BLACK AND BLUE
[aka (WHAT DID I DO TO BE SO) BLACK AND BLUE]
(Thomas "Fats" Waller / Harry Brooks / Andy Razaf)
Louis Armstrong & His Orch. - 1929
Ruben Reeves & His River Boys (vocal: Blanche Calloway) - 1929
Duke Ellington & His Jungle Band - 1929
Red Nichols & His Five Pennies - 1929
Ethel Waters - 1930
Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orch. - 1935
Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars - 1947
Frankie Laine - 1947
Little Jackson Willie & His Original Honeydrippers - 1947
Earl Hines & His Orch. - 1947
Dinah Washington - 1957
Cast (feat. in the Broadway Show "Ain't Misbehavin') - 1978
The Pointer Sisters (feat. in the Show "Ain't Misbehavin') - 1985
Bobby Short - 1986
Carmen McRae - 1987
Linda Hopkins, Ruth Brown & Carrie Smith
(feat. in the Broadway Show "Black And Blue") - 1989
Cast (feat. in the London Production of "Ain't Misbehavin') - 1995
Also recorded by: Teresa Brewer; Lou Rawls; Nat Gonella;
Eddie Condon & Wild Bill Davison; Kid Ory; Ralph Sutton;
Lionel Hampton; Roy Eldridge; Pete Fountain; Gene Krupa;
Muggsy Spanier; Jack Teagarden: ....... and many others.
Out in the street, shufflin' feet
Couples passin' two by two
While here am I, left high and dry
Black, and 'cause I'm black I'm blue
Browns and yellers, all have fellers
Gentlemen prefer them light
Wish I could fade, can't make the grade
Nothing but dark days in sight
Cold, empty bed, springs hard as lead
Pains in my head, feel like old Ned
What did I do to be so black and blue?
No joys for me, no company
Even the mouse ran from my house
All my life through I've been so black and blue
I'm white inside, it don't help my case
'Cause I can't hide, what is on my face, oh!
I'm so forlorn, life's just a thorn
My heart is torn, why was I born?
What did I do to be so black and blue?
'Cause you're black, folks think you lack
They laugh at you, and scorn you too
What did I do to be so black and blue?
When you are near, they laugh and sneer
Set you aside and you're denied
What did I do to be so black and blue?
How sad I am, each day I feel worse
My mark of Ham seems to be a curse, oh
How will it end? ain't got a friend
My only sin is my skin
What did I do to be so black and blue?
