Released August 1982 Length 3:32 | Recorded 1981 Label Mirage Records
WEA | |
Format 7" single
12" single
12" maxi single Genre Disco-funk, reggae fusion | ||
"Why" is a song performed by Carly Simon, recorded for the film Soup for One in 1982. The movie flopped but the soundtrack was a success. The song is one in a string of many film-inspired singles by Simon.
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The song, like the rest of the soundtrack, was produced by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers of Chic. This was a move away from the usual guitar-based hits of Simon's past. The bittersweet reggae-tinged ballad became a hit in Europe, hitting #10 in the UK, and staying on the British charts for 18 weeks. The song stalled at #74 on the Billboard Hot 100, and remained on the chart for 6 weeks.
The song is centered on the phrase "Why does your love hurt so much?", and Simon sings perhaps one of her most heartfelt and yearning vocals to date on the track. However, despite this sad subject matter, the song also became well known for its catchy refrain "La di-da, di-da".
A promotional video was made for the single that is currently viewable on Simon's YouTube page. The video shows Simon walking through a downtown street before stopping by an outdoor café where she mingles with residents who look on with keen interest. At the midpoint of the song, the residents watching Simon join in the song as she leads them in singing the memorable "la di-da, di-da" refrain.
In 1989, the song re-surfaced on the Ibiza "Hacienda" scene, and cemented its status as a Balearic classic. Known for its bass-line and funky drums, it was then that the growing hip-hop scene in the USA began to pick it up, seven years after its original release. The song re-entered the UK charts the same year, reaching #56.