"When I Lost You" is a song with music and lyrics by

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russi ...

. It was written in 1912 after his wife of five months, the former Dorothy Goetz, died of

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...

. In it he poured out the grief of his loss; it was the only song that he ever admitted had such a connection to his own life. The song, a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

, was unlike any of Berlin's previous songs, which were upbeat tunes written to take advantage of the dance craze. The song is in a slow

waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...

tempo. It became Berlin's first hit ballad. Berlin had published 130 songs by this point, none of which previously had revealed his ability to write with moving sentiment about his own personal pain.

Composition

Berlin's initial attempts to resume songwriting after his wife's death were unsuccessful. After accepting an invitation to visit Europe with Dorothy's brother Ray Goetz, Berlin composed "When I Lost You". Following the trip, Berlin successfully returned to songwriting by writing about his wife's death, rather than attempting to avoid it.

Reception

Berlin did not make promotional appearances for the song during its first year of release, but the circumstances of his brief and tragic marriage were already common knowledge. The following year he performed the song in London.

Notable recordings

Early popular recordings of the song in 1913 were by

Henry Burr Henry Burr (January 15, 1882 – April 6, 1941) was a Canadian singer, radio performer and producer. He was born Harry Haley McClaskey and used Henry Burr as one of his many pseudonyms, in addition to Irving Gillette, Henry Gillette, Alfred Alex ...

and by Manuel Romain. Others to record the song include: *

Lee Morse Lena Corinne "Lee" Morse (née Taylor; November 30, 1897 – December 16, 1954) was an American jazz and blues singer-songwriter, composer, guitarist, and actress. Morse's greatest popularity was in the 1920s and early 1930s as a torch singer, a ...

- Recorded June 6, 1928. *

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

with The Paradise Island Trio - recorded July 20, 1940. *

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

- included in his album '' All Alone'' (1962). *

Jim Reeves James Travis Reeves (August 20, 1923July 31, 1964) was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well known as a practitioner of the Nashville Sound. Known as "Gentleman ...

included in the album ''Moonlight and Roses'' (1964). *

Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, vaudevillian, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced song ...

- included in his album '' Jimmy Durante's Way of Life...'' (1964). *

Kay Starr Katherine Laverne Starks (July 21, 1922 – November 3, 2016), known professionally as Kay Starr, was an American singer who enjoyed considerable success in the late 1940s and 1950s. She was of Iroquois and Irish heritage. Starr performed multip ...

- for her album ''Losers, Weepers'' (1960). *

The Mills Brothers The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed the Four Mills Brothers, and originally known as the Four Kings of Harmony, were an American jazz and traditional pop vocal quartet who made more than 2,000 recordings that sold more than 50 million copies an ...

- included in the album ''The Mills Brothers In Hi-Fi: Barbershop Ballads'' (1958). *

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...

- for his album '' The Songs I Love (1963). *

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birth ...

- included in the album ''

Bennett/Berlin ''Bennett/Berlin'' is an album by the American musician Tony Bennett, released in 1987. It is a tribute to Irving Berlin. Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, and George Benson guested on the album. Critical reception The ''Chicago Tribune'' wrote t ...

'' (1987).

References

{{Authority control Songs written by Irving Berlin 1912 songs Waltzes