| "Why Was I Born?" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Helen Morgan | |
| B-side | "Don't Ever Leave Me" |
| Written | 1929 |
| Published | 1929 T.B. Harms, Inc., Universal Polygram International Publishing, Inc.[1] |
| Released | January 20, 1930[2] |
| Recorded | October 16, 1929 take 2[3] |
| Studio | New York City |
| Venue | Sweet Adeline (1929 Broadway musical) |
| Genre | Show tune, Popular Music |
| Length | 3.22 |
| Label | Victor 22199 |
| Composer(s) | Jerome Kern |
| Lyricist(s) | Oscar Hammerstein II |
"Why Was I Born?" is a 1929 song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II.[4]
It was written for the show Sweet Adeline (1929) and introduced by Helen Morgan.[5] Popular recordings in 1930 were by Helen Morgan and by Libby Holman.[6]
Notable recordings[edit]
- Billie Holiday - recorded the song for Brunswick Records (catalog No. 7859) on January 25, 1937 with Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra.[7]
- Lena Horne in the film Till the Clouds Roll By (1946)
- Frank Sinatra recorded the song for Columbia Records on December 28, 1947.[8]
- Vic Damone reached No. 20 in the Billboard charts in 1949 with the song.[9]
- Dorothy Lamour - The Road to Romance...For Bing, Bob and You! (1957).[10]
- Judy Garland - The London Sessions (1960) [11]
- Margaret Whiting - Margaret Whiting Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook (1960)[12]
- Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane - Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane (1963)[13]
- Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook (1963)[4]
- Dinah Washington - for her album Dinah '63 (1963).[14]
- Georgia Brown - Georgia Brown (The Sensational New Singing Star of Oliver!) (1963).[15]
- Cher - Bittersweet White Light (1973)[16]
- Sonny Rollins - Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert (2005)[17]
- Bob Dylan - Triplicate (2017)[18]
References[edit]
- ^ "ACE Repertory". www.ascap.com. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
- ^ "Victor 27682 (Black label (popular) 10-in. double-faced) - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
- ^ "Victor matrix BVE-56191. Why was I born? / Helen Morgan - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
- ^ a b "Ella Fitzgerald – Sings The Jerome Kern Songbook (1963, Reel-To-Reel)". Discogs.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Sweet Adeline – Broadway Musical – Original". IBDd.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 612. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ^ "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
- ^ "Frank Sinatra Discography". Jazzdiscography.com. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 120. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ^ "Dorothy Lamour - The Road To Romance...For Bing, Bob And You!". Discogs.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "thejudyroom.com". thejudyroom.com. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ "Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book, Vols. 1-2 - Margaret Whiting | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane - Kenny Burrell, John Coltrane | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Dinah Washington - Dinah '63". Discogs.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Georgia Brown - Georgia Brown (The Sensational New Singing Star Of Oliver!)". Discogs.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Vinyl Album: Cher - Bittersweet White Light (1973)". 45worlds.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert - Sonny Rollins | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ "Triplicate - Bob Dylan | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
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