Don't Explain (song)
{{Short description|1946 single by Billie Holiday}}
{{Other uses|Don't Explain (disambiguation){{!}}Don't Explain}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Don't Explain
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Billie Holiday
| album =
| B-side = What Is This Thing Called Love?
| released = 1946
| recorded = November 8, 1944
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Jazz
| length = 2:53
| label = Decca
| writer = Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog Jr.
| producer =
| prev_title = Lover Man
| prev_year = 1945
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
"Don't Explain" is a song written by jazz singer Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr. It was Holiday's final song. Jacobs, Dick & Harriet. Who Wrote That Song?, Writers Digest Books (1994), page 57 – {{ISBN|0-89879-639-3}}.
Overview
In her 1956 autobiography, Holiday cites the infidelity of her first husband, Jimmy Monroe, as the inspiration for this song; specifically, an instance in which Monroe's woeful attempt to explain away lipstick on his collar elicits Holiday's disgusted response: "Take a bath, man; don't explain."Holiday. Billie (1956; 2006). [https://books.google.com/books?id=UVaNDQAAQBAJ&dq=%22jimmy+monroe%22+%22don%27t+explain%22+%22take+a+bath+man%22+intitle%3Alady+intitle%3Asings+intitle%3Athe+intitle%3Ablues+inauthor%3Aholiday&pg=PA119 "Mother's Son-in-Law"]. Lady Sings the Blues. New York: Harlem Moon, Broadway Books (Random House). p. 119. {{ISBN|978-0-7679-2386-6}}.
Recording session
Session #52: New York City, November 8, 1944, Decca, Toots Camarata and His Orchestra, with Russ Case (trumpet), Hymie Schertzer, Jack Cressey (alto saxophone), Larry Binyon and Dave Harris (tenor saxophone), Dave Bowman (piano), Carl Kress (guitar), Haig Stephens (bass), George Wettling (drums), Billie Holiday (vocals), and six strings.{{cite web|url=http://www.billieholidaysongs.com/all_songs#1944 |title=Billie Holiday Studio Songs |access-date=January 30, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910151436/http://www.billieholidaysongs.com/all_songs |archive-date=September 10, 2011 }}
Notable cover versions
{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2016}}
{{div col}}
- Helen Merrill (1954)
- George Shearing (1956)
- John Coltrane (1957)
- Abbey Lincoln (1957)
- Charlie Byrd (1958)
- Wes Montgomery (1959)
- Anita O'Day – for her album Trav'lin' Light (1961)
- Dinah Washington – I Wanna Be Loved (1962){{cite web |title=Discogs.com |year=1962 |url=https://www.discogs.com/Dinah-Washington-I-Wanna-Be-Loved/master/392909 |publisher=discogs |access-date=November 9, 2018}}
- Dexter Gordon (1962)
- Nina Simone – in her album Let It All Out (1966)
- Carmen McRae – included in her album Woman Talk (1966)
- Lou Rawls (1966)
- Charles McPherson (1971)
- Diana Ross – for the album Lady Sings the Blues (1972)
- Grover Washington, Jr. (1973)
- Rosemary Clooney – for her album Here's to My Lady (1978)
- Nikki Sudden & Rowland S. Howard (1987)
- Mary Black (1987)
- Dos (1989)
- Robert Palmer – Don't Explain (1990)
- Dušan Prelević (1991)
- Elkie Brooks – Round Midnight (1993)
- Natalie Cole – for her album Take a Look (1993)
- Miki Howard (1993)
- Diana Ross (1993)
- Gabrielle Goodman with Kevin Eubanks (1993)
- Etta James – Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday (1994)
- Regina Carter (1995)
- Dakota Staton (1996)
- Vanessa Daou (1996)
- Molly Johnson (2000)
- Sarah Vaughan (2001)
- Angela McCluskey (2002)
- Rita Reys (2004)
- Herbie Hancock with Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan (2005)
- Lisa Stansfield (2005)
- Lils Mackintosh (2005)
- David Clayton-Thomas (2006) (In Concert: A Musical Biography).
- Inger Marie Gundersen – included in her album By Myself (2006)
- Nnenna Freelon (2007)
- Cat Power (2008)
- Oleta Adams (2009) - Let's Stay Here album
- DeeDee Bridgewater (2010)
- Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa (2011)
- Malia (2012){{cite web |url=https://jazztimes.com/reviews/vox/malia-black-orchid/ |title=Malia: Black Orchid |author=Christopher Loudon |work=JazzTimes |date= December 13, 2012 |access-date=April 11, 2018}}
- Xiu Xiu (2013)
- Mariah Carey (2014){{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpcdsNlIfw0 |title=Mariah Carey Don't Explain live in japan 2014 the elusive chanteuse show |via=YouTube |date=November 7, 2014 |access-date=July 26, 2016}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}
- Mark Steiner & His Problems (2014)
- Nancy Kelly (2014){{cite web |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/b-that-way-nancy-kelly-self-produced-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php?width=1024 |title=Nancy Kelly: B That Way |author=C. Michael Baitley |date=November 8, 2014 |work=All About Jazz |access-date=April 11, 2018}}
- Cassandra Wilson (2015)
- Rebecca Ferguson – Lady Sings the Blues (2015)
- Snoh Aalegra (2016)
{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/search/track/Don%27t+Explain/order:default-asc |title=Track Search: Don't Explain | AllMusic |website=AllMusic |access-date=January 26, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101215054516/http://www.allmusic.com/search/track/Don%27t+Explain/order%3Adefault-asc |archive-date=December 15, 2010 }}
Trivia
Lyrics from "Don't Explain" were sung by Carlo Marx (portrayed by actor Tom Sturridge) in the 2012 film adaptation by Walter Salles of the 1957 novel by Jack Kerouac, On the Road, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.Alagna, Magdalena. Billie Holiday, The Rosen Publishing Group (2003), page 61 – {{ISBN|0-8239-3640-6}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100702060641/http://www.billieholidaysongs.com/vinyl_discography.htm Billie Holiday discography]
- [http://www.ladyday.net/song/song44.html "Don't Explain" lyrics]
- [http://jazzstandards.com/compositions-2/dontexplain.htm "Don't Explain" at Jazz Standards]
{{Billie Holiday}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Billie Holiday