Billie Holiday – Gloomy Sunday

About The Song

A melancholic melody that has captivated listeners for decades, “Gloomy Sunday” is a song steeped in both captivating beauty and tragic history. Its origins can be traced back to Hungary in 1933, where composer Rezső Seress penned it under the title “Vége a világnak” (“End of the World”). The song’s somber tone and evocative lyrics, which depict a yearning for death and a desire to join a lost love, struck a chord with audiences, and it quickly gained popularity across Europe.

In 1941, American jazz legend Billie Holiday recorded her rendition of “Gloomy Sunday,” imbuing the song with her own unique blend of soulfulness and vulnerability. Her haunting interpretation transformed the song into an enduring classic, earning it a place among the most recognizable and emotionally resonant pieces of music ever written.

However, “Gloomy Sunday”‘s history is also marked by a tragic association with suicide. During its initial popularity wave in the 1930s, several individuals were rumored to have taken their lives after listening to the song. These reports fueled speculation that the music itself held a morbid power, leading to the song being banned in several countries.

Despite these controversies, “Gloomy Sunday” has endured, captivating audiences with its melancholic beauty and the raw emotion conveyed by Billie Holiday’s rendition. The song’s enduring popularity serves as a testament to its ability to stir deep emotions, reminding us of the power of music to connect with our deepest fears and desires.

Video

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 thought 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 there’ll be candles
And prayers that are sad
I know, let them not weep
Let them know
That I’m glad to go

Death is no dream
For in death I’m caressing you
With the last breath of my
Soul I’ll be blessing you

Gloomy Sunday
Dreaming
I was only dreaming
I wake and I find you
Asleep in the deep of
My heart
Dear

Darling I hope that my dream
Never haunted you
My heart is telling you
How much I wanted you
Gloomy Sunday