Why Was I Born?

"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

Horne singing "Why Was I Born?" in Till the Clouds Roll By (1946)

• 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

1. "ACE Repertory". www.ascap.com. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
2. "Victor 27682 (Black label (popular) 10-in. double-faced) - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
3. "Victor matrix BVE-56191. Why was I born? / Helen Morgan - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
4. "Ella Fitzgerald – Sings The Jerome Kern Songbook (1963, Reel-To-Reel)". Discogs.com. 1963. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
5. "Sweet Adeline – Broadway Musical – Original". IBDd.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
6. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p.  612. ISBN   0-89820-083-0.
7. "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
8. "Frank Sinatra Discography". Jazzdiscography.com. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
9. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p.  120. ISBN   0-89820-083-0.
10. "Dorothy Lamour - The Road To Romance...For Bing, Bob And You!". Discogs.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
11. "thejudyroom.com". thejudyroom.com. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
12. "Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book, Vols. 1-2 - Margaret Whiting | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved May 31, 2021.
13. "Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane - Kenny Burrell, John Coltrane | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved May 31, 2021.
14. "Dinah Washington - Dinah '63". Discogs.com. 1963. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
15. "Georgia Brown - Georgia Brown (The Sensational New Singing Star Of Oliver!)". Discogs.com. 1963. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
16. "Vinyl Album: Cher - Bittersweet White Light (1973)". 45worlds.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
17. "Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert - Sonny Rollins | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved May 31, 2021.
18. "Triplicate - Bob Dylan | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved May 31, 2021.