Don't Know Why

"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 it was the first single by American singer Norah Jones from her debut studio album, Come Away with Me (2002).

For other uses, see Don't Know Why (disambiguation).

"Don't Know Why"
Single by Norah Jones
from the album Come Away with Me
ReleasedJuly 2002
Recorded2001[1]
Studio
Genre
Length3:06
LabelBlue Note
Songwriter(s)Jesse Harris
Producer(s)
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"
Audio sample
  • file
  • help
Music video
"Don't Know Why" on YouTube

Jones's version peaked at number 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was a critical success. 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 United States to date, and her only one to reach the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. "Don't Know Why" was also a modest hit abroad, reaching number five in Australia, number 24 in New Zealand, and number 59 in the United Kingdom. The song was ranked number 459 in Blender magazine's 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born.[2]

Music video

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

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (2002–2003) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[3] 5
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4] 56
France (SNEP)[5] 74
Germany (Official German Charts)[6] 82
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[7] 86
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] 24
Poland (LP3)[9] 4
Scotland (OCC)[10] 71
Scotland (OCC)[11]
with "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"		 78
UK Singles (OCC)[12] 59
UK Singles (OCC)[13]
with "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"		 63
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 30
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[15] 5
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[16] 4
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[17] 8
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[18] 32

Year-end charts
Chart (2003) Position
Australia (ARIA)[19] 77
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 97

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[21] Gold 35,000^
Italy (FIMI)[22] Gold 25,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[23] Silver 200,000

^shipments figures based on certification alone
sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Other appearances
  • WYEP Live and Direct: Volume 4 – On Air Performances (2002)

Parodies
  • The children's television show Sesame Street parodied the song with Jones playing the song at a piano about the letter Y being missing and Elmo appears later with her, joining in singing the song.
  • 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.

Covers

References
  1. Come Away with Me liner notes. Blue Note (2002)
  2. "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born: 51-100 Article on Blender :: The Ultimate Guide to Music and More". March 6, 2009. Archived from the original on March 6, 2009. Retrieved July 27, 2016.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. "Australian-charts.com – Norah Jones – Don't Know Why". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  4. "Austriancharts.at – Norah Jones – Don't Know Why" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  5. "Lescharts.com – Norah Jones – Don't Know Why" (in French). Les classement single.
  6. "Offiziellecharts.de – Norah Jones – Don't Know Why". GfK Entertainment Charts.
  7. "Dutchcharts.nl – Norah Jones – Don't Know Why" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  8. "Charts.nz – Norah Jones – Don't Know Why". Top 40 Singles.
  9. "Notowanie nr1103" (in Polish). LP3. March 21, 2003. Retrieved February 22, 2019. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  10. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  11. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  13. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  14. "Norah Jones Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  15. "Norah Jones Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard.
  16. "Norah Jones Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  17. "Norah Jones Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  18. "Norah Jones Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  19. "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2003". ARIA. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  20. "2003 Year End Charts". Billboard.biz. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
  21. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2003 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  22. "Italian single certifications – Norah Jones – Don't Know Why" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved February 22, 2019. Select "2016" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Don't Know Why" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli online" under "Sezione".
  23. "British single certifications – Norah Jones – Don't Know Why/I'll Be Your Baby Tonight". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  24. Komonibo, Ineye (December 5, 2019). "The Butterfly On The Masked Singer Was Revealed — & It Was The Show's Most Touching Moment". Refinery29. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
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