José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945 in Lares, Puerto… Read Full Bio ↴José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945 in Lares, Puerto Rico) is a singer and guitarist, who has been successful in both Spanish and English music. A victim of congenital glaucoma, he was left permanently blind at birth. He is most known for his Christmas song "Feliz Navidad", as well as his covers of "California Dreamin'" and "Light My Fire".

Wild World
José Feliciano Lyrics

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Now that I've lost everything to you
You say you wanna start something new
And it's breakin' my heart you're leavin'
Baby, I'm grievin'
But if you wanna leave, take good care
I hope you have a lot of nice things to wear
But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there

Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
I'll always remember you like a child, girl

You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do
And it's breakin' my heart in two
Because I never wanna see you a sad girl
Don't be a bad girl
But if you wanna leave, take good care
I hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there's a lot of bad and beware

Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
I'll always remember you like a child, girl

Baby, I love you
But if you wanna leave, take good care
I hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there's a lot of bad and beware

Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile

Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
I'll always remember you like a child, girl

Overall Meaning

The song "Wild World" by Jose Feliciano is a beautiful and emotional ballad about heartbreak and the dangers that lurk in the world outside of a relationship. The singer addresses his lover who has decided to move on from their relationship and start something new. While he is saddened by this decision, he still wishes her well and hopes that she takes good care of herself. However, he warns her that the world outside can be a dangerous and wild place, with both good and bad experiences to be had. He also expresses his love for her and the pain he feels at losing her.

What makes this song particularly poignant is the way in which the singer juxtaposes his feelings for his lover with the harsh realities of the world around them. He acknowledges that the world can be a beautiful place, full of amazing experiences and opportunities, but at the same time he also recognizes the dangers that exist, reminding his lover to be careful and stay safe. This contrast between love and danger makes the song a powerful statement about the complexities of relationships and life in general.

Line by Line Meaning

Now that I've lost everything to you
Since I have lost everything I had in this relationship, I have nothing else to do.

You say you wanna start something new
You want to move on and find someone else.

And it's breakin' my heart you're leaving'
I feel sad and heartbroken that you are leaving.

Baby, I'm grievin'
I am very sad, my heart aches.

But if you wanna leave, take good care
However, if you decide to leave me, please take good care of yourself.

I hope you have a lot of nice things to wear
I wish you will have nice clothes to make you happy.

But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there
However, be aware that there are things that seem good but can actually turn out bad.

Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
The world is unpredictable and chaotic, my dear.

It's hard to get by just upon a smile
One cannot simply rely on appearances or pleasant faces to survive in this world.

I'll always remember you like a child, girl
You will remain forever young and innocent in my memory.

You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do
I have witnessed many of the cruelties and wonders in this world.

And it's breakin' my heart in two
It pains me greatly to see you sad or hurt.

Because I never wanna see you a sad girl
I do not want your life to be filled with sorrow and sadness.

Don't be a bad girl
Please do not engage in anything harmful or dangerous.

But if you wanna leave, take good care
However, if you decide you want to leave, please be safe and take good care.

I hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
I hope you will meet good and kind people.

But just remember there's a lot of bad and beware
Nevertheless, please be cautious and aware that there are also many bad people and things out there.

Baby, I love you
I love you very much.

Contributed by Andrew V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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