What'll I Do is a classic Irving Berlin show tune written and published in 1923. It was introduced toward the end of Berlin's Music Box Revue by Grace Moore and John Steel and was later included in the following year's edition. The original recording was by Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra; it was recorded March 18, 1924 in New York and released as a single in May 1924 on Victor (19299). The song is an autobiographical torch ballad in which the singer longs for a lost love, inspired by Berlin's fiancée Ellin Mackay who was sent to Europe. It did not appear on an album at the time of its release, but has since become a standard covered by many artists including Nat King Cole, Julie London, Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Nancy Sinatra, Harry Nilsson, Cher and Linda Ronstadt. It remains a durable part of American popular music and has appeared in film and television contexts.
