"God Bless the Child" is a song written by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog, Jr. in 1939, first recorded on May 9, 1941 under the Okeh label. Holiday's version of the song was honored with the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in (1976). 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.

Lady Sings the Blues is a 1972 American biographical drama film directed by Sidney J. Furie about jazz singer Billie Holiday loosely based on her 1956 autobiography which, in turn, took its title from one of Holiday's most popular songs. It was produced by Motown Productions for Paramount Pictures. Diana Ross portrayed Holiday, alongside a cast including Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor, James T. Callahan, and Scatman Crothers.

It was nominated for five Academy Awards. The nominations were for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Diana Ross), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Carl Anderson and Reg Allen), Best Costume Design, Best Music, Original Song Score and Adaptation (Gil Askey) and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced] The film was also screened at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival, but was not entered into the main competition. The film earned an estimated $9,050,000 in North American rentals in 1973.

Motown released a hugely successful soundtrack double-album of Ross' recordings of Billie Holiday songs from the film, also titled Lady Sings the Blues. The album went to number one on the Billboard Hot 200 Album Charts, for the week-ending dates of April 7 and 14, 1973.

In Billie's autobiography Lady Sings the Blues she indicated an argument with her mother over money led to the song. She indicated that during the argument she said the line "God bless the child that's got his own." The anger over the incident led her to turn that line into a starting point for a song, which she worked out in conjunction with Herzog. In his 1990 book Jazz Singing, Will Friedwald indicates it 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. The lyrics refer to an unspecified Biblical verse: "Them that's got shall get, them that don't shall lose, so the Bible says, and it still is news. . . . " This likely refers to Matthew 25:29 or Luke 8:18.

Them that's got shall get
Them that's not shall lose
So the Bible says and it still is news
Mama may have
Papa may have
But God bless the child that's got his own
That's got his own

Yea the strong gets more
While the weak ones fade
Empty pockets don't ever make the grade
Mama may have
Papa may have
But God bless the child that's got his own
That's got his own

Money you've got lots of friends
Crowding round the door
When it's gone and spending ends
They don't come no more

Rich relations give
A crust of bread and such
You can help yourself
But don't take too much
Mama may have
Papa may have
But God bless the child that's got his own
That's got his own

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