Intended as an antidote for the increasingly racially and politically charged climate in the U.S. (and written specifically for Armstrong, who had broad crossover appeal), the song details the singer's delight in the simple enjoyment of everyday life. The 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.
What a Wonderful World
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I see skies of blue
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They'll learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Ooh, yes
Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" is a tribute to the beauty of life, love, and the natural world. The song is about the joy and wonder that can be found in the simple things in life. Armstrong begins the song by describing the beauty of nature, the trees, and the red roses that are blooming for both him and us. It is an acknowledgment that we are all interconnected and share the same world.
Armstrong then goes on to describe the beauty of the sky and the clouds which are painted in shades of blue and white. The warmth of the sun and the magic of the night are also mentioned. The song has a Theme that nature is full of diversity, complexity, and beauty. The emphasis here is more on the natural environment and our place in it.
The final verse of the song is about the power of human connection and love. Armstrong's debut states that he sees people of all races, faces lit up with the colors of the rainbow. People are connecting with one another, shaking hands, and saying “I Love You”. Armstrong implies that the human family is diverse and vibrant, yet all share a common thread of love and respect.
Overall, "What a Wonderful World" is an uplifting celebration of love, life, and the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
I see trees of green
I observe the trees that are colored in green
Red roses too
I also see the red color flowers known as roses
I see them bloom
Furthermore, I see these flowers blooming
For me and you
These are not just present for me, they are also present for you
And I think to myself
This makes me think to myself
What a wonderful world
This is such a beautiful world we live in
I see skies of blue
Additionally, I see blue colored skies
And clouds of white
I also observe white clouds floating in the sky
The bright blessed day
This is a bright and blessed day
The dark sacred night
As well as a dark and sacred night
The colors of the rainbow
The magnificent colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
That are looking so beautiful in the sky
Are also on the faces
These bright colors are also reflected on the faces
Of people going by
Of the people who are passing by
I see friends shaking hands
Even friends who shake hands
Saying how do you do
Are actually greeting each other
They're really saying
But in reality, they are expressing
I love you
Their affection towards each other
I hear babies cry
At the same time, I hear babies crying
I watch them grow
I observe them while they are growing up
They'll learn much more
These babies will learn a great deal more
Than I'll ever know
Than what I could possibly comprehend
Yes, I think to myself
Yes indeed, I am convinced
What a wonderful world
That this truly is a marvelous world we inhabit
Ooh, yes
Yes, most definitely
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George David Weiss, Robert Thiele
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anonymous
What A Wonderful World - Casey Abrams - Lyrics
I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I see skies of blue
And clouds of white
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They'll learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Musical Interlude
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They goin’ learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I think to myself
What a wonderful world
@letticeramos9954
I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I see skies of blue
And clouds of white
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They'll learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Ooh, yes
@belledelphine7303
Lyrics:
I see trees so green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you.
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.
I see skies so blue and clouds so white.
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night.
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by.
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do.
They're really saying I love you.
I hear babies crying, I watch them grow.
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know.
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world.
@Ilovemonkey123
Verse 1]
I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
[Verse 2]
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed days, the dark sacred nights
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
[Bridge]
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands, saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying, "I love you"
[Verse 3]
I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world
@kingerdinger
this song genuinely makes me cry, not out of sadness, not out of happiness either
it makes me remember how much i've experienced in my life, how much i've grown and how much i've lost, i feel regret for things i had done wrong but i feel good that i have helped people with their struggles
even though everything i've done will never matter to the world in the end, i am truly at peace when i listen to this
it makes me think my life over, every year, every minute of everything
i love this song. i want to listen to this in my final moments, i want to feel like a warm blanket is being put over me
@dantheman1508
Louis Armstrong Isn't Dead, He's Just In Another Wonderful World.
@tangoaustin7998
Wdym about that
@sunnydasheep
Whyyyyyyy did u need to make me cry 😢
@tangoaustin7998
But it made me cry too lol
@bobanderson9076
Tango Austin kkk
@sunset_4625
Awwww
@squishee5890
"I'm not singing about the world as it is now. I'm singing what it could be"
-Louis Armstrong
@zsar_official
True
@zsar_official
What a wonderful world it could be