jmjiloveyou

<h1>Why Don't You Do Right?</h1><h2>From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</h2><h2><br></h2><h2>"<strong>Why Don't You Do Right?</strong>" (originally recorded as "<strong>Weed Smoker's Dream</strong>" in 1936) is an American <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">blues</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">jazz</a>-influenced pop song usually credited to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_Joe_McCoy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kansas Joe McCoy</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Don%27t_You_Do_Right%3F#cite_note-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[1]</a> A <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minor_key" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">minor key</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-bar_blues" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">twelve-bar blues</a> with a few <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chord_substitution" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">chord substitutions</a>, it is considered a classic "woman's blues" song and has become a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_(music)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">standard</a>. Singer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lil_Green" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lil Green</a> recorded a popular rendition in 1941, which <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_Lee" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Peggy Lee</a> recorded the next year — accompanied by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Goodman" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Benny Goodman</a> — and made one of her signature songs</h2><h2><br></h2><h2>Composition and lyrics</h2><p>In 1936, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_Hamfats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Harlem Hamfats</a> jazz band recorded "The Weed Smoker's Dream". The original <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decca_Records" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Decca Records</a> release listed the songwriters as "McCoy-Moran" (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_McCoy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Joe McCoy</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Morand" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Herb Morand</a> were members of the band). McCoy later rewrote the song, refining the composition and lyrics. The new tune, titled "Why Don't You Do Right?", was recorded by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lil_Green" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lil Green</a> in 1941,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Don%27t_You_Do_Right%3F#cite_note-pc9-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[2]</a> with guitar by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bill_Broonzy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">William "Big Bill" Broonzy</a>. The recording was an early jazz and blues hit.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Don%27t_You_Do_Right%3F#cite_note-Russell-3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[3]</a></p><p>The song has its roots in blues music and originally dealt with a marijuana smoker reminiscing about lost financial opportunities. As it was rewritten, it takes on the perspective of the female partner, who chastises her man for his irresponsible ways, complaining that her other lovers provide her with more money:<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Don%27t_You_Do_Right%3F#cite_note-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[4]</a> "Why don't you do right, like some other men do? Get out of here and get me some money too."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Don%27t_You_Do_Right%3F#cite_note-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[5]</a></p><h2><br></h2><h2>Peggy Lee recording</h2><p>One of the best-known versions of the song was recorded by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_Lee" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Peggy Lee</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Goodman" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Benny Goodman</a> on July 27, 1942, in New York. Featured in the 1943 film, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_Door_Canteen_(film)" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Stage Door Canteen</em></a>, it sold over one million copies and brought her to nationwide attention.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Don%27t_You_Do_Right%3F#cite_note-6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[6]</a></p><p>Lee often stated that Green's recording was influential to her music. In a 1971 interview<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Don%27t_You_Do_Right%3F#cite_note-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[7]</a> she said, "I had the record, and I used to play it over and over in my dressing room, which was next to Benny Goodman&nbsp;... Finally&nbsp;... he said, 'I think you really like that song.' I said, 'Oh, I love it.' He said, 'Would you like to sing it?'" Lee said yes, so Goodman had an arrangement made of it for Lee to sing.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Don%27t_You_Do_Right%3F#cite_note-pc9-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[2]</a></p><p>"Why Don't You Do Right?" reached number four on both the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_charts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Billboard</em> charts</a> and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_R%26B/Hip-Hop_Songs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Harlem Hit Parade</a> charts.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Don%27t_You_Do_Right%3F#cite_note-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">^[8]</a></p>