Billie Holiday is one of the most important historical figures in jazz music. God Bless' the Child, co-written with Arthur Herzog, Jr., is one of her best remembered and most significant contributions to the jazz canon. Originally written in 1940, God Bless' the Child was first recorded on May 9, 1941 by Holiday and a band including Roy Edridge on trumpet. The tune became widely popular following its release and has been recorded numerous times by many of the top artists in jazz. The song is a lamentation on the difficulties of trying to survive in late depression-era America and the inequalities of the social structure of the time. Holiday's lyrics highlight the division between wealthy and working classes while the haunting melody of Arthur Herzog, Jr. suggests a resignation to the unfai