Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
| "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Single by Bessie Smith | |
| B-side | "Take It Right Back" |
| Released | September 13, 1929 |
| Format | 10-inch 78 rpm record |
| Recorded | New York City, May 15, 1929 |
| Genre | Blues |
| Length | 3:00 |
| Label | Columbia (no. 14451) |
| Writer(s) | Jimmy Cox |
"Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" is a blues standard written by Jimmy Cox in 1923. Its lyric, told from the point of view of a one-time millionaire during the Prohibition era, reflects on the fleeting nature of material wealth and the friendships that come and go with it. As a vaudeville-style blues, it was popularized by Bessie Smith, the preeminent female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s. Since her 1929 recording, it has been interpreted by numerous musicians in a variety of styles.
When "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" was composed in 1923 by Jimmy Cox, the "Roaring Twenties" were coming into full swing. After the post-World War I recession, a new era of prosperity was experienced in the U.S. and elsewhere. However, in the face of all the optimism, Cox wrote a cautionary tale about the fickle nature of fortune and its attendant relationships:
Once I lived the life of a millionaire, spendin' my money I didn't care
I carried my friends out for a good time, buying bootleg liquor, champagne and wine
When I begin to fall so low, I didn't have a friend and no place to go
So if I ever get my hand on a dollar again, I'm gonna hold on to it 'til them eagles grin
Nobody knows you, when you down and out
In my pocket not one penny, and my friends I haven't any
The song is a moderate-tempo blues with ragtime-influences, which follows an eight-bar progression:
Although "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" was published in 1923, the first known recording did not appear until 1927. Piedmont blues musician Bobby Leecan, who recorded with various ensembles, such as the South Street Trio, Dixie Jazzers Washboard Band, and Fats Waller's Six Hot Babies, recorded an early rendition of the song as Blind Bobby Baker, with his vocal and fingerpicking-style guitar. His version, recorded in New York around June 1927, was titled "Nobody Needs You When You're Down and Out" and used some different lyrics with emphasis on the hard times.
On January 15, 1929, influential boogie-woogie pianist Pinetop Smith recorded "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" in Chicago. In it the lyrics are spoken rather than sung to Smith's piano accompaniment. The song is one of 11 known recordings by Smith, who died two months after he recorded it.
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