I've got those Monday blues, straight through Sunday blues
First song I ever heard by the great Billie Holiday. Like much of her best work, it's simple, haunting and bloody depressing. It was stuck in my head for weeks.
It was written by Dan Fisher, Irene Higginbotham and Ervin Drake*, and has also been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald. While Ella Fitzgerald has a beautiful voice, I find Billie Holiday better for sad songs. She sounds more sincere, somehow. This song wouldn't be much to shout about without Billie Holiday's singing. As Chris Ellis, writing the sleeve notes for The Legend of Billie Holiday (MCA Records, 1985), argues:
"In a life that lasted only 44 years she had known just about all there was to know about poverty and injustice and much about wealth and fame too and everything she learned came out in her singing, so that even the cheapest piece of Tin Pan Alley doggerel took on a deeper meaning in her hands"
It's about loss, and heartache, and sorrow, and getting so used to it that it seems familiar.
Good morning, heartache, sit down
*Thanks to Ereneta for the info.
Words in italics are from Billie Holiday's recording of 'Good Morning Heartache', from The Legend of Billie Holiday, 1985: MCA Records. Copyright is held by MCA Records.