The New Seekers was an Australian pop group, formed in 1969 by Keith Potger… Read Full Bio ↴The New Seekers was an Australian pop group, formed in 1969 by Keith Potger after the break-up of his group, The Seekers.
The idea was that the New Seekers would appeal to the same market as the original Seekers, but the type of music they performed was not as folk-influenced.

The most familiar line-up included Eve Graham, Lyn Paul, Marty Kristian, Peter Doyle and Paul Layton. In addition to having several big hits, the group represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest 1972.

Their hit single I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing, adapted from an advertising jingle for Coca Cola, appeared 81st on the list of the UK's best-selling singles issued in 2002. It sold just under one million copies in the United Kingdom alone. The version used in the Coca Cola television commercials was credited to The Hillside Singers, as many people of various backgrounds and cultures sang the song, holding Coca Cola bottles on a hilltop in the commercial. I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing, was so firmly connected with the Coca Cola product that it became referred to as "The Coke Song" over time. The song was relaunched in Coca Cola commercials in 2005.

Other hit singles of the group included Look What They've Done To My Song Ma, Beautiful People and The Nickel Song, all written by Melanie. The New Seekers went on to sell over 25 million records worldwide, and equalled the eight UK Top Twenty entries by The Seekers. Indeed, they released four albums during 1972 alone.

Some believe The New Seekers were the inspiration for the parodic The New Main Street Singers, in the 2003 film A Mighty Wind.

I'd like to teach the World to sing
New Seekers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'd like to build the world a home
And furnish it with love
Grow apple trees and honey bees
And snow white turtle doves

I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I'd like to hold it in my arms

And keep it company

I'd like to see the world for once
All standing hand in hand
And hear them echo through the hills
For peace through out the land
(That's the song I hear)

I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony

I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony

I'd like to build the world a home
And furnish it with love
Grow apple trees and honey bees
And snow white turtle doves

I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I'd like to hold it in my arms
And keep it company

I'd like to see the world for once
All standing hand in hand

And hear them echo through the hills
For peace through out the land
(That's the song I hear)

I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony

I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony

I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony, that's the song I hear

Overall Meaning

The New Seekers' song "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" is a feel-good track that stands the test of time, even over four decades after its release. The song speaks about building a better world through love, peace, and harmony. The singer would like to build a world, a home that is filled with love and nurtured with apple trees, honey bees, and snow white turtle doves.
The chorus of the song is infectious as the singer expresses the desire to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony, a metaphor that suggests harmony and unity amongst humankind. The two verses emphasize the message of togetherness and shared joy. The lyrics highlight a world where people stand together, hold hands, and create an echo through the hills with the message of peace throughout the land. The song's message was idealistic and inspiring in the aftermath of the turbulent social and political changes of the 1960s and early 1970s.

Line by Line Meaning

I'd like to build the world a home
I dream of constructing a kind and loving universe

And furnish it with love
And filling it with tenderness

Grow apple trees and honey bees
Creating a place of fruity nourishment and helpful pollinators

And snow white turtle doves
With friendly, symbolic birds of peace

I'd like to teach the world to sing
I aspire to show the world how to harmonize

In perfect harmony
By blending our differences into a beautiful, unified whole

I'd like to hold it in my arms
I desire to envelop this world in a nurturing embrace

And keep it company
And provide comfort and companionship

I'd like to see the world for once
I yearn to witness a reality where

All standing hand in hand
Every person stands together unified

And hear them echo through the hills
Their voices reverberating throughout the land