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Rating: Eunice Waymon became Nina Simone, a persona that over the years would eclipse her birth name and enter history. Nina for "nina," "la môme," the nickname given to her by a Latin boyfriend of whom nothing is known. Simone for Signoret in "Casque d'Or," a film the pianist had seen in a Philadelphia cinema that left a strong impression on her (David Brun-Lambert, Nina Simone: Une Vie, Editions Flammarion, 2005, p. 53).
In an effective biographical scan, Kerry Acker (in Nina Simone (1963-1966); Chelsea House Publisher, Philadelphia, 2004) distinguishes and identifies her life's phases as: the prodigy (1933-1944); the piano concert performer (1944-1954); the "chanteuse" (1954-1959); the star (1958-1962); the activist, "The high Priestess of Soul," which I would translate as the sublime priestess of Soul (1967-1968); the expatriate (1970-1978); the diva (1978-2003). Perhaps in this last fragment of the life cycle, I would also identify the decline of old age. A harsh old age, truly outrageous for this wonderful creature.
When her first record was released in 1957, Nina had already been singing and playing for 3 years during the summers at the Midtown Bar & Grill in Atlantic City. That is where her story begins. She was then 21 years old. Word quickly spread through the streets (today, it would be on blogs and DeBaser): "there's a young black musician in town and what she sings is unique".
21 years old, yet the character tempered during childhood and adolescence was already fully defined, complete and intact within the behavioral range that went from unbearable acerbity to exquisite grace:
"when she reached the piano chair, silence fell around. In a second-rate bar, in the heart of a city burned by insomnia, she managed to silence everyone from the first note. Nothing like it had ever been seen here" (David Brun-Lambert, op.cit., p. 52)
Three years of such internship, also learning the relationship with the audience. Songs stretched over long times. She and the piano. The piano and her. She with herself, she with the people of her kingdom.
When the opportunity to make her first record presented itself, it came as no surprise that it took her only 24 hours to prepare and complete it.
1957: 14 musical tracks, all successful on the first try, which placed her in history. All the talent she would show in the following years was already concentrated in that record. Her uniqueness, her "individuation" is readable yesterday and today in those 14 perfect, enduring, classic tracks.
I'll stop here. Dear reader, you must have realized by now that Nina Simone is one of my many weak points. With her, I become fragile and exposed to emotion. I get lost, and I feel happily lost, only to recover and start listening to her again. Yes: it is an addiction. A Ninaddiction.
I'll talk about the entire album another time.
Today, I just wanted to say that there you can hear the ballad "Little Girl Blue" by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.
"Sit there
And count your fingers
What can you do
Old girl you're through
Sit there
Count your little fingers
Unhappy little girl blue
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Mood Indigo (04:04)
You ain't never been blue, no, no, no
You ain't never been blue
Till you've had that mood indigo
That feeling goes stealing right down to my shoes
While I just sit here and sigh
Go along blues
I always get that mood indigo
Since my baby said goodbye
And in the evening when the lights are low
I'm so lonely I could cry
For there's nobody who cares about me
I'm just a poor fool that's bluer than blue can be
When I get that mood indigo
I could lay me down and die
You ain't been blue, no, no, no
You ain't never been blue
Till you've had that mood indigo
That feeling goes stealing right down to my shoes
While I just sit here and sigh
Go along blues
02 Don't Smoke in Bed (03:13)
I left a note on his dresser
my old wedding ring
With these few goodbye words
How can I sing
Goodbye old sleepy head
I'm packing you in like I said
Take care of everything
I'm leaving my wedding ring
Don't look for me
I'll get ahead
Remember darling
Don't smoke in bed
Don't look for me
I'll get ahead
Remember darling
Don't smoke in bed
03 He Needs Me (02:31)
He needs me
He doesn't know it,
But he needs me
And so no matter where he goes,
Though he doesn't care
He knows that I'm there
He needs me
I oughta leave him,
But he needs me
I know that I ain't very bright
Just to tag along
Oh, but right or wrong
I'm his... And I'm here
And I'm gonna be his friend,
Or his lover
Cause my one ambition is
To wake him and make him discover that
He needs me
I've got to follow where he leads me
Or else he'll never know
That I need him
Just as he needs me
04 Little Girl Blue (04:19)
Sit there and count your fingers
What can you do
Old girl you're through
Sit there, count your little fingers
Unhappy little girl blue.
Sit there and count the raindrops
Falling on you
It's time you knew
All you can ever count on
Are the raindrops
That fall on little girl blue
Won't you just sit there
Count the little raindrops
Falling on you
'Cause it's time you knew
All you can ever count on
Are the raindrops
That fall on little girl blue
No use old girl
You might as well surrender
'Cause your hopes are getting slender and slender
Why won't somebody send a tender blue boy
To cheer up little girl blue
06 My Baby Just Cares for Me (03:38)
(1928) Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson
My baby don't care for shows
My baby don't care for clothes
My baby just cares for me
My baby don't care for cars and races
My baby don't care for high-tone places
Liz Taylor is not his style
And even Lana Turner's smile
Is somethin' he can't see
My baby don't care who knows
My baby just cares for me
Baby, my baby don't care for shows
And he don't even care for clothes
He cares for me
My baby don't care
For cars and races
My baby don't care for
He don't care for high-tone places
Liz Taylor is not his style
And even Liberace's smile
Is something he can't see
Is something he can't see
I wonder what's wrong with baby
My baby just cares for
My baby just cares for
My baby just cares for me
Original lyrics
My baby don't care for shows
My baby don't care for clothes
My baby just cares for me
My baby don't care for cars and races
My baby don't care for high-tone places
Liz Taylor is not his style
And even Lana Turner's smile
is somethin' he can't see
My baby don't care who knows it
My baby just cares for me
My baby don't care for shows
And he don't even care for clothes
My baby just cares for me
My baby don't care for cars and races
My baby don't care for
he don't care for high-tone places
I wonder what's wrong with baby
My baby just cares for
Just says his prayers for
My baby just cares for me
08 Plain Gold Ring (03:56)
Earl S. Burroughs
Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
It was where everyone could see
He belonged to someone, but not me
On his hand was a plain gold band
Plain gold ring has a story to tell
It was one that I knew too well
In my heart it will never be spring
Long as he wears a plain gold ring
Oh, oh
When nighttime comes a' callin' on me
I know why I will never be free
I can't stop these teardrops of mine
I'm gonna love him till the end of time
Plain gold ring has but one thing to say
I'll remember till my dying day
In my heart it will never be spring
Long as he wears a plain gold ring
Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
Plain gold ring on his finger he wore
09 You'll Never Walk Alone (03:48)
(1945) Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II
Original lyrics (Nina has only an instrumental version)
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone
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