| "'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness if I Do" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Anna Meyers with theOriginal Memphis Five | |
| B-side | "That Da Da Strain" |
| Released | 1922 (1922) |
| Recorded | New York City, October 19, 1922 |
| Genre | Blues |
| Length | 3:08 |
| Label | Pathé Actuelle |
| Songwriters | Porter Grainger,Everett Robbins |
"Ain't Nobody's Business" (originally "Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness if I Do") is a 1920sblues song that became one of the firstblues standards.[1] It was published in 1922 byPorter Grainger andEverett Robbins.[1] The song features a lyrical theme offreedom of choice and avaudeville jazz–style musical arrangement.[2] It was first recorded, as "'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness if I Do", in 1922 by Anna Meyers, backed by theOriginal Memphis Five.[3]
Recordings by otherclassic female blues singers, includingSara Martin,Alberta Hunter, andBessie Smith soon followed.[1][3] In 1947, the song was revived by thejump blues singerJimmy Witherspoon as "Ain't Nobody's Business".[4] It was the best-sellingrace record of 1949[5] and inspired numerous adaptations of the song.[1] In 2011, Witherspoon's rendition was inducted into theBlues Foundation Hall of Fame as a "Classic of Blues Recording".[4]
The early versions of "Ain't Nobody's Business" feature vocals with piano and sometimes horn accompaniment. They are performed as moderate-tempo blues and have an extended sixteen-bar introduction:[2]
There ain't nothin' I can do nor nothin' I can say, that folks don't criticize me
But I'm gonna do just as I want to anyway, I don't care if they all despise me
The remaining verses are eight bars in length, with the first four describing a situation, such as "If I go to church on Sunday, then cabaret on Monday", and the last four concluding with the refrain "Tain't nobody's biz-ness if I do".[2] The song's eight-bar chord scheme was a model for subsequent "bluesy" Tin Pan Alley songs and R&B ballads in anAABA form.[6] The music and lyrics are usually credited to two pianists – Porter Grainger, who had beenBessie Smith's accompanist from 1924 to 1928, and Everett Robbins, who had his own bands and worked briefly withMamie Smith.[1][2][3][4]Clarence Williams, who played the piano on Bessie Smith's recording, is sometimes listed as a co-author of the song.[7]BMI, the performing rights organization, lists Grainger, Williams, Witherspoon, and Graham Prince.[8] The original lyrics were copyrighted in 1922 and are now in the public domain.[9]
Anna Meyers recorded "'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness if I Do" on October 19, 1922, in New York City,[10] backed by theOriginal Memphis Five.[10] The song was released as a ten-inch 78 rpm single on Pathé Actuelle for the US market by the French-basedPathé Records. Other early recordings include those by Billie Holiday,Sara Martin (withFats Waller on piano),[11]Alberta Hunter,[12] andBessie Smith.[13] The lyrics mention an abusive partner:
I'd rather my man would hit me, than to jump right up and quit me ...
I swear I won't call no copper, if I'm beat up by my papa
Tain't nobody's business if I do
In 1928, acountry blues rendition was recorded by Memphis, Tennessee, singer-guitaristFrank Stokes.[1] His finger-style acoustic guitar version uses a simple I-IV-V chord progression and different lyrics, including the refrain "It ain't nobody's business but mine".
In the post–World War II blues era, the jump blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon revived the song as "Ain't Nobody's Business".[4] He performed it in theWest Coast blues style with understated backing by piano, guitar, bass, drums, and a three-piece horn section.[5] The song was recorded in Los Angeles on November 15, 1947, and released by Supreme Records in September 1948.[5] It entered the record chart on March 5, 1949, and reached number one.[14] Witherspoon's song was the best-selling R&B record of 1949.[5]
In 2011, Witherspoon's "Ain't Nobody's Business" was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame.[4] According to the Foundation, "its message continued to resonate, as borne out by the remarkable success of Witherspoon's two-part rendition, which remained on the Billboard 'race records' charts for 34 weeks. It was rated No. 3 in all-time chart longevity inJoel Whitburn'sTop R&B Singles 1942–1988."[4]
Witherspoon's rendition also inspired numerous artists to record adaptations of the song.[1]Hank Williams Jr. recorded a version for hisLone Wolf album. Released as a single in 1990, it peaked at number 15 on theBillboardHot Country Singles & Tracks chart.[15] In 1996, a version byH2O featuringBillie[16] reached number 19 on theUK Singles Chart.[17]
