"What a Wonderful World" is a song by
Bob Thiele and
George David Weiss. It was first recorded by
Louis Armstrong and released as a single in early fall
1967. Intended as an antidote for the increasingly racially and politically charged climate in the
U.S. (and written specifically for Armstrong, who had broad crossover appeal), the song details the singer's delight in the simple enjoyment 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 which to look forward. The song was not initially a hit in the States, where it sold less than 1,000 copies, 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.
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"Wonderful World" (sometimes referred to as "(What a) Wonderful World", but unrelated to the
Louis Armstrong song by that title) was written in the late 1950s by
soul music pioneer
Sam Cooke along with songwriters
Lou Adler and
Herb Alpert, and first recorded by Cooke in
1958 for Cooke's self-titled debut album. The song was released as a single in
1960. A bouncy love song, the lyrics have the singer disavowing any knowledge gained from books (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".
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