THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
345-Bessie Smith-Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out.
1929. It has never charted in the UK. There was no UK chart until 1952.
Best Bit-At 0.55. Bessie Smith’s ‘honorific’ nickname was initially ‘Queen of the Blues,’ but as her career progressed she was promoted to the ‘Empress of the Blues.’
Honorific nicknames are often used by the media, or fans of an artist to indicate their significance, they are often religious, royal, or aristocratic titles, used metaphorically. There are literally dozens and dozens of artists who have been given honorific nicknames, some which come instantly to mind are ‘The King of Rock ‘N Roll’ (Elvis Presley) ‘The King of Pop’ (Michael Jackson) and ‘The Boss’ (Bruce Springsteen.)
Bessie Smith was born on April 15th, 1894, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States, she died on September 26th, 1937, at the age of 43 after being critically injured in a car crash on ‘U.S. Route 61,’ between Memphis, Tennessee, and Clarksdale, Mississippi. Smith was the most popular female Blues singer of the 1920’s, and 1930’s, and a major influence on fellow Blues singers, and the generations to come, including Billie Holiday (1915-1959) (see also best songs 624.) Smith herself was inspired by the ‘Mother of the Blues’ Gertrude ”Ma” Rainey (1886-1939) with whom she toured with before starting her recording career. After her death Smith’s estranged husband Jack Gee (1889-1973) thwarted all efforts to purchase a stone to mark her grave, once or twice pocketing the money raised for that purpose for himself. Smith’s grave remained unmarked until 1970 when a tombstone was paid for by Janis Joplin (1943-1970) (see also best songs 341) and Juanita Green, who in her youth had done housework for Smith. There was no official record chart in the United States until 1936, so no official chart positions are available for the recordings of Bessie Smith who released 162 ’78 RPM Singles’ between 1923-1933, of which ‘Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out,’ was her 133rd release, recorded on May 15th, 1929. Since her death there have been 13 official compilation Albums issued between 1938-1997.
Bessie Smith was one of the early innovators of what is now called ‘Classic female blues,’ which was an early form of ‘Blues music,’ popular in the 1920’s. ‘Classic female blues’ is a mixture and blend of traditional ‘Folk Blues,’ and ‘Urban theatre music,’ the style is also known as ‘Vaudeville Blues.’ ‘Classic Blues’ were performed by female singers accompanied by pianists or small Jazz ensembles, and were the first Blues music to be recorded. Ma Rainey, (1886-1939) Bessie Smith, (1894-1937) Ethel Waters, (1896-1977) and other singers in this genre, were instrumental in spreading the popularity of the ‘Blues.’ ‘Blues’ is a type of ‘black Folk music’ that originated in the American South, and was mainly in the form of work songs until about 1900. The ‘Classic female blues’ singers were pioneers in the record industry, being among the first black singers and Blues artists recorded. Artists including Mahalia Jackson, (1911-1972) and Janis Joplin, (1943-1970) are among those who named Bessie Smith as an influence.
‘Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out’ was written in 1923, two years before his death at the age of 42, by the American Vaudeville pianist Jimmy Cox (1882-1925.) Cox was inspired to write the song following the 1920–1921 economic depression. The depression occurred amid a post–World War I recession that affected much of the world’s leading economies. During this period, the United States economy experienced a severe downturn, and unemployment skyrocketed. It was the largest one year economic decline in nearly a century and a half, and was far worse than any year during the ‘Great Depression.’ Although Jimmy Cox copyrighted the song in 1923, the first known recording did not appear until 1927, by the Blues artist Bobby Leecan, (1897-1946) who recorded his version under the name ‘Blind Bobby Baker and his guitar.’ Bessie Smith recorded ‘Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out’ on May 15th, 1929, in New York City. She recorded the song with instrumental accompaniment, including a small trumpet section. When the record was released on Friday, September 13th, 1929, the lyrics turned out to be oddly prophetic. The New York stock market had reached an all time high less than two weeks earlier, only to go into its biggest decline two weeks later in the ‘Wall Street Crash’ of 1929, which signalled the beginning of the 10 years ‘Great Depression.’ The version recorded by Bessie Smith has become her signature song, and has led to the song becoming a ‘Blues standard.’
‘Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out’ was written during the ‘Roaring Twenties,’ a time of economic prosperity. The lyrics are a warning not to squander your money because the good times may not last all that long, and the people that want to know you while you are on top, will not be so keen to, once your finances have gone.
‘Once I lived the life of a millionaire, spent all my money, I just did not care. Took all my friends out for a good time, bought bootleg liquor, champagne and wine.’