There is some irony in the fact that a track titled You Go to My Head comes from an album called Solitude. But Billie Holiday herself is a remarkable impersonation of ironies: a life as harsh and difficult as her's was, gave birth to a wonderfully beautiful singer whose music is still remembered as the finest jazz ever produced.
The first few notes of the song transport the listener to another world, one where love was pure and the expression of it, poetic to say the least. It evokes powerful images of a summer with a thousand Julys and thoughts that swirl like bubbles in a glass of champagne. You Go to My Head is that perfect song for the summer love: futureless but momentarily pleasant, even exciting, with the presented possibilities of forever.
A special person had introduced me to this song in the height of summer: with all its possibilities alight. As the warm weather wanes, perhaps its best to remember this song so that its warmth can help us make it through the cold months of fall and winter.
If you are enjoying the last few moments in the sun, this song is your companion.
You can learn more about Billie Holiday here:
About the curator - Aarushi Aggarwal
Aarushi is a senior at college and is majoring in history and international relations. Her music library is as much home to jazz as it is to Indian classical. Her passion for discovering new music far supersedes other equally important things like finishing assignments on time. She loves dogs, coffee and chocolate.
