Ain't Nobody's Business
| "Ain't Nobody's Business" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Song | |
| Language | English |
| Published | 1922 |
| Songwriter(s) | Porter Grainger, Everett Robbins |
"Ain't Nobody's Business" or "Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness if I Do" is an eight-bar vaudeville blues song that became an early blues standard. It was written in the early 1920s by pianists Porter Grainger, who had been Bessie Smith's accompanist, and Everett Robbins. The song was first recorded October 19, 1922 by Anna Meyer with the Original Memphis Five.[1]
Some sources, including GEMA[2] and noted music journalist Paul Ackerman,[3] also credit Clarence Williams as a co-author of the song. Grainger's lyrics to the song were copyrighted in 1922,[4] and are now in the public domain.[5]
Early covers
Early versions include Sara Martin (with Fats Waller on piano) (December 1, 1922 OKeh 8043), Alberta Hunter (February 1923 Paramount 12016), and Bessie Smith (April 26, 1923 Columbia 3898).
Later versions
In addition to the early versions, the song has been recorded by numerous artists, including Mary Coughlan, Sam Cooke, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Ardis, Diana Ross (for the film Lady Sings the Blues), Otis Spann, Freddie King, Frank Stokes, Mississippi John Hurt, Eric Clapton, Susan Tedeschi, Taj Mahal, Wingnut Dishwasher's Union, Willie Nelson and Shirley Witherspoon. A cover by Hank Williams, Jr. peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1990.[6] In some of the earliest versions, a theme of violence against women is made explicit. For example, Dinah Washington specifically identifies her then-husband bandleader Eddie Chamblee in her version, "If me and Eddie fuss and fight..." and follows with this verse included in the earlier Bessie Smith recording:
- If I should get beat up by my poppa
- That don't mean you should call no copper
- Cause it ain't nobody's business if we do
The biggest hit on the number came with Jimmy Witherspoon's version in 1949, with the blues shouter booming out the opening line:
- One day, we got ham and bacon
- Next day, ain't nothing shakin'
- But it ain't nobody's business if we do
The song was a career milestone for Witherspoon, reaching number one on the R&B charts,[7] but he received only limited royalties from his record company. Witherspoon later ruefully argued that losing those royalties was the price he paid for a long show business career.[citation needed]
Author Peter McWilliams used the song and its theme as the title of his libertarian book, Ain't Nobody's Business If You Do: The Absurdity of Consensual Crimes in our Free Country.
References
- ^
Kostelanetz, Richard (2005). The B.B. King Reader: Six Decades of Commentary. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 288. ISBN 978-0-634-09927-4.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "TAINT NOBODY'S BIZNESS IF I DO". GEMA – Members — Online Database – Musical Works. Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- ^ 'The "Mother" Blues: Jazz Form Developed From Many, Varied Influences' Billboard (at Google Books). Retrieved 15 May 2013.
- ^
The Blues. Hal Leonard Corporation. 1995. pp. 210–212. ISBN 0-7935-5259-1.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^
Hirtle, Peter B. (2010). "Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States". Cornell University. Archived from the original on 26 September 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Hot Country Songs 1944–2012. Record Research, Inc. p. 373. ISBN 978-0-89820-203-8.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 634.
