Wonder Why (song)
Wonder Why is a song with music by Nicholas Brodszky and lyrics by Sammy Cahn, published in 1951. It was written for the film Rich, Young and Pretty (1951), directed by Norman Taurog. In the movie, the song is sung by Vic Damone, Jane Powell, and The Four Freshmen. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1952.
Vic Damone’s recording on Mercury Records reached number 21 on the U.S. charts in September 1951.
The song was widely covered in the 1950s by many artists, including Billy Eckstine, Tex Beneke, Milt Jackson, Maynard Ferguson, the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, Tyree Glenn, Sam Donahue, Tal Farlow, Kay Armen, Melba Liston, Shelly Manne, and Red Garland in the United States, and Sonya Hedenbratt in Sweden. Tom Lord lists 85 cover versions in total.
In later years, Wonder Why was recorded by Alan Broadbent, Cedar Walton and Bill Evans for The Secret Sessions. Michael Feinstein included it on his 1989 The M.G.M. Album. Carmen McRae recorded it in 1991 on her last recording, Sarah: Dedicated to You. Denver pianist Ellyn Rucker recorded it in 1991 for her 1992 album Live in New Orleans.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 14:33 (CET).