WHAT AM I HERE FOR ?
(Duke Ellington / Frankie Laine) (1942)

Recorded by : Cat Anderson; Bill Anschell; Dorothy Ashby; 
Harold Ashby Quartet; Count Basie; Ed Bickert; Clifford Brown; 
Ray Bryant; Amanda Carr; Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis; DMP Big Band; 
Ray Drummon; Duke Ellington; Rolf Ericson; Art Farmer; 
Ella Fitzgerald; Tommy Flanagan; Chuck Folds; Nnenna Freelon; 
Dave Frishberg; Stan Getz; Tiziana Ghiglioni; Paul Gonsalves; 
Stephane Grappelli; Jimmy Hamilton; Scott Hamilton; 
Coleman Hawkins; Barbara Hendricks; Milt Hinton; 
Laurence Hobgood; Major Holley; Lena Horne; Milt Jackson; 
Harry James; Hank Jones; Lee Konitz; Frankie Laine; 
Lambert, Hendricks & Ross; Don Lamond; John Leitham; 
Jay Leonhart; Doug MacDonald; George Masso; Johnny Mathis; 
Marian MacPartland; Jay McShann; Ray Nance; 
David "Fathead" Newman; Rob Parton; Andre Persiani;
Oscar Peterson; Marc Pompe; André Previn; Max Roach;
Pee Wee Russell; Joya Sherrill; Ralph Sutton; Sweet Jazz Trio;
Charles Thomas; Barbara Thompson; Ross Tompkins; Cy Touff;
Tre Damer; Warren Vaché; Joe Van Enkhuizen; Johnny Varro;
Sarah Vaughan; Dave Venn; Ben Webster; George Wein;
Widespread Depression Orch.


What am I here for,
Living in mis'ry,
Now that you've gone from my heart ?
That was my fear for
You were my future
There was no reason to part.

'Till I hope you change your mind
And that somehow you will find
You are meant to be my own
I'll be lost if I'm alone

I know that you remember
All that you told me
Times when you hold me so tight
How could you grieve me
How could you leave me
Knowing your love is my light

In your ear that should be
Thoughts of your return to me
I will be happy
Patiently waiting
Knowing then, that's why I'm here.