Intended as an antidote for the increasingly racially and politically charged climate during the 60s in the U.S. (and written specifically for Armstrong, who had broad crossover appeal), this song details the singer’s delight in the simple enjoyment of everyday life.
This 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, 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.
The song im talking about is "What a Wonderful World" written by Bob Thiele (as George Douglas) and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released as a single in 1968.
Renowned for his charismatic stage presence and voice almost as much as for his trumpet-playing, Armstrong's influence extends well beyond jazz music, and by the end of his career in the 1960s, he was widely regarded as a profound influence on popular music in general.
The voice and perspective of this 66-year-old black man gives the song the depth to touch our souls. If someone like Armstrong can bring such believeablity to these words after growing up in an intolerant era then there truly must be value in acknowledging the beauty around us. Louis Armstrong grew up in poverty in a rough neighborhood in New Orleans. His father left his family when he was an infant and his mother abandoned him soon afterward. He also lived in a time when being black meant you were a second class citizen. Yet, all this makes the song more meaningful
This song's slow tempo seems to emphasize the idea that in order to recognize all the good that is around us, we have to slow down & notice it. As Satchmo(Louis Armstrong's nick name) sings each verse, the listener has time to visualize each line, and can stop and think, oh, yeah, it IS a wonderful world.
With his instantly recognizable deep and distinctive gravelly voice, this song has taken a irreplaceble place in the memories of old and young alike.
Really a song to brighten up any gloomy day .. this song never fails to make me smile.
source :wikipedia,youtube
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