What a Wonderful World

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For the Sam Cooke song beginning with "Don't know much about history", see Wonderful World (song).
For other uses, see Wonderful World.
"What a Wonderful World"
Single by Louis Armstrong
Released January 1, 1968
Recorded 1967
Genre Jazz
Length 2:17
Label ABC Records (US)
HMV Records (UK)
Writer(s) George Douglas (Bob Thiele)
George David Weiss

"What a Wonderful World" is a song by Bob Thiele, George David Weiss, and George Douglas. Thiele and Weiss were both prominent in the music world (Thiele as a producer and Weiss as a composer/performer) but nothing more is known of Douglas. Some have suggested that pianist Dana Pelkie collaborated on the song using "George Douglas" as a pseudonym, but it has never been confirmed. The song was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released as a single in 1962, and was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

Contents

[edit] History

Intended as an antidote for the increasingly racially and politically charged climate in the U.S. of everyday life, the song also has a hopeful, optimistic tone with regard to the future, with reference to babies being born into the world and having much to look forward to. The song was not initially a hit in the United States, where it sold fewer than 1,000 copies because the head of ABC Records did not like the song so did not promote it, but was a major success in the UK, reaching number one on the UK singles chart. It was also the biggest-selling single of 1968 in the UK. The song made Louis Armstrong the oldest male to top the charts, at sixty-six years and ten months old. Armstrong's record was broken in 2009 when the cover of Islands in the Stream recorded for Comic Relief reached number one. One of the featured artists on the song was Tom Jones. [1] The opening lyrics read:

I see trees of green, red roses too.
I see them bloom, for me and you.
And I think to myself... what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue, and clouds of white.
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world...

The song gradually became something of a standard and reached a new level of popularity. It was re-released in America shortly after Armstrong's death in 1971 and became a top ten hit. In 1988, Louis Armstrong's 1968 recording was featured in the film Good Morning Vietnam and was re-released as a single. The single charted at number one for the fortnight ending June 27, 1988 on the Australian charts.

[edit] Playings

"What a Wonderful World" was used ironically in 1978 radio broadcast of the last episode of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (first series). The song replaced the usual end credits as the two main characters, stranded on pre-history Earth, lament its destruction witnessed in the first episode. The song was later used for the closing titles of the corresponding television episode, and in the first teaser for the Hitchhiker's film, lasting only one stanza before the Earth explodes.

In 1985, a part of the song was used in The Runner (Davandeh), a famous Iranian movie. It was included in the soundtrack for the film Good Morning, Vietnam in 1987, and, thanks to its newfound exposure in the film, it landed at #1 in Australia, becoming Armstrong's biggest hit there. In the film, the song plays over a montage of bombings and other violence (similar to the use of the song "We'll Meet Again" in the film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb). This use of the song in an ironic way has since become something of a cliché in film and television.

It was also used in the film Meet Joe Black, Without a Paddle, Twelve Monkeys, and the show Scrubs, in the episode "My Butterfly"."What a Wonderful World" in the show was sung by Joey Ramone of The Ramones. It was sung by Willie Nelson for the 1996 film Michael. A Willie Nelson version also was used for the "Don't Mess With Texas" anti-littering public service announcement campaign.

The Louis Armstrong version was also used during a sequence in Michael Moore's film Bowling for Columbine, where it accompanies scenes of violence in a montage about United States intervention in international affairs, as well as having the Joey Ramone cover playing over the ending credits. In the 2005 film, Madagascar it appears as a background song for a scene where, ironically, various cute animals are eaten by other animals living on the "Wonderful World". On the program Pirate Radio (airing in Nashville, Tennessee, 1999-2001), an acoustic guitar version was used weekly as a music bed. It has also been used ironically as the theme music to the BBC series A Life of Grime, and as the closing theme to one series of Grumpy Old Men, in a version performed by the cast of the programme. The Louis Armstrong version was used also in the 2004 Japanese film Swing Girls during a scene where the main characters are chased by a wild boar. It was also used in the show House, in the episode DNR. It also featured in the sixth episode of the BBC/Kudos 1973-set crime drama, Life on Mars. The Joey Ramone cover was also played over the ending credits of the BBC Radio 4 comedy series Chris Addison's Civilisation and in the commercial for "Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction". The Israel Kamakawiwo'ole medley with Over the Rainbow was featured in the films Finding Forrester, Meet Joe Black, and 50 First Dates.

In 2003, "What a Wonderful World" was performed by Guy Sebastian when he traveled to the UK to compete in World Idol shortly after becoming the inaugural Australian Idol winner and recording his first album Just as I Am. This is an upbeat funky version of this classic song exposing Louis Armstrong to younger generations and Sebastian's performance was critically well received by the World Idol judges. [2] "What a Wonderful World" is a cover track off Guy Sebastian's debut album Just as I Am.

Clear Channel included "What a Wonderful World" on a list of songs that might be inappropriate for airplay in the period just after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

In recent years, the song has come to be associated with the Christmas season (although it has no holiday or seasonal content in its lyrics) and has become a staple for the "Father/Daughter" dance at wedding receptions. In 2006, XM Satellite Radio added "What a Wonderful World" to its Holiday/Christmas rotation, as did many terrestrial radio stations in the U.S. Numerous recording artists have covered the song for inclusion on their Christmas-themed albums, including Newsong and LeAnn Rimes. Also in 2006, a rock version appeared in the Suzuki New Grand Vitara television commercial performed by David Mills and Ian Wilson. The song has also been used for New Year's Eve in New York.

A version can be found on the dance simulation game Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova. This version is by "Beatbox vs DJ Miko".

Terry Fator performed this with his turtle, Winston, partly a Kermit version, partly a Louis Armstrong version, on America's Got Talent. [1]

It was used in a commercial advertising Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction using Joey Ramone's cover.

The orchestrated Louis Armstrong version was used at the happy ending of Madeline.

George Huff, Anwar Robinson, & Chris Daughtry each performed the song on American Idol.

Nick Lachey's Cincinnati-based team of singers performed a version of the song during the Clash of the Choirs season finale in 2007.

This song was used at the start of Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.

It was also used in the end of The Longest Day episode of Home Improvement where Tim thinks of all the memories he's had with Randy.

A cover performed by Donna Burke was also played near the end of the episode, "What a Wonderful World", of the animated Japanese show, Vandread.

It was performed by 4-year-old Kaitlyn Maher on America's Got Talent in 2008.

It was used for a commercial advertising the Disney theme parks and resorts including Disneyland, Walt Disney World in Florida,Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Resort Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and the Disney Vacation Club

Was used as an intro for The Wonderful World of Disney

[edit] Selected list of recorded versions

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Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia covered this song with The Jerry Garcia Band during live performances; it appears on Pure Jerry series #7 as an encore along with special guest Bruce Hornsby. Joan Baez has also played the song during her live performances.[dubious – discuss]

Preceded by
"Congratulations" by Cliff Richard		 UK number one single
Louis Armstrong version 24 April 1968 for 4 weeks		 Succeeded by
"Young Girl" by Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
Preceded by
"Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis		 UK Singles Chart number-one single (Katie Melua & Eva Cassidy version)
December 16, 2007 - December 22, 2007		 Succeeded by
"When You Believe" by Leon Jackson

[edit] References

  1. ^ ""What A Wonderful World"". Songfacts.com. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=499. Retrieved on 2009-03-27. 
  2. ^ Myspace Video. Guy Sebastian WOWs judges at World Idol. Retrieved 6th March 2009
  3. ^ Synthetik FM e=mc²,www.ninthwaverecords.com
 This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2007)

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_a_Wonderful_World"
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