Don't Worry, Be Happy
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- This article is about the song. For the album see Don't Worry, Be Happy (album)
| “Don't Worry, Be Happy” | |||||
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| Single by Bobby McFerrin from the album Simple Pleasures |
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| Released | 1988 | ||||
| Format | 7", CD | ||||
| Recorded | 1988 | ||||
| Genre | Jazz, a cappella | ||||
| Writer(s) | Meher Baba, Bobby McFerrin | ||||
| Producer | Bobby McFerrin | ||||
| Bobby McFerrin singles chronology | |||||
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"Don't Worry, Be Happy" is the title and principal lyric of a song by musician Bobby McFerrin, the first a cappella song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, holding that position for two weeks in September of 1988. It also peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart on its fifth week on the chart. 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, respectively. The song's title is taken from a famous quote by Meher Baba. The original music video stars Robin Williams and Bill Irwin. Every "musical" part of this song was composed of sounds that McFerrin made, and compiled together. There are no instruments in the song.
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[edit] History
Meher Baba (1894-1969) often used the expression "Don't worry, be happy" when cabling his followers in the West.[1] Later, in the 1960's, this well used expression by Baba was printed up on inspiration cards and posters of the era. In 1988, Bobby McFerrin noticed a similar poster in the apartment of the jazz band Tuck & Patti in San Francisco. Inspired by the expression's charm and simplicity, McFerrin wrote the now famous song. In 1988, Bobby McFerrin's hit song, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" was included in the soundtrack of the movie "Cocktail", and became a hit single the following year. In an interview by Bruce Fessier for USA Weekend Magazine in 1988 McFerrin said, "Whenever you see a poster of Meher Baba, it usually says 'Don't worry, be happy,' which is a pretty neat philosophy in four words, I think."[2]
[edit] Covers and alternative versions
Versions of "Don't Worry, Be Happy" have been recorded by several artists. The Katsimiha brothers made a Greek cover of the song with original lyrics, and Montenegrin musician Rambo Amadeus made a parody entitled "Don't Happy, Be Worry," as a critique to the optimism of the music scene in the former Yugoslavia in the face of war and economic depression. The lyrics of "Fight the Power" by hip-hop artists Public Enemy also reference "Don't Worry, Be Happy".
[edit] Usage in films and television
The song, and its title are commonly repeated in US culture. Comedian George Carlin wrote in Napalm and Silly Putty that many Americans would embrace the philosophy of denial in the song. The song was used in George H. W. Bush's 1988 U.S. presidential election campaign until McFerrin, who was a Democrat, objected and the campaign desisted. The song is frequently used in film and television soundtracks to accompany light-hearted scenes, such as in Flushed Away (2006), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Simpsons, Futurama and That 70s Show. It has also been used in an ironic context for shocking or traumatic scenes, such as in Dawn of the Dead (2004) and Jarhead (2005). The song has been used in various forms in TV advertising for brands including Alamo Rent A Car, Walkers and Huggies.
[edit] See also
| Preceded by "Sweet Child o' Mine" by Guns N' Roses |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single September 24, 1988- October 1, 1988 |
Succeeded by "Love Bites" by Def Leppard |
[edit] References
- ^ Meher Prabhu: Lord Meher, The Biography of the Avatar of the Age, Meher Baba. Bhau Kalchuri, Manifestation, Inc. 1986. pp. 5134, 5770, 5970, 6405, 6742
- ^ USA Weekend Magazine, October 21-23, 1988
