Billie Holiday and Love

Billie Holiday, whose real name was Eleanora Fagan, was born on 7 April 1915. Nicknamed “Lady Day”, she was an American singer who rose as a social phenomenon in the 1950s and is still considered to be one of the greatest jazz voices of all time.
She succeeded in taking her pain and channeling it into poignant vocal performances. Although she lacked any formal musical training she developed a singing style that was deeply moving and individual, thanks to an instinctive sense of musical structure and a deep knowledge of jazz and blues.

In 2000 she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Early Influences category, which honours “the artists that pre-date the birth of rock & roll, but have had a profound impact on music’s evolution and its iconic artists.”

She said “Love is like a faucet: it turns on and off”, but she was great in celebrating it in “I’ll Be Seeing You”.

“I’ll Be Seeing You”

I’ll be seeing you
In all the old familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day and through

In that small cafe
The park across the way
The children’s carousel
The chestnut trees, the wishing well

I’ll be seeing you
In every lovely summer’s day
In everything that’s light and gay
I’ll always think of you that way

I’ll find you in the morning sun
And when the night is new
I’ll be looking at the moon
But I’ll be seeing you

I’ll be seeing you
In every lovely summer’s day
In everything that’s light and gay
I’ll always think of you that way

I’ll find you in the morning sun
And when the night is new
I’ll be looking at the moon
But I’ll be seeing you”

This sentimental ballad, which was originally written for a Broadway musical comedy by Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal, became a huge emotional hit during World War II, when many loved ones were serving overseas.
Billie Holiday’s 1944 recording of the song was the final transmission sent by NASA to the Opportunity rover on Mars when its mission ended in February 2019, although the live version recorded in the Carnegie Hall in November 1956 is considered her best rendering of this song.

Ti vedrò
in tutti i vecchi luoghi familiari
che il mio cuore abbraccia
durante tutto il giorno

In quel piccolo caffè
nel parco al di là della strada
nella giostra dei bambini
nel castagno, nel pozzo dei desideri.

Ti vedrò
in ogni adorabile giorno d’estate
in ogni cosa gioiosa e luminosa
Penserò sempre a te in quel modo

Ti troverò nel sole del mattino
e quando la notte è nuova
Guarderò la luna
ma è te che vedrò.