Recording of "I’m Gonna Lock My Heart (And Throw Away the Key)"

On 23 August 1938, Billie Holiday recorded "I’m Gonna Lock My Heart (And Throw Away the Key)," a song that became one of her major early hits.

Cut in New York with a small swing ensemble, the recording showcases Holiday’s ability to fuse a light, almost conversational tone with profound emotional undercurrents. The lyrics describe a woman vowing to protect herself from further romantic pain; Holiday’s interpretation balances resilience and vulnerability, hinting at deeper hurt beneath the jaunty surface. Her rhythmic freedom—floating just behind the beat—and subtle melodic alterations highlight her growing command of the studio.

The success of "I’m Gonna Lock My Heart" reinforced Holiday’s status as a leading jazz vocalist at a time when Black women in popular music faced both racial segregation and gender stereotyping. The song’s popularity helped sustain her recording career through the late 1930s and contributed to the emerging idea of the jazz singer as a storyteller whose personal style could transform conventional Tin Pan Alley material into psychologically rich mini‑dramas.