Lady

just expanding on the previous comment

this song is indeed about Billie Holiday

She had an album/song called "Lady Sings the Blues"

"lady lights a cigarette, puffs away, no regrets takes a look around, no regrets no regrets stretches out like branches of a poplar tree says "I am free", sings so soft as if she'll break"

"No Regrets" is the title of a Billie Holidaysong

the part about the poplar tree is a reference to one of Billie's most reknown songs "Strange Fruit"

I simply looove this song, and Billie Holiday

Definitely Billie Holiday.

• "Lady" was a nickname people used for Holiday; she also released an album entitled "Lady Sings the Blues."
• "Corner street societies" can be used to refer to prostitution; Holiday worked as a prostitute for a short while in 1930.
• Though she was childless, her mother had her when she was thirteen and was thrown out of her parents' house; this might account for th references to a "baby."
• "No Regrets," and "Strange Fruit" are both referenced, as above posters have noted.
• Holiday's drug abuse, drinking, abusive relationships, and likely smoking caused her health to deteriorate, and she died young, age 44.
• The only truly happy part of her life was the time spent on stage.

Great song.

This song is absolutely gorgeous and so sad.

I think that this song is about a woman who grew up, or at least witnessed, a harsh life and now sings about them to a crowd who will never truly understand it. That's what I get, anyways. :)

IT is about Billie Holiday the blues sinnger. She was often known as Lady and then she had an album titles Lady Sings the Blues. Billie Holiday's voice is so smokey and she did alot of smoking.

This song is about Billie, but the real meaning is the Ladys very painfull life and lifestyle. Regina sings "and I have walked these streets so long there ain't nothin' right, nothin' wrong." I think the artist is a preformer not only on stage, but in life to. The tradgedies of life and the world made her numb, and now when she sings about it everybody else cries and feels here pain, except from her. For me it puts up a link between the roles that we play in everyday life, and how we all play parts.

In the end she remembers, when she will be the one who cries - but then she forgets.

Its about whats under the surface, people can actually beleve the pain - but she does not really have it becauce she has turned cold after a harsh life.

this is one of those songs. the piano. the sax. her voice. its just one of those songs.

this song is amazing.

absolutely beautiful.

but on this stage I've learned to fly learned to sing and learned to cry

i love this! regina's songs are so lovely! i love to choreograph to them, many of them are just so smooth and flowing (apres moi is my favorite)

Well first off; agreed, this song is simply stunning. so beautiful. It's based on billie holiday, the blues singer. She was often known as 'lady', hence the song title. There are references to aspects of other billie holiday's songs as well such as "poplar trees" from strage fruit which provides a sinister reference to racial hatred. also "no regrets" is one of billie oliday's songs. it is based on the blues-y form/style that billie holiday often used. Regina says that Billie holiday is one of her manin sources of inspiration as music goes so maybe this is a tribute to her or maybe just a more specific experimentaion wiith her style. the references to cigarettes and a smoke filled world probably refer to the world of billie holiday in a time of great rates of smoking and when holiday herself smoked so much as she did throughout her whole life.

Also, if you have listened to Billie Holiday before, you can tell that Regina tries to imitate Billie's voice on cretain parts of the song. Like when she sings, "Little wet tears on your baby's shoulder." It's awsome.