A Thousand Shades of Twilight: The Saddest Songs in the World #2 - "Lush Life" by Billy Strayhorn, sung by Sarah Vaughan

August 03, 2008

The Saddest Songs in the World #2 - "Lush Life" by Billy Strayhorn, sung by Sarah Vaughan

(Painting by Charles Zingaro in "Your Bible and You")

Given that I am meant to be starting a bit of a health kick as of tomorrow, which means cutting down on the thrills and cheap liquor, I thought it was an appropriate time to include one of my all time favourite songs, 'Lush Life'.

It's a masterful song, especially the way in which the music follows the lyrics. Perhaps this is evidence of Billy Strayhorn's Classical background - in every sense of the word, it is an "art-song". It sounds like Billy had a pretty troubled life, having an abusive alcoholic father, being gay and black in a homophobic, racist time. So I think he knows of what he speaks.

As much as I love Sarah Vaughan, this isn't my favourite version of the song. I have a wonderful version of Blossom Dearie performing it live, unfortunately only on vinyl ("Needlepoint Magic"). She prefaces it in her typically dry manner by saying: "It's a very sad song and it took me 11 years to learn. It's very difficult to play and even harder to sing. And on top of that, it's sad." She giggles and then launches into a restrained, thoughtful and heartbreaking rendition. I love the way she swells the line "I'll live a lush life" before the song peters out as if she never was there at all. Like a moth in our memory. But that's Blossom Dearie.

Killer lines: "where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life to get the feel of life from jazz and cocktails" and "Ah, yes I was wrong. Again I was wrong."

The use of the word "again" adds so much.

I used to visit all the very gay places
Those come-what-may places
Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life --
To get the feel of life
From jazz and cocktails.

The folks I knew had sad and sullen gray faces
With distingue traces
That used to be there -- You could see where they'd been washed away
By too many through the day
Twelve o'clock tales

Then you came along with your siren song
To tempt me to madness...
I thought for a while that your poignant smile
Was tinged with the sadness...
Of a great love for me.
Ah yes, I was wrong.
Again, I was wrong.

Life is lonely again,
And only last year, everything seemed so sure.
Now life is awful again,
A trough full of hearts could only be a bore.

A week in Paris will ease the bite of it
All I care is to smile in spite of it

I'll forget you, I will
While yet you are still
Burning inside my brain
Romance is mush
Stifling those who strive
I'll live a lush life in some small dive
And there I'll be, while I rot with the rest
Of those whose lives are lonely too.