WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?
From the Broadway Musical "The New Yorkers" (1930)
(Cole Porter)


Charles King & Hope Williams (Broadway Production) - 1930

Emil Coleman & His Orch. - 1930

Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians(vocal: The Three Waring Girls) - 1931

Bud Freeman & His Orch. - 1945

Teddi King - 1955

Barbara Lea - 1956

Billy Eckstine - 1958

Judy Holliday - 1958

Bobby Short - 1972

Elisabeth Welch - 1986  




If ever you love again, if such luck could be

You must fall in love again with nobody but me

For now that I see you, I know

That we should have met long ago


Where have you been?

I want to know where have you been?

My life was a losing fight

Till the lucky night

Baby, you happened in


From what I had heard about love

I thought it was all sorrow and sin

But now that we meet at last

I forget the past


Baby, where have you been?

I was alone, unbefriended

In the depths of despair

When out of the blue you descended

And somehow ended ev'ry care


So, if you will give me a break

And order the love scene to begin

So close to your side I'll stay

You can never say

"Baby, where have you been?"



********************


As recorded by BILLY ECKSTINE:

Please tell me, where have you been?
I want to know, where have you been?
My life was a losing fight
Till the lucky night,
Baby, you happened in!

From what I had heard about love,
I thought it was all sorrow and sin!
But now that we meet at last,
I forget what's past;
Baby, where have you been?

I was a fool unbefriended,
In the depths of despair,
When out of the blue you descended
And somehow ended every care!

So if you will give me a break
And order the love scene to begin,
So close to your side I'll stay,
You can never say,
"Baby, where have you been?".

So if you will give me a break
And order the love scene to begin,
So close to your side I'll stay,
You can never say,
"Baby, where have you been?".


(Transcribed by Peter Akers - September 2014)