BABY WON'T YOU PLEASE COME HOME - Free Jazz Leadsheet

"Baby, Won't You Please Come Home" was written by Charles Warfield and Clarence Williams in 1919. The song quickly became a popular blues standard, notable for its heartfelt plea of longing and regret. Its lyrics convey the sadness of separation and the hope for reconciliation, expressed through simple yet emotional language.

The first known recording was made by Bessie Smith in 1923 in New York City, whose deeply expressive vocal performance helped to establish the tune’s enduring place in the jazz and blues canon. Later renditions by artists such as Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino, and Ella Fitzgerald brought new rhythmic and stylistic interpretations across decades.

Musically, the song follows a 12-bar blues pattern, providing a familiar and flexible structure for improvisation. Its melody, both plaintive and singable, invites performers to highlight personal phrasing and emotional nuance, making it a recurring favorite among vocalists and instrumentalists alike.