Greatest love songs ever: #37 “What’ll I Do?”

By Tom Quiner

This lovely song was written 102 years ago by one of the great American songwriters, Irving Berlin. The 1920s was a decade of dazzling creativity, rivaled only by the creative output of the 1960s in the twentieth century. Irving Berlin was one of the century’s giants, and “What’ll I Do?” was one of his most enduring hits.

Of all of the songwriters identified in this series of the 52 Greatest Love Songs Ever, not a one exceeded Berlin’s craftsmanship. He labored over his songs, polishing them until they were perfect.

“What’ll I do?” is a melancholic song. With very few words, it tells a story of lost love. It’s a gut-punch of a song told with a bitter sweet melody, wrapped in a lyric asking an unresolvable question.

When we fall in love, that’s all we can think about. And when one person exits the relationship, the natural reaction of the abandoned party is, “What’ll I Do?”

That’s what happened to Mr. Berlin. He was hopelessly in love with a woman whose father disapproved of the relationship. The dad shipped her off to Europe in the hope that she’d forget about the Yiddish, immigrant songwriter  from Russia. The songwriter pours out his soul in this beautiful lyric:

“What’ll I do?

When I am wondering who

Is kissing you,

What’ll I do?”

Guess what? The lovely socialite didn’t get over Irving. They married two years later in a union that lasted 62 years until her death in 1988.

In my mind, Irving Berlin is the second greatest American songwriter ever. (I will reveal the best later in this series.) You know a bunch of his songs, you just didn’t know it.

He penned “God Bless America,” a song sung at thousands and thousands of sporting events across the land. This Jewish songwriter wrote the twentieth century’s most popular Christmas song, “White Christmas.” And he wrote “What’ll I Do,” first sung by Grace Moore and John Steel in 1924, and recorded more recently by the likes of Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, and even Bob Dylan.

What I like about both the Ronstadt (top) and Nelson interpretations of the song is the inclusion of the verse. Inexplicably, most artists plunge right into the refrain and omit the verse that sets up the refrain.

Willie Nelson sings “What’ll I Do?”

How good a songwriter was Irving Berlin? George Gershwin called him the greatest ever. Jerome Kern was more blunt:

“Irving Berlin has no place in American music. He is American music.”

Quite the compliments coming from those two great songwriters.

Next week, we’ll move forward in time a couple of decades to experience the witty lyrics of one of America’s great, but forgotten talents, and his equally great and better known music collaborator.

Pulse Life Advocates is changing the world one love song at a time. Love is the antidote for abortion. Spread the love. Invite your friends to subscribe to our blog to keep up on the love song of the week. We’re counting them down one week at a time.

If you enjoy this series of the “52 Greatest Love Songs Ever,” take a minute and support the project with a gift today. Thank-you!