Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Why Was I Born)

Why Was I Born (1929)

More on This Tune

Origin and Chart Information

Here are the top ten...

Year	Rank	Title
1930	1	“Body and Soul”
1939	2	“All the Things You Are”
1935	3	“Summertime”
1944	4	“'Round Midnight”
1935	5	“I Can't Get Started (with You)”
1937	6	“My Funny Valentine”
1942	7	“Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be)”
1930	8	“What Is This Thing Called Love?”
1933	9	“Yesterdays”
1946	10	“Stella by Starlight”

Click on Songs for the full list.

Reading and Research

Additional information for "Why Was I Born" may be found in:


Alec Wilder American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950 Oxford University Press; Reprint edition Hardcover: 576 pages (1 page including the following types of information: music analysis.)


Thomas S. Hischak The Tin Pan Alley Song Encyclopedia Greenwood Press Hardcover: 552 pages (1 paragraph including the following types of information: film productions, history and performers.)


Robert Gottlieb, Robert Kimball Reading Lyrics Pantheon Hardcover: 736 pages (Includes the following types of information: song lyrics.)

Written by the Same Composer(s)

This section shows the jazz standards written by the same writing team.

Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern
Year	Rank	Title
1939	2	“All the Things You Are”
1932	159	“The Song Is You”
1927	236	“Ol' Man River”
1927	339	“Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man”
1929	377	“Why Was I Born”
1927	431	“Why Do I Love You?”
1937	471	“The Folks Who Live on the Hill”
1925	607	“Who”
1946	657	“Nobody Else but Me”
1927	936	“Make Believe”

Dorothy Fields, Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern and Jimmy McHugh
Year	Rank	Title
1935	999	“I Won't Dance”

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