"Don't Explain" is a song written by

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

singer

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...

and Arthur Herzog Jr. It was Holiday's final song.

Overview

In her 1956 autobiography, Holiday cites the infidelity of her first husband, Jimmy Monroe, as the inspiration for this song; specifically, an instance in which Monroe's woeful attempt to explain away lipstick on his collar elicits Holiday's disgusted response: "Take a bath, man; don't explain."

Recording session

Session #52: New York City, November 8, 1944,

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, record label * Decca Gold, classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, musical theater record label * Decca Studios, recording facility in West ...

, Toots Camarata and His Orchestra, with Russ Case (trumpet), Hymie Schertzer, Jack Cressey (alto saxophone), Larry Binyon and Dave Harris (tenor saxophone), Dave Bowman (piano), Carl Kress (guitar), Haig Stephens (bass), George Wettling (drums),

(vocals), and six strings.

Notable cover versions

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(1954) *

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(1957) * Abbey Lincoln (1957) * Charlie Byrd (1958) *

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(1959) *

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– for her album '' Trav'lin' Light'' (1961) *

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– ''I Wanna Be Loved'' (1962) *

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(1962) *

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– in her album '' Let It All Out'' (1966) *

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– included in her album '' Woman Talk'' (1966) * Lou Rawls (1966) *

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– for the album '' Lady Sings the Blues'' (1972) *

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– '' Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday'' (1994) * Regina Carter (1995) * Dakota Staton (1996) *

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(1996) *

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(2001) * Angela McCluskey (2002) * Rita Reys (2004) *

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(2008) * Oleta Adams (2009) - '' Let's Stay Here'' album * DeeDee Bridgewater (2010) *

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– '' Lady Sings the Blues'' (2015)

Trivia

Lyrics from "Don't Explain" were sung by Carlo Marx (portrayed by actor Tom Sturridge) in the 2012 film adaptation by

Walter Salles Walter Moreira Salles Júnior (; ; born 12 April 1956) is a Brazilian filmmaker. A major figure of the Resumption Cinema in Brazil, Salles is widely regarded as one of the greatest Brazilian filmmakers of all time. His List of awards and nomina ...

of the 1957 novel by

Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian ...

, ''

On the Road ''On the Road'' is a 1957 novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across the United States. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat and Counterculture generations, with its protagoni ...

'', which premiered at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

.Alagna, Magdalena. ''Billie Holiday'', The Rosen Publishing Group (2003), page 61 –

References

External links

Billie Holiday discography

{{Authority control 1944 songs 1946 singles Billie Holiday songs Songs written by Billie Holiday Songs written by Arthur Herzog Jr. Torch songs 1940s jazz standards Songs about infidelity