Don't Know Why

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

"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 from her debut studio album, Come Away with Me (2002).

"Don't Know Why"
Single by Norah Jones
from the album Come Away with Me
B-side	"Lonestar" "Peace" "Cold Cold Heart" "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" "Crazy" (live)
Released	January 28, 2002 (2002-01-28)
Studio	Sorcerer Sound (New York City) Allaire (Shokan, New York)
Genre	Jazz pop[1]
Length	3:06
Label	Blue Note
Songwriter(s)	Jesse Harris
Producer(s)	Norah Jones Arif Mardin Jay Newland
Norah Jones singles chronology
"Don't Know Why" (2002) "Feelin' the Same Way" (2002)
"Turn Me On" (2003) "Don't Know Why" / "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" (2003) "Sunrise" (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' 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 in 2003 for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. "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".^[2]

Jones' piano-playing has been compared to that of Floyd Cramer, having a "style and grace, a musical maturity not found in many keyboard players today."^[3][4][5]

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 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[6] "Don't Know Why" – 3:05 "Lonestar" – 3:05 "Peace" – 3:51 Dutch CD single[7] "Don't Know Why" – 3:05 "Cold Cold Heart" – 3:38 French CD single[8] "Don't Know Why" – 3:05 "Lonestar" – 3:07

Australian CD single[9] "Don't Know Why" "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" "Lonestar" "Peace" UK CD single (2003)[10] "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 Come Away with Me album booklet.^[11]

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 (New York City)

Personnel

• Jesse Harris – writing, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• Norah Jones – 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 – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts 2002–2003 weekly chart performance for "Don't Know Why" Chart (2002–2003) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[12] 5 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[13] 56 Croatia (HRT)[14] 6 France (SNEP)[15] 74 Germany (GfK)[16] 82 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] 86 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[18] 24 Scotland (OCC)[19] 71 Scotland (OCC)[20] with "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" 78 UK Singles (OCC)[21] 59 UK Singles (OCC)[22] with "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" 63 US Billboard Hot 100[23] 30 US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[24] 5 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[25] 4 US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[26] 8 US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[27] 32 2022 weekly chart performance for "Don't Know Why" Chart (2022) Peak position Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan)[28] 20

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for "Don't Know Why" Chart (2002) Position US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[29] 38 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[30] 25 US Triple-A (Billboard)[31] 5 Chart (2003) Position Australia (ARIA)[32] 77 US Billboard Hot 100[33] 97 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[34] 7 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[35] 25

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[36]	Platinum	70,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[37]	Gold	45,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[38] sales since 2009	Platinum	70,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[39]	2× Platinum	60,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[40]	Platinum	60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[41] with "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"	Gold	400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[42]	3× Platinum	3,000,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	January 28, 2002	Triple A radio	Blue Note	[43]
United Kingdom	May 13, 2002	CD	Parlophone	[44]
United States	June 24, 2002	Hot adult contemporary radio	Blue Note	[45]
	August 5, 2002	Contemporary hit radio		[46]
Australia	February 24, 2003	CD	Parlophone	[47]
United Kingdom (re-release)	September 1, 2003			[48]

References

1. Mason, Stewart. "Norah Jones – Don't Know Why". AllMusic. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
3. "'Norah Jones' Articles at know your music". know your music.
4. "Come Away With Me Has Never Sounded Better". Analog Planet. January 17, 2003.
5. "Who's Floyd Cramer?". Magnolia Banner News. November 28, 2017.
6. Don't Know Why (UK CD single liner notes). Norah Jones. Parlophone. 2002. CDCL 836, 7243 5 50933 2 5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
7. Don't Know Why (Dutch CD single liner notes). Norah Jones. EMI Records. 2002. 7243 5506322 9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
8. Don't Know Why (French CD single liner notes). Norah Jones. Blue Note Records, Capitol Records. 2002. 7243 551342 2 6.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
9. Don't Know Why (Australian CD single liner notes). Norah Jones. Parlophone. 2003. 7243 5 52027 2 7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. Don't Know Why / I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (UK CD single liner notes). Norah Jones. Parlophone. 2003. CDCL 848, 7243 5 52938 2 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
11. Come Away with Me (US CD album booklet). Norah Jones. Blue Note Records. 2002. 7243 5 32088 2 0.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
12. "Norah Jones – Don't Know Why". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
13. "Norah Jones – Don't Know Why" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
14. "HR Top 20 Lista". Croatian Radiotelevision. Archived from the original on April 24, 2003. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
15. "Norah Jones – Don't Know Why" (in French). Les classement single.
16. "Norah Jones – Don't Know Why" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
17. "Norah Jones – Don't Know Why" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
18. "Norah Jones – Don't Know Why". Top 40 Singles.
19. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
20. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
21. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
22. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
23. "Norah Jones Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
24. "Norah Jones Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard.
25. "Norah Jones Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
26. "Norah Jones Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
27. "Norah Jones Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
28. "Billboard Japan Hot Overseas: October 19, 2022". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved October 19, 2022.
29. "Most-Played AC Songs of 2002". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 10, no. 51. December 20, 2002. p. 19.
30. "Most-Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2002". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 10, no. 51. December 20, 2002. p. 16.
31. "The 2002 Allstars: Most-Played Triple-A Songs". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 10, no. 51. December 20, 2002. p. 52.
32. "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2003". ARIA. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
33. "Billboard Top 100 – 2003". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
34. "The Year in Music: Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 52. December 27, 2003. p. YE-80. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
35. "The Year in Charts 2003: Most-Played Adult Top 40 Songs". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 11, no. 51. December 19, 2003. p. 22.
36. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2016 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
37. "Danish single certifications". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
38. "Italian single certifications – Norah Jones – Don't Know Why" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved September 27, 2021. Select "2021" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Don't Know Why" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
39. "New Zealand single certifications – Norah Jones – Don't Know Why". Radioscope. Retrieved December 30, 2024. Type Don't Know Why in the "Search:" field.
40. "Spanish single certifications – Norah Jones – Don't Know Why". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
41. "British single certifications – Norah Jones – Don't Know Why/I'll Be Your Baby Tonight". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
42. "American single certifications – Norah Jones – Don't Know Why". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
43. "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1437. January 25, 2002. p. 31. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
44. "New Releases – For Week Starting 13 May 2002: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. May 11, 2002. p. 27. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
45. "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1458. June 21, 2002. p. 33. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
46. "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1464. August 2, 2002. p. 31. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
47. "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 24th February 2003" (PDF). ARIA. February 24, 2003. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2003. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
48. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. August 30, 2003. p. 23. Retrieved September 8, 2021.

External links

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