"Don't Know Why" is a song written and composed by Jesse Harris that originally appeared on his 1999 album, ''Jesse Harris & the Ferdinandos.'' A cover of the song was the debut single of American singer

Norah Jones Norah Jones ( ; born Geethali Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has won several awards for her music and, , has sold more than 53 million records worldwide. '' Billboard'' named her the top jazz artist of ...

from her debut studio album ''

Come Away with Me ''Come Away with Me'' is the debut studio album by American recording artist Norah Jones, released on February 26, 2002, by Blue Note Records. Recording sessions took place at Sorcerer Sound Studio in New York City and Allaire Studios in Sh ...

'' (2002). Jones' version of "Don't Know Why" was released on January 28, 2002, peaked at number 30 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was a critical success, winning three

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

in 2003 for

Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...

, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the

46th Annual Grammy Awards The 46th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2004, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2002, through September 30, 2003. It recognized acc ...

. "Don't Know Why" was also successful abroad, reaching number five in Australia, number six in Croatia, and number 24 in New Zealand. The song was ranked number 459 in '' Blender'' magazine's "500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born". Jones' piano-playing has been compared to that of

Floyd Cramer Floyd Cramer (October 27, 1933 – December 31, 1997) was an American pianist who became famous for his use of melodic "whole-step" attacks. He was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His signatur ...

, having a "style and grace, a musical maturity not found in many keyboard players today."

Music video

A music video directed by Anastasia Simone and Ian Spencer was filmed in February 2002 and released later that year. It features Norah Jones performing the song on a gray beach at sunrise, on a rocky pier, and at a beach rental stand accompanied by a wooden piano while undersea images are projected onto the walls.

Track listings

UK CD single # "Don't Know Why" – 3:05 # "Lonestar" – 3:05 # "Peace" – 3:51 Dutch CD single # "Don't Know Why" – 3:05 # " Cold Cold Heart" – 3:38 French CD single # "Don't Know Why" – 3:05 # "Lonestar" – 3:07 Australian CD single # "Don't Know Why" # " I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" # "Lonestar" # "Peace" UK CD single (2003) # "Don't Know Why" – 3:05 # "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" – 3:16 # " Crazy" (live) – 3:29

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the ''

'' album booklet. Recording * Recorded at Sorcerer Sound (New York City) and Allaire Studios ( Shokan, New York) * Mixed at Sear Sound (New York City) * Mastered at

Sterling Sound George Marino (April 15, 1947June 4, 2012) was an American mastering engineer known for working on albums by rock bands starting in the late 1960s. Biography Marino was born on April 15, 1947, in the New York City borough The Bronx. He attended ...

(New York City) Personnel * Jesse Harris – writing, acoustic guitar, electric guitar *

– vocals, piano, production * Lee Alexander – bass guitar * Dan Rieser – drums * Arif Mardin – production, mixing * Jay Newland – production, mixing, engineering * Mark Birkey – assistant engineering *

Ted Jensen Ted Jensen (born September 19, 1954) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered many recordings, including the Eagles' '' Hotel California'', Green Day's '' American Idiot'' and Norah Jones' ''Come Away with Me''. Early life ...

– mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

External links

"Don't Know Why"
reviewed by Ted Gioia
Jazz.com
{{Authority control 1999 songs 2002 debut singles Blue Note Records singles Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Grammy Award for Record of the Year Grammy Award for Song of the Year Norah Jones songs Parlophone singles Song recordings produced by Arif Mardin Songs written by Jesse Harris