Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra - When Your Lover Has Gone (Clef Records 1955)

"When Your Lover Has Gone" is a 1931 composition by Einar Aaron Swan which, after being featured in the James Cagney film Blonde Crazy that same year, has become a jazz standard. This song is unusual in that, after a simple verse, it does not follow the usual 64-bar refrain that characterizes the structure of most pop music, but tells its entire story in 32 bars. It has been said that James Dean's favorite song was Billie Holiday's "When Your Lover Has Gone." Billie's accompanied by Harry Edison (trumpet), Benny Carter (alto, tenor saxophone), Jimmy Rowles (piano, celeste), Barney Kessel (guitar), John Simmons (bass), and Larry Bunker (drums). Recorded in Los Angeles, August 23, 1955. (Clef Records) When you're alone, who cares for starlit skies When you're alone, the magic moonlight dies At break of dawn, there is no sunrise When your lover has gone What lonely hours, the evening shadows bring What lonely hours, with memories lingering Like faded flowers, life can't mean anything When your lover has gone When you're alone, who cares for starlit skies When you're alone, the magic moonlight dies At break of dawn, there is no sunrise When your lover has gone What lonely hours, the evening shadows bring What lonely hours, with memories lingering Like faded flowers, life can't mean anything When your lover When you lover has gone