<P> `` Nobody Knows You When You 're Down and Out '' is a blues standard written by Jimmy Cox in 1923 . Its lyric , told from the point of view of a one - time millionaire during the Prohibition era , reflects on the fleeting nature of material wealth and the friendships that come and go with it . As a vaudeville - style blues , it was popularized by Bessie Smith , the preeminent female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s . Since her 1929 recording , it has been interpreted by numerous musicians in a variety of styles . </P>
<P> `` Nobody Knows You When You 're Down and Out '' is a blues standard written by Jimmy Cox in 1923 . Its lyric , told from the point of view of a one - time millionaire during the Prohibition era , reflects on the fleeting nature of material wealth and the friendships that come and go with it . As a vaudeville - style blues , it was popularized by Bessie Smith , the preeminent female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s . Since her 1929 recording , it has been interpreted by numerous musicians in a variety of styles . </P>
who wrote nobody knows you when you 're down and out
who wrote nobody knows you when you 're down and out
Jimmy Cox
Jimmy Cox