Free Jazz Standard Sheet Music Downloads

"Born to Be Blue" is a torch song written in 1946 by vocalist-composer Mel Tormé and lyricist Robert Wells, the team also responsible for "The Christmas Song." Tormé first recorded it with the Sonny Burke Orchestra, and it was later embraced by both singers and instrumentalists as a jazz standard.

The song follows a 32-bar AABA form, typically performed as a ballad. Its wistful, sophisticated melody captures the lyric's theme of being fated for melancholy. The harmonic language is rooted in standard ii-V-I progressions, but subtle chromatic movement within the A sections lends an expressive shadow that rewards close listening. The tune works beautifully in both vocal and instrumental settings, its gentle contour inviting nuanced phrasing and intimate improvisation.

A standout recording is by Chet Baker on his album Baby Breeze (Limelight, 1965), where his understated vocal delivery—accompanied by Bobby Scott on piano and Kenny Burrell on guitar—perfectly embodies the song's bittersweet mood. Wes Montgomery's guitar rendition is also highly regarded among instrumental versions.