"Don't Know Why" is a song written by Jesse Harris which originally appeared on his 1999 album, Jesse Harris & the Ferdinandos. It was the second single by American singer Norah Jones from her debut studio album Come Away with Me (2002). Although Jones's version only peaked at number thirty on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, it was a critical success for her that helped establish her as a respected new artist, and subsequently her album sold extremely well. 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. The single was also a hit internationally and reached top 10 in several countries. The song charted at 459 in Blender magazine's 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born.[2]
A music video directed by Anastasia Simone and Ian Spencer was released in 2002.
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.
Martin Taylor included this song on his album The Valley, and in a number of concerts including his performance at The Stables on the day John Dankworth died.