Bessy Smith - Tain't Nobodys Business If I Do (1923)

[MultiPrettygurl92]

I LOVE DIS SONG!!!!

[plafkinfarms]

I have never heard of Bessy Smith before I found this site; for the older generation, this must truly bring back wonderful memories. Sometimes it is hard to experience the emotions and feelings of those who have gone before us; Bessy Smith obviously expresses those feelings. Roger Plafkin-Plafkin Farms

[InjuryDuty]

@duncantrussell sent me here! Long Live The Lavender Hour!

[NoRosesForMe]

why is there an ad on a song that is public domain? At least I think this is public domain. I hate Youtube. But thanks for posting. Peace

[Squarerig]

Just a voice and a piano-no electronics;nothing else and what an effect.Marvellous!!

[willpn100]

The honking melody of rock and roll music has a clearly defined ancestry in jazz going back to Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith of 90 years ago. Bessie Smith was ahead of her time.

[woos2045]

heaveeee duty man....one could base an era of music off this chick 

[lonergan2468]

Just wish I could step back in time and be there, esp the St Louis blues recording. Apparantly, so it has been said, you could hear her five blocks away..without a mike !

[newcreature2011]

@jazzscherzo Indeed!

[laughingowl28]

such soul! no wonder she is immortal.

[newcreature2011]

Wow...she riffed the "m" in the word "me"...(at 'quit me'). WHO DOES THAT?!!! "Me" is a one syllable, two letter word and she riffs the first letter...ONE letter! Genius...wow.

[clarkewi]

Still the definitive standard for  the song.

[ord2jpn]

Her voice sends chills up my spine...seriously. Has anyone heard Louis Armstrong's, "Black and Blue?" Another song that will have thhe same effect.

[MJRookieRook]

Empress of Soul

[JayLynn524]

I'm 14 and I absolutely love this song. I wish more people around my age can appreciate music like this.

[Manu220798]

@JayLynn524 i'm 12... 

[PunkRockFreak09]

@JayLynn524 I concur. This song is pure gold. Bessie and others like her made wonderful music and it's sad our generation cannot even fathom or recognize it.

[gcpropertymanagement]

Bless this great American woman. What would this country be without women like her?

[Parriso007]

I love this version best too :-)

[TheBlueBeatle3]

I heard this on Lady Sings The Blues and just fell in love with the song.. I love this version best. what better than the original? (:

[raindrops1979]

love it..

[mjjcng8958]

does anybody feel like billie holiday was ifluenced by bessie smith? b/c they sound alike

[Zairebabyphat]

@mjjcng8958 i think so to it,s in bille bio that she was infulenced by Bessie and Louis Armstrong

[TheGee513]

yes she states that Bessie Smith has influenced her in earlier biographies@mjjcng8958

[Rajishanaful]

@mjjcng8958 She definitely was - Billie Holiday grew up listening to Bessie Smith and she was a big influence on her

[iwritethemsongs]

OMG bessi's pic here is spooooky, i feel her spirit in this pic lookin' right at me almost, I can't look it..but I'm going to sing this song with my band (scrolling her pic out of my sight to hear the music)/the older crowd will love this when I sing it right after I sing my Jasmine Sullivan song "I bust the windows out your car"

[embracesme]

wow i love bessie smith thank you edmundusrex

[jibsmokestack1]

Perhaps the greatest song ever!!

[shiningarainbow]

im ok with libertarians as long as they ain't racist 'cause i never met a black one yet and we've had enough of the oppression of our people, all of us less-than-rich black girls i think can all agree we love that bessie practically beat up the KKK and inspired every modern musician we listen to. thank you bessie you inspire us i relate to what you say and your soul shines in each word, each note, my mama played your records for me when i was little i'll play them for my daughter one day

[shiningarainbow]

thank you bessie. you were brave and wonderful, you dared to be yourself so genuine. i heard in a documentary about how when the KKK came after you and your band and audience you went up to them and scared them out of town. bless you, strong, beautiful, inspirational, unique, talented (heard you never had a voice lesson - and you didn't need one you were a natural) saint (who says a sinner can't be a saint - i say you are 'cause you embody all we love about America, humans, and music). Eternal!

[MsMig88]

this is good but I'm kind of use to Lady Day's version

[twiggyoful]

Now this Blues....

[twiggyoful]

Real Blues Lady......

[etcapel]

lyrics like these wouldn't stand up now...you can just see the non politically correct brigade coming forward...rightly so...but still one of the best blues songs ever.

[manjeeto]

bessie hits my soul like no other i heard her when i was in my 20 s and she has been with me always now i am in my 50s and she still brings tears she is surely one of the greatest singers of all time she was a insperation to janice joplin. the rawness in her voice is the origins of music its self that is what hits the soul

[usuarioyoutification]

Muy buena cancion

[AUBification]

If I should take a notion

To jump into the ocean,

'Tain't nobody's business if I do.

[avchavis]

Always love Bessie Smith

[sirjuandabicho]

Bellisimo, muchas gracias

[Y0UTARD]

Mmm. That hits the spot.

Thanks for posting.

[djmrkb89]

bessie smith rocks my world!! does any1 know the name of a song by her saying "my name is bessie smith & when i sang, you listen"? thanks 4 any help!!

[brennaboo]

One of the best damn songs ever ever ever. Ever. I love you Bessie Smith.

[SyhLasFra3]

this song came out the year my great grandmother was born. Bessie Smith is a great singer,too.

[ThatsABiggon]

one of the mothers of gospel singing

[sweetaliena]

Gospel singing started before her and she wasn't very religious.

To me, she one of the greatest singer of blues. An amazing, beautiful, raw, powerful voice. Love her.

[ThatsABiggon]

You must be a Christian. Gospel & blues have the same origins, but blues innovations invaded gospel several times during the 20th century (Thomas Dorsey, stride piano, the advent of blues & jazz organ techniques). Gospel is not it's own entity & never has been. Both styles come from field singing, which originated from Various African styles (search Hoddu, Xalam, Gonje, African origins of the blues). Bessie smith influenced Mahalia Jackson (& others) who in turn influenced a whole new Generation

[sweetaliena]

Yes, I'm a Christian but not religious and I didn't say gospel started before the blues! But Bessie Smith influence a style of singing that was integrated in gospel or other styles of music but she wasn't a gospel singer. She was an influence, yes, but an originator of gospel, no.

[ThatsABiggon]

@sweetaliena. I just saw your response. I call her "one of the mothers of gospel". Not a gospel singer. Her style & other blues styles of that day did largely help to create what we know as Gospel. Jazz was the only other influence. So, in that sense she was an (one of many) originator(s) of modern gospel sound. As I said at its purest gospel singing is completely African & shares origins with the blues, but evolving innovations in blues & jazz styles were what made gospel what it is.

[djboony]

wow how do u get that shirt so clean mate!?

[sandydidit]

This 1923 original Bessie version of a much-covered tune is the greatest pop song of the 20th century. It's also a fave of modern libertarians...

No matter your political persuasion, spread the news about Bessie Smith's greatness.

[charliebubblesoar]

She's officially my favourite singer of all time. What a brilliant, brilliant lady.

[DiamondSoul]

Bessy Smith is spectacular.

[bloodsuckingfly]

she is fantastic

[tdpprocessing]

Thanks for adding this!

[Corrie121]

Superb!!!

Thanks for sharing.