Community Room [ Edited ]

[Amanda_R]

Hi All:

This is the place to post all off-topic discussions, and enjoy the company of your fellow Stormy Weather readers -- a kind of "cafe," if you will.

Stop in, check in and chat with your new Book Club friends, and enjoy!

Amanda

Message Edited by Amanda_R on 06-06-2007 10:37 AM

[bentley]

I seem to remember a song being played by my mother and father (it might have been from this vintage and I think it was sung by Ella Fitzgerald or Lena Horne). Here are the lyrics..I will try to look up the date of the song. The song title was Stormy Weather.

Stormy Weather
Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald
Don't know why, there's no sun up in the sky
Stormy weather, since my man and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the time

Life is bare, gloom and misery everywhere
Stormy weather, just can't get my poor old self together
I'm weary all the time, the time, so weary all of the time

When he went away, the blues walked in and met me
If he stays away, old rocking chair will get me
All I do is pray, the lord above will let me
walk in the sun once more

Can't go on, everything I had is gone
Stormy weather, since my man and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the time
Keeps raining all of the time

I walk around heavy-hearted and sad
Night comes around and I'm still feeling bad
Rain pourin' down, blinding every hope I had
This pitter andd n patter and beating, spattering driving me mad
Love, love, love, love, the misery will be the end of me

When he went away, the blues walked in and met me
If he stays away, old rocking chair will get me
All I do is pray, the lord above will let me
Walk in the sun once more

Can't go on, everything I had is gone
Stormy weather, since my man and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the time, the time
Keeps raining all the time

Billie Holiday sheet music and song books

[bentley]

---

bentley wrote:
I seem to remember a song being played by my mother and father (it might have been from this vintage and I think it was sung by Ella Fitzgerald or Lena Horne). Here are the lyrics..I will try to look up the date of the song. The song title was Stormy Weather.

Stormy Weather
Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald
Don't know why, there's no sun up in the sky
Stormy weather, since my man and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the time

Life is bare, gloom and misery everywhere
Stormy weather, just can't get my poor old self together
I'm weary all the time, the time, so weary all of the time

When he went away, the blues walked in and met me
If he stays away, old rocking chair will get me
All I do is pray, the lord above will let me
walk in the sun once more

Can't go on, everything I had is gone
Stormy weather, since my man and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the time
Keeps raining all of the time

I walk around heavy-hearted and sad
Night comes around and I'm still feeling bad
Rain pourin' down, blinding every hope I had
This pitter andd n patter and beating, spattering driving me mad
Love, love, love, love, the misery will be the end of me

When he went away, the blues walked in and met me
If he stays away, old rocking chair will get me
All I do is pray, the lord above will let me
Walk in the sun once more

Can't go on, everything I had is gone
Stormy weather, since my man and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the time, the time
Keeps raining all the time

Billie Holiday sheet music and song books

---

I discovered that the song was performed by Cab Calloway in 1933 (right at the time of the setting of this novel). It was written by Harold Arlen and Theodore Koehler (folks that I have never heard of). And at least 20 different artists recorded and changed the lyrics slightly through the years. It was sung in later years by many of these artists with different renditions and some minor changes in the lyrics. A long history to this song through the decades. It does have a plaintive sound.

Song: Stormy Weather
Artist: Cab Calloway
Written by: Harold Arlen, Theodore Koehler

Cover hierarchy
Stormy Weather by Cab Calloway (1933)
Stormy Weather by Frank Sinatra (1945)
Stormy Weather by The Five Sharps (December 1952)
Stormy Weather by The Five Sharps [1] (1964)
Stormy Weather by The Five Sharks (1964)
Stormy Weather by Eydie Gorme (1957)
Stormy Weather by Lena Horne (1957)
Stormy Weather by Etta James (1961)
Stormy Weather by Lou Rawls (1963)
Stormy Weather by The George Benson Quartet (1966)
Stormy Weather by Lorraine Ellison (1974)
Stormy Weather by Willie Hutch (April 1976)
Stormy Weather by Lee Morgan (1978)
Stormy Weather by Willie and Leon (June 1979)
Stormy Weather by Rosemary Clooney (1983)
Stormy Weather by Melba Moore (1990)
Stormy Weather by Jeff Lynne (1990)
Stormy Weather by Sarah Harmer & Jason Euringer (1999)
Stormy Weather by Shelley Neill (November 29, 2001)
Stormy Weather by Chaka Khan (2004)
Stormy Weather by Nicoletta (2006)
Stormy Weather by Gladys Knight (October 3, 2006)
Stormy Weather by LaKisha Jones (April 4, 2007)

[Fozzie]

Thanks for the song lyrics, Bentley!

Paulette, have you heard the song and did it influence your choice of title?

[bentley]

For those interested in hearing the old song Stormy Weather (1933 original song) with quite a few releases over the years.

Here are two (one shorter version with the original performer - Arlen) - bbc:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/yourviews/stormyweather.shtml


And the other a full blown later version done by a Guy Lombardo: pretty neat rendition and the whole song sung from the male perspective: (on Rhapsody but you can still listen for free)

http://play.rhapsody.com/guylombardo/16mostrequestedsongs/stormyweatherkeepsraininallthetime

Hope you enjoy.

Bentley

[Fozzie]

---

Fozzie wrote:
Thanks for the song lyrics, Bentley!

Paulette, have you heard the song and did it influence your choice of title?

---

I answered part of my own question last night. The song is in the book, on page 209, I believe.

[bentley]

---

Fozzie wrote:

---

Fozzie wrote:
Thanks for the song lyrics, Bentley!

Paulette, have you heard the song and did it influence your choice of title?

---

I answered part of my own question last night. The song is in the book, on page 209, I believe.

---

Fozzie at least we are on the right track..lol. I have not gotten to page 209 yet. It sounds like the song (if it is in the book) was an influence. Talk to you later.

[Fozzie]

---

bentley wrote:
For those interested in hearing the old song Stormy Weather (1933 original song) with quite a few releases over the years.

Here are two (one shorter version with the original performer - Arlen) - bbc:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/yourviews/stormyweather.shtml


And the other a full blown later version done by a Guy Lombardo: pretty neat rendition and the whole song sung from the male perspective: (on Rhapsody but you can still listen for free)

http://play.rhapsody.com/guylombardo/16mostrequestedsongs/stormyweatherkeepsraininallthetime

Hope you enjoy.

Bentley

---

This was so much fun!
Isn't it ironic that the song talks about the rain the area so desperately needs?
I could picture the scene on page 209 in the book while listening to this (don't want to say more in case those reading this are not to that part yet).

[bentley]

---

Fozzie wrote:

---

bentley wrote:
For those interested in hearing the old song Stormy Weather (1933 original song) with quite a few releases over the years.

Here are two (one shorter version with the original performer - Arlen) - bbc:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/yourviews/stormyweather.shtml


And the other a full blown later version done by a Guy Lombardo: pretty neat rendition and the whole song sung from the male perspective: (on Rhapsody but you can still listen for free)

http://play.rhapsody.com/guylombardo/16mostrequestedsongs/stormyweatherkeepsraininallthetime

Hope you enjoy.

Bentley

---

This was so much fun!
Isn't it ironic that the song talks about the rain the area so desperately needs?
I could picture the scene on page 209 in the book while listening to this (don't want to say more in case those reading this are not to that part yet).

---

Yes it is odd. Not up to page 209 yet.

But here are more songs from the 1930s:

Hits Of 1930: Happy Days Are Here Again!

[Fozzie]

---

bentley wrote:
But here are more songs from the 1930s:

Hits Of 1930: Happy Days Are Here Again!

---

"Happy Days Are Here Again" is mentioned on page 249!

[bentley]

Some interesting answers to questions about the 1930s with some interesting pictures about the dust storms.

http://1930s.com/askruthiefaq-events.html

[pkjiles]

sorry to be so long in replying.

I heard my mother sing Stormy Weather many times --- she used to hum or sing when she was about her houseowrk, or in the car traveling. It's a hard tune to carry but she had an adept ear and could sing well.

We all used to sing a lot. My Dad used to love to hear us sing, my mother and my sister and I.

So I have heard Stormy Weather since I was very young.

[bentley]

Here is a book about the dust bowl that looks interesting:


http://www.barnesandnoble.com/writers/writer.asp?cid=1146988&z=y&cds2Pid=1220&linkid=794512

[Fozzie]

---

bentley wrote:
Here is a book about the dust bowl that looks interesting:


http://www.barnesandnoble.com/writers/writer.asp?cid=1146988&z=y&cds2Pid=1220&linkid=794512

---

Oh, I remember when this won the National Book award! I remember thinking it looked interesting. Now, having read Paulette's story, I have put it on my list of books to read.

[Fozzie]

SPOILER

I couldn't figure out where to post this, but wanted to start this week's discussion off with a chuckle. Here is an excerpt from when Jeanine and Ross ate dinner at the fancy restaurant, themselves covered in dust after being caught in the dust storm (I just can't imagine going to a fancy restaurant covered in dust, but the staff seemed to think nothing of it, only commented on it casually):

"The gray-haired waiter impressed her with his willingness to bring her anything she asked for, and to arrange her knives and forks and spoons and pour her a glass of water with ice in it. These were things a woman usually did. He seemed to be quite happy doing it, and Jeanine wondered if he were mentally unfit in some way." (pg. 319)

Laugh out loud funny, Paulette! A great way to show an attitude about roles of men and women at the time.

Message Edited by Fozzie on 06-18-2007 07:39 AM

[bentley]

---

Fozzie wrote:
SPOILER

I couldn't figure out where to post this, but wanted to start this week's discussion off with a chuckle. Here is an excerpt from when Jeanine and Ross ate dinner at the fancy restaurant, themselves covered in dust after being caught in the dust storm (I just can't imagine going to a fancy restaurant covered in dust, but the staff seemed to think nothing of it, only commented on it casually):

"The gray-haired waiter impressed her with his willingness to bring her anything she asked for, and to arrange her knives and forks and spoons and pour her a glass of water with ice in it. These were things a woman usually did. He seemed to be quite happy doing it, and Jeanine wondered if he were mentally unfit in some way." (pg. 319)

Laugh out loud funny, Paulette! A great way to show an attitude about roles of men and women at the time.

Message Edited by Fozzie on 06-18-2007 07:39 AM

---

I know that was a funny passage...and I had forgotten about it. Thanks for making me laugh all over again. That was definitely showing a different role identity in those days. And remember Jeanine I don't think had ever been to a nice restaurant before; of course, she probably didn't realize she would show up with dust all over her either. The dust storms must have been a regular occurence there like a thunder shower.

[bentley]

---

Fozzie wrote:

---

bentley wrote:
Here is a book about the dust bowl that looks interesting:


http://www.barnesandnoble.com/writers/writer.asp?cid=1146988&z=y&cds2Pid=1220&linkid=794512

---

Oh, I remember when this won the National Book award! I remember thinking it looked interesting. Now, having read Paulette's story, I have put it on my list of books to read.

---

I thought the same thing..and until Ms Jiles' book I probably would not have picked this book up about Dust Bowls..but I think I will now.

Bentley

[pkjiles]

Glad you appreciated it!

Everybody coming into the hotel dining room was coming out of the dust storm, so they were all in a mess.

Also this was in Abilene so this hotel would have often seen men coming out of the trainyards from loading cattle; probably with a pocket full of bills, thirsty and hungry.

Rural life was more integrated with town life at that time in Texas and in some ways it still is; there was not such a sense of separation of manners and dress.

Where I tried to point out this contrast is when Jeanine and Milton go to the movies. The clean glitter of on-screen personalities, that glossy world, makes Jeanine see her own little Texas town almost as a stage play.

That was fun to write.