The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else is a 1924 American dance song written by Isham Jones and Gus Kahn. It was first recorded by the Isham Jones Orchestra on December 21, 1923 at Brunswick Studios in New York and published January 7, 1924; it was released in March 1924 as a Brunswick single (2555) with the B-side Wop Blues. The tune tells of heartbreak and unrequited love, with the central idea that the person you love belongs to somebody else. The original recording was followed by a Chicago version with Al Jolson on lead vocals, recorded January 17, 1924, which charted highly—Jolson’s version reached number 2 and Jones’ version number 5. It has since become a standard with many notable covers, including Sophie Tucker (1924), Frank Sinatra with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (1940, chart peak of 11), Ella Fitzgerald (1941), Bing Crosby (1948), Doris Day (1951), Julie London (1958), and Dean Martin (1966). The song has appeared in films such as Doris Day’s I’ll See You in My Dreams (1951) and remains a widely recorded American Dance Music staple in jazz and pop contexts.
