Wonderful World (Sam Cooke song)

"(What a) Wonderful World" redirects here. For the Louis Armstrong song, see What a Wonderful World.

"Wonderful World"
Single by Sam Cooke
from the album The Wonderful World of Sam Cooke
B-side	"Along the Navajo Trail"
Released	April 14, 1960
Format	7"
Recorded	March 2, 1959
Genre	Soul
Length	2:09
Label	Keen Records 2112
Writer(s)	Sam Cooke, Herb Alpert, Lou Adler
Sam Cooke singles chronology
"Teenage Sonata" (1960) "Wonderful World" (1960) "Chain Gang" (1960)

"Wonderful World"
Single by Herman's Hermits
B-side	"I Gotta Dream On" (UK) "Traveling Light" (U.S.)
Released	April 1965
Format	7"
Genre	Beat
Length	1:57
Label	MGM
Writer(s)	Sam Cooke, Lou Adler, Herb Alpert
Producer	Mickie
Herman's Hermits singles chronology
"Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" (1965) "Wonderful World" (1965) "I'm Henry VIII, I Am" (1965)

"Wonderful World" (sometimes referred to as "(What a) Wonderful World") is a soul song that was written in the late 1950s by soul music pioneer Sam Cooke, along with songwriters Lou Adler and Herb Alpert.

History

The song was first attributed to the pseudonym "Barbara Campbell" who was Sam Cooke's high school sweetheart. It was first recorded by Cooke in 1959 for his 1960 album, The Wonderful World of Sam Cooke. The song was released as a single in the spring of 1960, reaching #12 in the US and #27 in the UK. A bouncy love song, the lyrics have the singer disavowing knowledge of academic subjects (the song is often referred to informally by its first line, "Don't know much about history"), but affirming the object of his affection "but I do know that I love you".

Cooke had already left Keen for RCA when the song was 'discovered'. John Siamas of Keen had engineer Deano Lappas look through the Keen vaults for a good song, exactly as Art Rupe of Specialty had looked through the vaults and come up with 'I'll Come Running Back To You'. Bumps Blackwell and the regular session drummer were not present at the session. The drummer on this track, whose name is unknown, was likely around 15 or 16 years old and, as legend has it, recruited off of the street. Lou Rawls stood about a meter and a half away from Sam singing in the same microphone.

Herman's Hermits had major hit with an uptempo version of the song (omitting one verse) in the mid-1960s, which reached #4 in the U.S. and #7 in the UK. The Hermits' version was, according to singer Peter Noone and guitarist Keith Hopwood, done as a tribute to Cooke upon his death.

In 2004, the song was placed 373rd in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Popular culture

The song is used in the classic 1978 film Animal House in the well-known lunchroom scene. The song was also included in the 1983 film Breathless. The original Sam Cooke version of the song comprised the title soundtrack of the 2005 film Hitch.

After a Greg Chapman cover of the song was featured prominently in the 1985 film Witness, "Wonderful World" gained further exposure, particularly in the United Kingdom, where it appeared in a well-remembered 1986 advertisement for Levi's 501 jeans. As a result, the song became a hit in the UK, reaching #2 in re-release. In a 2005 poll by the UK's Channel Four, the song was voted the 19th greatest song ever to feature in a commercial.

The author Kenneth C. Davis writes a series of books entitled Don't Know Much About, referencing this song.

Other cover versions

Aside from the Herman's Hermits version of the song, the song has been covered by many other artists including:

• The Supremes, who recorded one of the first versions following Sam Cooke's death (released on the album We Remember Sam Cooke in 1965).
• Richard Marx
• Greg Chapman, whose version was featured prominently in the film Witness
• Art Garfunkel, on his 1977 album Watermark, with harmonies by James Taylor and Paul Simon. This version went to number one on the Easy Listening charts and went to number seventeen on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Johnny Nash, who had a UK hit with his cover of the song in 1976.
• The Flying Pickets, on the album The Original Flying Pickets.
• Otis Redding, on his album Otis Blue.
• Bryan Ferry, on his album Another Time, Another Place (1974).
• David Bromberg, on his album Midnight on the Water.
• The Boys, on their album Boys Only.
• Terence Trent D'Arby, as a "B-side" on a rare 7" vinyl EP in the late 1980s.
• Steven Houghton, on his 1997 self-titled album.
• Michael Bolton, on his 1999 album Timeless: The Classics Vol. 2.
• Jim Diamond, on his EP The Blues Shoe.
• Jesse Malin, on his 2008 covers album On Your Sleeve.
• Rod Stewart, on his 2009 album Soulbook.
• Joan Baez, who frequently includes an acoustic version of the song in her concerts.
• Rockapella, who has been known to perform the song often from time to time as an encore.
• Ulfuls, who partially covered the song on their 1999 album Stupid & Honest and changed some of the lyrics to suit in Japanese.

In August 2008, a parody version of the song was featured in a high-profile political advertisement from the Barack Obama presidential campaign. The lyrics were altered to satirize John McCain's lack of knowledge on economic issues ("Don't know much about industry...").

Chart performance

Sam Cooke version

Year	Chart	Position
1960	US Black Singles Chart	#2
1960	US Pop Singles Chart	#12
1960	UK Singles Chart	#27
1986	The Netherlands	#1
1986	UK Singles Chart	#2

Herman's Hermits version

Year	Chart	Position
1965	Pop Singles Chart	#4
1965	UK Singles Chart	#7

Art Garfunkel version

Year	Chart	Position
1978	Adult Contemporary	#1
1978	Pop Singles Chart	#17

Johnny Nash version

Year	Chart	Position
1976	UK Singles Chart	#25

Personnel

Sam Cooke version

• Written by Sam Cooke, Lou Adler, and Herb Alpert.
• Produced by Sam Cooke.
• Instrumentation by Rene Hall (arrangement), Adolphus Asbrook (bass), Ronald Selico (drums), and Cliff White (guitar).
• Background vocals by Lou Rawls.
• Engineering by Deano Lappas.

References

• Wolff, Daniel J., S. R. Crain, Clifton White, and G. David Tenenbaum (1995). You Send Me: The Life and Times of Sam Cooke. William Morrow & Co. ISBN 0-688-12403-8. 

Preceded by "Desiree" by Neil Diamond

Billboard Easy Listening Singles number-one single by Art Garfunkel with James Taylor and Paul Simon February 11, 1978 (5 weeks)

Succeeded by "Can't Smile Without You" by Barry Manilow