A tiny band – of Ukranian soldiers, played ‘Don’t Worry – Be Happy’ .
I nominate this song The Song of the New Cold War’ and is on par with the song sang in the movie ‘Casablanca’
John
Meher Baba, who often used the phrase “Don’t worry, be happy”
Indian mystic Meher Baba (1894–1969) often used the expression “Don’t worry, be happy” when cabling his followers in the West,[9] and the expression was printed on inspirational cards and posters during the 1960s. In 1988, McFerrin noticed a similar poster in the apartment of jazz duo Tuck & Patti in San Francisco,[citation needed] and he was inspired by the expression’s charm and simplicity.[10] He wrote the song that was included in the soundtrack of the movie Cocktail and became a hit single the next year.[11]
Just a few years ago Volodymyr Zelensky was a very popular actor in Ukraine known for his lighthearted comedy.
Now, in a very serious time for the world, he is the president of his country and an image of strength against the Russian invasion.
Don’t Worry, Be Happy
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This article is about the song by Bobby McFerrin. For other uses, see Don’t Worry, Be Happy (disambiguation).
“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” | |
---|---|
Single by Bobby McFerrin | |
from the album Simple Pleasures | |
A-side | “Don’t Worry Be Happy”[1] |
B-side | 12″ maxi7″ promo7″ singleCD single |
Released | 1988 |
Recorded | 1988 |
Genre | Reggae[2]jazz[1]a cappella |
Length | 4:54 (album version) 4:03 (music video) 3:50 (radio edit) |
Label | EMI-Manhattan[1] |
Songwriter(s) | Bobby McFerrin[1] |
Producer(s) | Linda Goldstein[1] |
Music video | |
“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” on YouTube |
“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” is a song by American musician Bobby McFerrin released in 1988. It was the first a cappella song to reach number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position it held for two weeks. Originally released in conjunction with the film Cocktail, the song peaked at No. 1 on September 24, 1988,[3] displacing “Sweet Child o’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses.[4]
The song also peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart[5] and No. 7 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.[3] The song was also a hit in the United Kingdom, reaching number 2 during its fifth week on the UK Singles Chart.[6] In Canada, the song reached No. 1 in its eighth week.[7] One critic noted it as a “formula for facing life’s trials”.[8]
Contents
- 1Background
- 2Composition
- 3Music video
- 4Awards
- 5Critical reception
- 6Charts
- 7Certifications and sales
- 8Usage in popular culture
- 9Cover versions
- 10References
- 11External links
Background[edit]
Meher Baba, who often used the phrase “Don’t worry, be happy”
Indian mystic Meher Baba (1894–1969) often used the expression “Don’t worry, be happy” when cabling his followers in the West,[9] and the expression was printed on inspirational cards and posters during the 1960s. In 1988, McFerrin noticed a similar poster in the apartment of jazz duo Tuck & Patti in San Francisco,[citation needed] and he was inspired by the expression’s charm and simplicity.[10] He wrote the song that was included in the soundtrack of the movie Cocktail and became a hit single the next year.[11]
Composition[edit]
![]() | “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” (2008) (0:24) |
Problems playing this file? See media help. |
The “instruments” in the a cappella song are entirely overdubbed voice parts and other sounds made by McFerrin, using no instruments at all; McFerrin also sings with an affected accent, though he stated that “I hate to go so far as to say it’s Jamaican. It was heavily influenced by Juan’s Mexican Restaurant, which was just around the corner from the studio.”[12] “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” is written in the key of B major.[13]
Music video[edit]
The comedic original music video for the song stars McFerrin, Robin Williams, and Bill Irwin,[14] and is somewhat shorter than the album version.
Awards[edit]
At the 1989 Grammy Awards, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” won the awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
Critical reception[edit]
The song is ranked No. 31 on VH1’s “100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the ’80s” and also appears on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 15 Best Whistling Songs of All Time.[15][16] It was also featured at #301 in the Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts‘ ‘Songs of the Century’ in 2001.[17]
However, in 2011, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” was named as the worst song of all time by Village Voice critic Michael Musto,[18] and it topped Q100 DJ Bert Weiss’s list of tracks he would forever ban from radio.[19] In the “50 Worst Songs Ever”, Blender said that “it’s difficult to think of a song more likely to plunge you into suicidal despondency than this”, and also lambasted its “appalling” lyrics.[20]
Kieran McCarthy of Allmusic expected the song would “probably remain prevalent in pop culture as long as humans speak English and play music.”[21]