Don't Smoke in Bed - STEVEN R. TABOR

Don't Smoke in Bed

For many years I listened to Nina Simone's "Don't Smoke in Bed" and completely misunderstood it. Initially, I thought that was a song about a very kind woman. Although she was leaving her husband, she was reminding him not to fall asleep while smoking so that he wouldn't burn the house down. Since I'm an avid non-smoker, I also thought it was kind of the woman to be offering her husband some positive health advice. Some years later, I read a review of one of Nina Simone's Carnegie Hall concerts, where she performed this song, and realized that I had entirely missed the main point.

In fact, the song is about a woman leaving her cheating husband. When she says 'Don't Smoke in Bed' she is singing about knowing her husband is cheating on her. Most likely, she knows he smokes in bed after sex and has found some evidence to confirm her suspicions. Her voice carries a tinge of disappointment, regret, bitterness and anger. Now when I hear this song, I'm reminded that trust is precious but oh so vulnerable, and can easily "go up in smoke".

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