Bacharach studied music at McGill University and the Mannes School of Music. In the 1950s and the early 1960s he was the pianist, arranger and bandleader for Marlene Dietrich with whom he toured. He teamed with lyricist Hal David and others to write many popular songs in the 1960s and 1970s.
Bacharach's music has been sung by a number of popular singers including The Beatles,The Carpenters, Aretha Franklin, Jack Jones, Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, Luther Vandross and The Drifters. He met Dionne Warwick, with whom he would form a famed collaboration. His songs are characterized by (1) the use of unexpected harmonic changes and (2) unusual rhythmic patterns and time signatures. He employs times such as 5/4 or 3/2, and frequently goes from one time signature to another in the same song, often after each measure. He also changes keys frequently. An excellent example of his style is "Promises, Promises", from his score to the musical of the same name. He has a total of 52 Top 40 hits. In addition, many of his songs were adapted by jazz artists of the time, such as Stan Getz and Wes Montgomery. The Bacharach-David composition "My Little Red Book", originally recorded by Manfred Mann for the film What's New, Pussycat, and promptly covered by Love in 1965, has become a rock standard. He composed and arranged the soundtrack of the 1967 film Casino Royale.
He has been married four times, to Paula Stewart (1953-1958), to actress Angie Dickinson (1965-1980), to lyricist Carole Bayer Sager (1982-1991) - with whom he collaborated on a number of pieces - and (since 1993) Jane Hanson. He has a total of four children, two girls and two boys.
In 1998 he collaborated on an album called Painted From Memory with singer/songwriter Elvis Costello. His 2005 album At This Time features collaborations with Costello, Rufus Wainwright, and Dr. Dre (who provides bass-and-drum loops).
Bacharach has had cameo roles in a number of Hollywood movies including all three Austin Powers movies. His music is also credited as providing inspiration for these movies.
During subsequent Burt Bacharach concert tours, each show would open with a very brief video clip from the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, with Mike Myers (as Austin Powers) uttering "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Burt Bacharach".
What the World Needs
Burt Bacharach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No not just for some but for everyone
Lord, we don't need another mountain
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb
There are oceans and rivers enough to cross
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some but for everyone
Lord, we don't need another meadow
There are cornfields and wheat fields enough to grow
There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine
Oh listen, Lord, if you want to know
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No, not just for some but for everyone
No, not just for some, oh, but just for everyone
These lyrics from Burt Bacharach’s song “What the World Needs Now” highlight the importance of love in our world. The first verse emphasizes that love is lacking and insufficiently present in our lives. It is the only thing that we do not have enough of. The second verse shows that we do not need physical things such as mountains or meadows, but what we need is love. The song talks about how the world needs love sweet love, and this love should not be for just some people but for everyone.
The song shows how love is a significant factor that can unite people all over the world. Love has the power to bring people together, heal wounds, promote peace, and make the world a better place. The song lyrics emphasize that love should be present for everyone, regardless of race, religion, gender, or background. It suggests that we need to embrace love and spread it everywhere we go, making it a part of our daily lives.
In conclusion, “What the World Needs Now” by Burt Bacharach and Hal David is a simple but powerful message that reminds us of the importance of love in our society. The song inspires listeners to spread love and kindness to everyone we meet, making the world a better place to live in.
Line by Line Meaning
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
Love is what the world needs right now, it's the only thing that's lacking
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
There's not enough love in the world
No not just for some but for everyone
Love should be for all, not just a select few
Lord, we don't need another mountain
The world doesn't need another challenge to face, there are enough already
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb
There are already many challenges and obstacles to overcome
There are oceans and rivers enough to cross
There are already many struggles and challenges we face
Enough to last till the end of time
These challenges will never cease to exist
Lord, we don't need another meadow
We don't need more prosperity or beauty
There are cornfields and wheat fields enough to grow
There's already enough abundance and prosperity
There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine
There's already enough beauty and wonder in the world
Oh listen, Lord, if you want to know
Take heed of this message, Lord, if you want to understand
No, not just for some, oh, but just for everyone
Love should be for everyone, not just a select few
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Burt F. Bacharach, Hal David, Burt Bacharach
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fraserdavidson4226
RIP Burt Bacharach, one of the best songwriters of all time
@chicagosue7510
Another great talent of the era now passed…
@danuhnuhdanuhnuh131
Came here just to play this as soon as I heard.
@Anthonydavis65
@@danuhnuhdanuhnuh131 me too
@brianherrington7226
RIP to a Master songwriter.
@bless7942
It’s what the world needs now today Burt sings his song in memory .
I hope we all listen Thank you Burt!
@DB-Turtle
“I used to think my life was a tragedy, but now I realize, it’s a musical”
@undoubtedlyso4542
HUH
@italian_pasta2372
Joker Folie a Deux on October 4, 2024!🥂🃏
@stars-are-us
WOW. That touches my soul. Music can be majestic.