines

When you come to my memory
I conjure up a story
Of a June night
Where we escaped away
To Sweetheart Bay
Where we stayed
The moonlit night
You lifted your lips to mine
As I kissed the curl
That lingered at your lips
And then the girl
I most loved
One I saw dreams of
Everyday

When you come to my memory
A thought perturbs
Nudges and disturbs, me,
So, I conjure up a story
Of a summer romance
Wherein by chance
We had met
And danced.

Here I post a song by Billie Holiday. ‘I get along without you very well.’

Note how Holiday sounds like a deluded, heart-broken woman singing in self-mockery, ‘I get along without you very well…’

Note how the simple lyrics are elevated to an altogether different level by the magical, heart-breaking, shattering, satin voice of ‘Lady Day’, Billie Holiday

I get along without you very well
Of course, I do
Except when soft rains fall
And drip from leaves
Then I recall
The thrill of being sheltered in your arms
Of course, I do
But I get along without you very well

I’ve forgotten you just like I should
Of course, I have
Except to hear your name
Or someones laugh that is the same
But I’ve forgotten you just like I should

What a guy
What a fool am I
To think my breaking heart
Could kid the moon
What’s in store,
Should I fall once more?
No, its best that I stick to my tune

I get along without you very well
Of course, I do
Except perhaps in spring
But I should never think of spring
For that would surely break my heart in two

Whats in store
Should I fall once more?
No, its best that I stick to my tune

I get along without you very well
Of course, I do
Except perhaps in spring
But I should never think of spring
For that would surely break my heart in two

I heard Billie Holiday’s voice first in the best romantic comedy that they ever made, the one that warmed the cockles of my heart, The Notebook. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams walts to the satin voice of Holiday as she sings, ‘I’ll be seeing you…’Every now and then I chance upon a singer whose works I know I will relish. (It was so with Begum Akhtar, etc.) It is kinda like recognizing a future partner in the first gaze. Well, anyway, when I heard Holiday, I instantly knew I now had a singer whose songs I will absolutely relish.
Albeit, I’ll be seeing you remains my favourite because its the first Holiday song I heard, nevertheless, she effuses all her heart and soul in each of her songs. My Old Flame is another such song. Listening to her is an abslute delight. Since you will fall in love with her voice the moment you hear it, — and the song you first hear will probably remain closer to your heart than the others — you can wisely choose which song of hers you wish to hear first. I will here post two songs along with their lyrics. You can choose which to hear first : ) Another great song I was tempted to include here was, ‘I get along without you very well’.

Almost all of her songs are sung to just a few instruments playing in the background. The songs are full of simple lyrics and poetry; it is the heart-breaking, satin voice of Holiday which elevates the simple lines to another level.
     

My Old Flame


My old flame
I can’t even think of his name
But it’s funny now and then
How my thoughts go
flashing back again
To my old flame
My old flame
My new lovers all seem so tame
For I haven’t met a gent

So innocent or elegant
As my old flame

I’ve met so many men
With fascinating ways
A fascinating gaze in their eyes
Som who sent me up to the skies
But their attempts at love
Were only imitations of
My old flame
I can’t even think of his name
But I’ll never be the same
Untill I discover what became
Of my old flame

I’ve met so many men
With fascinating ways
A fascinating gaze in their eyes
Som who sent me up to the skies
But their attempts at love
Were only imitations of
My old flame
I can’t even think of his name
But I’ll never be the same
Untill I discover what became
Of my old flame

Mandatory: Before proceeding, close your eyes and think of your beloved — or better still, think of an old flame : )



I’ll be seeing you

I’ll be seeing you
In all the old familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day through.

In that small cafe;
The park across the way;
The children’s carousel;
The chestnut trees;
The wishin’ well.

I’ll be seeing you
In every lovely summer’s day;
In every thing that’s light and gay.
I’ll always think of you that way.

I’ll find you
In the morning sun
And when the night is new.
I’ll be looking at the moon,
But I’ll be seeing you.

I’ll be seeing you
In every lovely summer’s day;
In every thing that’s light and gay.
I’ll always think of you that way.

I’ll find you
In the morning sun
And when the night is new.
I’ll be looking at the moon,
But I’ll be seeing you.

Mandatory: Before proceeding, close your eyes and think of your beloved/spouse/sweetheart : )





Many more songs there are by her which I find absolutely delightful. Some of these are:
(Do tap the links to read the simple poetry of her songs.)
Sophisticated Lady
I get along without you very well
Georgia on my mind
A sailboat in the moonlight
Tenderly
The man I love

Billie Holiday was nicknamed Lady Day. She was born in 1915 and died in ‘59.

It can’t be that you haven’t heard this song, and if indeed you haven’t then here I present you with one opportunity to redeem yourself of the sin of growing up without listening to Bob Dylan.

Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’
Or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won’t come again
And don’t speak too soon
For the wheel’s still in spin
And there’s no tellin’ who
That it’s namin’.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin’.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway
Don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There’s a battle outside
And it is ragin’.
It’ll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin’.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin’.
Please get out of the new one
If you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin’.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’.

The words in red resonate with the words of Gibran:

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself…
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not
even in your dreams.

I feel that the last stanza will be most applicable when China learns English, what do you say?

[Or may be you can hear them on Radio Farishta (World Space), the channel that plays old hindi (1950 - 70) only and never repeats a song in 48 hours.]

1. Mujhko apne gale lagalo, ae mere hamraahi,

Tumko kya batlaaunn main ki tumse kitna pyaar hai.

– Duet by Rafi and Shamshad Beghum

The song is a rare delight what with lyrics like, ‘tumko chu kar pavan jhakore, khushbu lekar jaate hain’. The simple and velvety renditions by Rafi and Shamshad Beghum give the listener an unmistakable sense of having a stroll with the beloved through a lane laid out with flowers! 

Duets like Jo vada kiya woh, Dil ki girah khol do, abhi na jaao chod kar, etc. one would often listen on the radio, but never this one!

2. Ashkon ne jo paaya hai By Talat Mahmood

Few would know that this is the song that contains the famous couplet: Jo taar se nikli hai woh dhun sabne suni hai, jo saaz pe guzri hai woh kis dil ko pata hai. I do not understand this couplet, nevertheless, something within me readily responds to it.

When talk veers around Talat, ppl mention Jalte hain jiske liye or Phir wohi shaam, this one is the lesser known!

3. Chandani Raatein - Noor Jahan.

When I first heard this one, I thought may be Lata Mangeshkar sung it at the age of 16!, since she had a distinct nasal twang to her voice in her earlier years (from the beginning of her career till when she was arnd 23 - only in late 50s did she begin to sing sweeeeetly). Later I googled it and so was introduced to this incredible singer whom Lata Mangeshkar looked up to.

PS How I uploaded these files is a story in itself! I dunno but I am not able to upload files at boomp3.com. So I uploaded files to www.esnips.com (by first making an account), then I went to the page that contained the file, then I simply copied the player (by selectng it, then clicking on “edit” on the toolbar above, then “copy”). Next, I simply pasted (ctrl +V) what I copied here, on the add-a-post-page. Now, so that the music does not play immediately when you come to this page, I had to set the autostart value in the HTML code to zero. So I checked the “View HTML” check box and looked for “autostart” and equated its value (from -1) to 0. I did this for all the 3 files. So, with my genius, now you know how to post audio files! : )

Listen it here

Singer: Mehdi Hassan

Translated by Ayesha Kaljuvee

Ranjish hi sahi dil hi dukhaanay kay liyay aa
Let it be anguish, come still to torment my heart
aa phir say mujhay chhorr kay jaanay kay liyay aa
Come, even if to leave me again

pehlay say maraasim na sahi phir bhi kabhi to
If not for our past association
rasm-o-rahay duniya hi nibhaanay kay liyay aa
Come to fulfill the rituals of the world

kis kis ko bataayengay judaai kaa sabab ham
Who else must I explain the reason of separation
tu mujh se khafaa hai to zamaanay kay liyay aa
Come, despite your displeasure, to continue the ceremony

kuchh to meri pindaar-e-mohabbat ka bharam rakh
Respect a little the depth of my love for you
tu bhi to kabhi mujh ko manaanay kay liyay aa
Come someday to placate me as well

ek umr say hun lazzat-e-giryaa se bhi mehruum
Too long have I been deprived of the pathos of longing
aye raahat-e-jaan mujh ko rulaanay kay liyay aa
Come my love, if only to make me weep again

ab tak dil-e-khush_feham ko tujh say hain ummeedain
Till now, my heart suffers from some expectation
ye aakhari shammain bhi bujhaanay kay liyay aa
Come to snuff even these last candles of hope