This week, I’ve had Sam Cooke’s “Wonderful World” #OnRepeat. Even though I’m writing a post about this song this week, this song has been running through my brain for the past month or so. Yeah, it’s that good.
I’m pretty sure I’ve written about Sam Cooke before–his voice and music is so soulful and iconic–but if not, Sam Cooke is a singer and songwriter who is considered to be one of the most influential vocalists of his time. His music consisted of Soul, Gospel, R&B, Swing, Jazz, and Pop music, and although he died young, his music is still considered relevant decades later. Some of his most well-known songs are “A Change is Gonna Come,” “You Send Me,” “Cupid,” and “Twistin’ the Night Away.”
“Wonderful World” was originally written by the song writing duo, Lou Adler and Herb Alpert, with Cooke tweaking the lyrics to emphasize education more. The lyrics for the song were written with the theme of love and feelings completely trumping knowledge and education. Cooke’s smooth vocal timbre and seemingly effortless delivery of the melody and the lyrics highlight the theme even more, giving you an image of someone who hasn’t got a care in the world since they have the love of another. Cooke’s voice and performance, combined with the catchy melody and child-like, lullaby lyrics make this song a classic for me; one that is perfect for playing in your car while driving by the beach on a hot summer day.
Take a listen below:
Do you have any songs or singers that you can’t stop listening to? Leave a comment below!