Don't Know Why

"Don't Know Why"
Single by Norah Jones
from the album First Sessions/Come Away with Me
Released	July 2002
Format	CD
Recorded	2001 Sorcerer Sound (New York City) Allaire Studios (Shokan, New York)[1]
Genre	Blues, jazz, folk
Length	3:09
Label	Blue Note
Writer(s)	Jesse Harris
Producer	Norah Jones, Arif Mardin, Jay Newland
Norah Jones singles chronology
"Don't Know Why" (2002) "Feelin' the Same Way" (2003)
"Come Away with Me" (2003) "Don't Know Why" / "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" (2003) "Turn Me On" (2004) Alternative cover Cover art for "Don't Know Why" / "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"

"Don't Know Why" is a jazz song written by Jesse Harris which originally appeared on his 1999 album, Jesse Harris & the Ferdinandos. It was the second single by Norah Jones from her breakthrough 2002 album Come Away with Me. Although Jones's version only peaked at number thirty on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, it was a critical success for her that helped established her as a respected new artist, and subsequently her album sold extremely well. The single went on to win three Grammy Awards in 2003 for "Record of the Year", "Song of the Year", and "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance". It remains Jones's biggest hit single in the USA to date, and her only one to reach the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. The single was also a hit internationally and reached Top 10 in several countries. The song charted at 459 in Blender magazine's 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born.^[2]

Covers

• Pat Metheny: Jazz guitarist played "Don't Know Why" on his 2003 solo album One Quiet Night.
• Smokey Robinson covered the song on his 2009 solo album Time Flies When You're Having Fun.
• Aya Matsuura covered the song for her album Naked Songs.
• Ken Hirai: Japanese R&B singer performed the song on his album of covers entitled Ken's Bar.
• JUJU: Japanese jazz/soul/R&B singer included the cover on her single "Donna ni tokutemo" as a B-side.
• Vania Borges covered the song on the compilation album Rhythms del Mundo.
• Aliya Parcs covered the song on the compilation album Jam and Jive.
• It was featured on the video game Karaoke Revolution as a cover.
• The sketch comedy show MADtv parodied the song in a commercial for the fictitious album Monotonous. The joke of the sketch is that the song sets the mood for wild parties despite its slow pace.
• Jazz fusion\contemporary jazz pianist David Benoit covered the song from his 2003 album "Right Here, Right Now."^[3][4]
• Saxophonist Jimmy Sommers covered the song from his 2007 release "Time Stands Still."^[5][6]
• Asaro and Wolcott covered the song on their 2010 EP Goodbye Note
• Martin Taylor (guitarist) included this song on his album The Valley, and in a number of concerts including his performance at The Stables on the day John Dankworth died

Charts

"Don't Know Why"

Chart (2002/2003)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart[7]	5
Austrian Singles Chart[7]	56
Dutch Singles Chart[8]	86
French Singles Chart[8]	74
German Singles Chart[7]	82
New Zealand Singles Chart[7]	24
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	30
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary	4
U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40	8
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream	32
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Tracks	21
U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 Recurrents	1

"Don't Know Why" / "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"

Chart (2003)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart[9]	67

Other appearances

• WYEP Live and Direct: Volume 4 - On Air Performances (2002)

References

1. ^ Come Away with Me liner notes. Blue Note (2002)
2. ^ The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born: 51–100
3. ^ "A Thousand Kisses Deep overview". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r661910. 
4. ^ "David Benoit - Right Here, Right Now". JazzReview.com. http://www.jazzreview.com/cdreview.cfm?ID=6065. 
5. ^ "Time Stands Still overview". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r948874. 
6. ^ "News :05.26.09 ::". JimmySommers.com. http://www.jimmysommers.com/home.html. 
7. ^ ^{a b c d} http://acharts.us/song/36
8. ^ ^{a b} [1]
9. ^ http://acharts.us/song/8877

External links

• "Don't Know Why" reviewed by Ted Gioia (Jazz.com)