Nina Simone - Lilac wine

Lilac Wine song by Nina Simone, album Wild is the wind (1966).
Clip created and published for the first time by an unknown author : Nina Simone film inside the TV screen from Leave or Love me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sAbW0ONRBU
No other record or live version by NS (?).
Before NS : Eartha Kitt (1953), an other exiled black singer.
After NS : Jeff Buckley, Elkie Brooks, Katie Melula, Cinematic Orchestra, many versions in England.
Even Helen Merrill with strings orchestra at the end of her life !
More recently Jeff Beck and Imelda May.
In 2009 Lizz Wright in the show homage to NinaSimone "Sing the Truth" with Diana Reeves, Simone Kelly and Angélique Kidjo.
In France Fanny Ardant (last french director François Truffaut's wife).

Lilac Wine, lyrics and music by James Shelton,1950.
From "Dance Me a Song", short life musical revue (35 performances) of 1950 directed by James Shelton on Broadway (Royale Theatre.
Creation by Hope Foye, a black singer pursued in 1952 by the McCarthy commission, blacklisted as Paul Robeson and exiled for long years.
Eartha Kitt and Nina Simone both also exiled for political reasons 25 years later after the fight for civil rights of the sixties !
Perhaps the meaning of the peculiar emotion of the version of Nina Simone, one of the rare singers of "Strange fruit" after Billie Holliday.

Lyrics :
"I lost myself on a cool damp night
Gave myself in that misty light
Was hypnotized by a strange delight
Under a lilac tree
I made wine from the lilac tree
Put my heart in its recipe
It makes me see what I want to see
Be what I want to be
When I think more than I want to think
Do things I never should do
I drink much more than I ought to drink
Because it brings me back you...

Lilac wine is sweet and heady, like my love
Lilac wine, I feel unsteady, like my love
Listen to me... I cannot see clearly
Isn't he coming to me nearly here?
Lilac wine is sweet and heady, where's my love?
Lilac wine, I feel unsteady, where's my love?
Listen to me, why is everything so hazy?
Isn't he, or am I going crazy, dear?
Lilac Wine, I feel unready for my love,
Feel unready for my love."

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Lilac Wine
• Nina Simone
• dtolbiac

[dtolbiac]

You're right.

But I think there's more personal implication of soul among Nina Simone than the others. "Lilac wine"sounds as "I Like Wine."

Lilac Wine looks to fascinate and passionate people. More than 60 000 views in one year, 200 every day. Yet it has never been one of her most famous songs !

Can you explain me why ?

[cleanpalette]

THIS GIVES ME GOOSEBUMPS! Jeff Buckley's version is amazing, but this version is more haunting. The ambiance created by the piano is more intense.

[dtolbiac]

@cleanpalette

In french we say "la chair de poule" (the skin of the chicken).

For me the best version, for all times.

[SopeV0point1]

every version I have heard of this song is amazing, but this has to be one of the best, Jeff Buckleys is second. thank you up-loader, thank you with capitols!

[dtolbiac]

@SopeV0point1

I like also Lizz Wright singing Lilac Wine in the show "Sing the Truth", homage to Nina Simone with Diana Reeves, Simone Kelly and Angélique Kidjo.

[smacl6301]

@dtolbiac, Great video. For your chronology, Jeff Beck and Imelda May put out a version of this song recently as well. The Nina Simone one is still the only one for me, having listened to the rest a few times. Not sure why, haunting on the verge of desperation, very moving stuff.

[dtolbiac]

@smacl6301

I had forgotten Lizz Wright in the show "Sing the Truth" homage to Nina Simone !!

[Eamonn20a]

The best versions for ME are this one and the one by Elkie Brooks..

[tommylgoodkin]

I'm sorry.. I'm a huge simone fan but buckley did it way, way better.

[RiickDmusic]

where can I download this song?

[Supernovacaligari]

what a sad song¡¡¡¡

[Jbar542]

beautiful !!!

[mrlighthouse69]

The people who didn't like this must not be able to hear

[beforeourveryeyes]

AMAZING goosebumps/ thank YOU!

[timjmoran]

@SopeV0point1 You might also want to check out Imelda May's incredible

Interpretation of this most beautiful tune.. it's on Jeff Beck's latest alb..".Emotion & Commotion" .... can't imagine how it could be sung any

better.. as great as Jeff Buckley's version is.May's voice

is simply stunning.

[TheSweetestInsanity]

I think the Elkie Brooks, Jefff Buckley and Nina Simone versions are all beautiful in a different way. Same lyrics, same song but at the same time completely different