Why Don't You Do Right
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Why Don't You Do Right?" is an American blues- and jazz-influenced pop song - now a standard - written in 1936 by Kansas Joe McCoy. It is a twelve-bar song written in a minor key. Although it is not in the twelve-bar blues form (it is more of an aabc form in which the c part is similar to the a part), many still consider the song to be a classic "woman's blues;" it is really more a "complaint song."
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Composition
"Why Don't You Do Right?" first appeared in 1936 as "The Weed Smoker's Dream", composed by McCoy and recorded by his band, the Harlem Hamfats. The song was subtitled "Why Don't You Do Now" on the original release. McCoy later rewrote the song, refining the composition and changing the lyrics entirely. The new tune was titled "Why Don't You Do Right?" and was recorded by Lil Green in 1941 (with guitar played by Big Bill Broonzy). The recording was an early jazz and blues hit.
Peggy Lee recordings
One of the best known versions of the song is Peggy Lee's, which was recorded July 27, 1942 in New York with Benny Goodman. It sold over 1 million copies and brought her to nationwide attention.
Peggy Lee often stated that Green's recording was extremely influential to her music. In a 1984 interview she said "I was and am a fan of Lil Green, a great old blues singer, and Lil recorded it. I used to play that record over and over in my dressing room, which was next door to Benny's (Goodman). Finally he said, 'You obviously like that song.' I said 'Oh, I love it.' He said 'Would you like me to have an arrangement made of it?' I said, 'I'd love that,' and he did."
"Why Don't You Do Right", which was not the biggest hit Goodman and Lee put out (it only reached #4 on the Billboards), defined Lee's sultry and rich vocal style early on in her career. Lee left Goodman in 1943, having married guitarist Dave Barbour. Her intention was to retire from the music industry and focus on homemaking, but she continued receiving offers to return to the music world, largely in part to the success of "Why Don't You Do Right?". Ultimately she returned to singing, and collaborated off and on with Goodman throughout her career. They recorded an alternate version of "Why Don't You Do Right?" in 1947.
Lyrics and themes
The song tells the narrative of a woman who is complaining about her partner's apparent financial insolvency. She states that he was financially well off in 1922, but now has nothing. She claims it is because he wasted it on other women, and that these lovers will no longer show any interest in him now that he's poor. She claims that he tricked her into a relationship where all he has to offer her is 'a drink of gin'. She ends each verse asking why the man doesn't 'do right' by her, and then throws him out, insisting that he go earn a living in order to support her.
The song has its roots in blues music and deals with themes that were common following the Great Depression and prohibition: the narrator is suggesting that the man is destitute because he has been used by other women, then demands money from him for her benefit.
- You had plenty money, 1922
- You let other women make a fool of you
- Why don't you do right? like some other men do
- Get out of here and get me some money too.
Other performances
In addition to the 1936 Harlem Hamfats release of "The Weed Smoker's Dream", the 1941 recording of "Why Don't You Do Right?" by Lillian "Lil" Green and the 1942 and 1947 versions recorded by Benny Goodman and Peggy Lee, other versions were recorded over the years by Kay Kyser (vocals by Julie Conway), Ella Fitzgerald (see her album: "Jazz at the Philharmonic, the Ella Fitzgerald Set") and Joe Pass, Julie London, Cal Tjader and Mary Stallings, Mark Murphy, Shirley Horn, Johnny Otis, Mel Torme, Rasputina, Imelda May, Kiri Te Kanawa, Ashlee Simpson, DiggingRoots, Sinéad O'Connor, Eden Brent on her album Mississippi Number One (2008), and White Ghost Shivers on their album Everyone's Got 'Em (2006).
The song was memorably performed in the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit by the animated character Jessica Rabbit. Although Kathleen Turner provided the acting voice for the character, the vocal performance of the song is by actress Amy Irving.
In 2009, the song was given a house treatment by Gramophonedzie (Serbian producer and DJ Marko Milicevic) as Why Don't You, off his EP Swingin' With The Fishes. His girlfriend, who is a fan of Peggy Lee, was the inspiration for his update. It was released to download on February 28, 2010 in the UK. On the 7th March 2010, "Why Don't You" debuted at #100 on the Australian Aria Charts, and at #12 in the United Kingdom. As of March 13 Gramophonedzie version of the song is number one in the UK Dance Singles charts.
See also
