"Why Was I Born?" is a 1929 song composed by

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over ...

, with lyrics written by

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in the musical theater for almost 40 years. He won eight Ton ...

. It was written for the show '' Sweet Adeline'' (1929) and introduced by

Helen Morgan Helen Morgan may refer to: *Helen Morgan (singer) Helen Morgan (née Riggins; August 2, 1900 – October 9, 1941) was an American singer and actress who worked in films and on the stage. A quintessential torch singer, she made a big splash in ...

. Popular recordings in 1930 were by Helen Morgan and by

Libby Holman Elizabeth Lloyd Holman (née Holzman; May 23, 1904 – June 18, 1971) was an American socialite, actress, singer, and activist. Early life Elizabeth Lloyd Holzman was born May 23, 1904, in Cincinnati, Ohio, the daughter of a lawyer and stockbrok ...

Notable recordings

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop si ...

- recorded the song for Brunswick Records (catalog No. 7859) on January 25, 1937 with Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra. *

Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...

in the film '' Till the Clouds Roll By'' (1946) *

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 ...

recorded the song for Columbia Records on December 28, 1947. * Vic Damone reached No. 20 in the Billboard charts in 1949 with the song. * Dorothy Lamour - ''The Road to Romance...For Bing, Bob and You!'' (1957). *

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

- ''The London Sessions'' (1960) *

Margaret Whiting Margaret Eleanor Whiting (July 22, 1924 – January 10, 2011) was an American popular music and country music singer who gained popularity in the 1940s and 1950s.Mapes, Jillian.Margaret Whiting, Iconic Standards Singer, Dies at 86. ''Billboard' ...

- ''

Margaret Whiting Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook ''Margaret Whiting Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook'' is a 1960 studio album by Margaret Whiting, with an orchestra conducted and arranged by Russell Garcia, focusing on the songs of Jerome Kern. Originally released as a double-LP set by Verve R ...

'' (1960) * Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane - ''

Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane ''Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane'' is a studio album of music performed by jazz musicians Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane. It was released on the New Jazz Records, New Jazz label in April 1963. The recording was made on March 7, 1958. It was reissu ...

'' (1963) *

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

- ''

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook ''Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Song Book'' is a 1963 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald accompanied by an orchestra arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. The album focuses on the songs of the composer Jerome Ke ...

'' (1963) *

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

- for her album ''Dinah '63'' (1963). * Georgia Brown - ''Georgia Brown (The Sensational New Singing Star of Oliver!)'' (1963). *

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

- '' Bittersweet White Light'' (1973) *

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a ...

- '' Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert'' (2005) *

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

- ''

Triplicate Triplicate typically refers to a document created three times simultaneously, as with carbonless copy paper. Triplicate may also refer to: *Del Norte Triplicate, a newspaper in Crescent City, California *Triplicate (horse), a race horse owned by ...

'' (2017)

References

{{Authority control Songs with music by Jerome Kern Songs with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II 1929 songs Dorothy Lamour songs Ella Fitzgerald songs Billie Holiday songs Lena Horne songs Cher songs Irene Dunne songs