Miss Brown To You 1935
Vocals: Billie Holiday
Band: Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra
Songwriting: Robin / Whiting / Rainger
Who do you think is coming to town?
You’ll never guess who
Lovable, huggable Emily Brown
Miss Brown to you
What if the rain comes pattering down?
My heaven is blue
Can it be sending me Emily Brown?
Miss Brown to you
I know her eyes will thrill ya
But go slow, oh, oh
Don’t you all get too familiar
Why do you think she’s coming to town?
Just wait and you’ll see
The lovable little Miss Brown to you
Is baby to me, yes, yes
Mark it down
From Hearing The Queer Past:
Holiday sings of a woman called Miss Emily Brown, who she advises the listener to “not get too familiar with” despite her desirable traits. It is not until the last line when we are told the reason – Emily is in fact her love interest.
Notably, Holiday did not write the lyrics herself and was taking on a role of a narrator as she sang – aspects of performance culture that are key factors in the prevalence of oopsie gaysie recordings. In her personal life, however, it is widely acknowledged that she had romantic relationships with men and women.
Read more about Billie Holiday here.