Why Was I Born?

"Why Was I Born?"
"Why Was I Born?"
Single by Helen Morgan
B-side	"Don't Ever Leave Me"
Written	1929
Published	1929 , Universal Polygram International Publishing, Inc.
Released	January 20, 1930
Recorded	October 16, 1929 take 2
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]
Margaret Whiting - Margaret Whiting Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook (1960)^[11]
Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane - Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane (1963)^[12]
Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook (1963)^[4]
Dinah Washington - for her album Dinah '63 (1963).^[13]
Georgia Brown - Georgia Brown (The Sensational New Singing Star of Oliver!) (1963).^[14]
Cher - Bittersweet White Light (1973)^[15]
Sonny Rollins - Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert (2005)^[16]
Bob Dylan - Triplicate (2017)^[17]

References[]

^ "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.
^ Jump up to: ^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.
^ "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.

[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.

[auto-4] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Ella Fitzgerald – Sings The Jerome Kern Songbook (1963, Reel-To-Reel)". Discogs.com. 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] "Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book, Vols. 1-2 - Margaret Whiting | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2021.

[12] "Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane - Kenny Burrell, John Coltrane | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2021.

[13] "Dinah Washington - Dinah '63". Discogs.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.

[14] "Georgia Brown - Georgia Brown (The Sensational New Singing Star Of Oliver!)". Discogs.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.

[15] "Vinyl Album: Cher - Bittersweet White Light (1973)". 45worlds.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.

[16] "Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert - Sonny Rollins | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2021.

[17] "Triplicate - Bob Dylan | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2021.

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