[Dixielandjazz] Re: gloomy sunday

[Bill Haesler]

Dear Pat and Rob and interested DJMLers.
There are indeed claims that "Gloomy Sunday" was a Hungarian 'suicide song'.
The 'dreaming' third part, added to Billie Holiday's version was supposedly
meant to soften it a bit.
Here is her 7 Aug 1941 rendition.

"Gloomy Sunday" (1936. Laslo Javor-Rezso Seress. Sam L Lewis, English
lyrics) 
Sunday is gloomy,
My hours are slumberless
Dearest the shadows
I live with are numberless
Little white flowers
Will never awaken you
Not where the black coach of
Sorrow has taken you
Angels have no thoughts
Of ever returning you
Would they be angry
If I thought of joining you?

Gloomy Sunday

Gloomy is Sunday,
With shadows I spend it all
My heart and I
Have decided to end it all
Soon there¹ll be candles
And prayers that are said I know
Let them not weep
Let them know that I¹m glad to go
Death is no dream
For in death I¹m caressin¹ you
With the last breath of my soul
I¹ll be blessin¹ you

Gloomy Sunday

Dreaming, I was only dreaming
I wake and I find you asleep
In the deep of my heart, here
Darling I hope
That my dream never haunted you
My heart is tellin¹ you
How much I wanted you.

Gloomy Sunday.

[Just played it. Haunting!]

The following information was found via a Google search:

g l o o m y   s u n d a y
------------------------------------------------------------------------

t h e   s u i c i d e   s o n g

Gloomy Sunday - the notorious 'Hungarian Suicide Song' - was written in
1933. Its melody and original lyrics were the creation of Rezsô Seress, a
self-taught pianist and composer born in Hungary in 1899.

The crushing hopelessness and bitter despair which characterised the two
stanza penned by Seress were superseded by the more mournful, melancholic
verses of Hungarian poet László Jávor.

When the song came to public attention it quickly earned its reputation as a
'suicide song'. Reports from Hungary alleged individuals had taken their
lives after listening to the haunting melody, or that the lyrics had been
left with their last letters.

The lyricists Sam M. Lewis and Desmond Carter each penned an English
translatation of the song. It was Lewis's version, first recorded by Hal
Kemp and his Orchestra, with Bob Allen on vocals (5 March 1936), that was to
become the most widely covered.

The popularity of Gloomy Sunday increased greatly through its interpretation
by Billie Holiday (1941). In an attempt to alleviate the pessimistic tone a
third stanza was added to this version, giving the song a dreamy twist, yet
still the suicide reputation remained. Gloomy Sunday was banned from the
play lists of major radio broadcasters around the world. The B.B.C. deemed
it too depressing for the airwaves.

Despite all such bans, Gloomy Sunday continued to be recorded and sold.

People continued to buy the recordings; some committed suicide.
Rezsô Seress jumped to his death from his flat in 1968.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Snopes 'Urban Legends' site gives it an 'undetermined' rating and makes
interesting reading.
I will not provide the Snopes summary, as it specifically states that their
permission is required.
[Some years ago, when I questioned a silly Snopes' statement regarding a
jazz topic, I received a strong legal email warning because I had quoted
them. I replied that it was an acknowledged quote, as this was the only way
I could dispute the error. I never heard anymore.]
If you are interested in their "Gloomy Sunday" comment, pull up snopes.com
and search for >Gloomy Sunday<.
Kind regards,
Bill.