[2] It was also included in the list of Songs of the Century, by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts.
First recording (Session #44, Columbia/Okeh): Columbia Studio A, 799 Seventh Avenue, New York City, May 9, 1941, Eddie Heywood and his Orchestra with Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Jimmy Powell and Lester Boone (alto saxophone), Ernie Powell (trumpet), Eddie Heywood (piano), Johan Robins (guitar), Paul Chapman (guitar), Grachan Moncur II (bass), Herbert Cowans (drums), Billie Holiday (vocal).
[1] In her autobiography Lady Sings the Blues[3] Holiday indicated that an argument with her mother over money led to the song.
The anger over the incident led her to use that line as the starting point for a song, which she worked out in conjunction with Herzog.
[4] In his 1990 book Jazz Singing, Will Friedwald[5] describes the song as "sacred and profane," as it references the Bible while indicating that religion seems to have no effect in making people treat each other better.