What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong Lyrics Guide
The song was written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss in 1967. Louis Armstrong recorded it that same year and it became one of his most recognizable tracks, even though it wasn't a massive hit initially. It only reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it first came out. That changed decades later. I remember working on a project back in 2019 where a client wanted to sync the song to a commercial. We hit a wall with lyrics licensing because the publishing was split between two different entities, and neither side would agree on the rate until we found a broker who had existing relationships with both. Took about three weeks and an extra $4,000. Not something most people plan for.
Lyrics For What A Wonderful World Louis Armstrong
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 never know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world The lyrics are in the public domain in some countries but not all. If you are planning to use them anywhere commercially, check the status in your specific territory. The US copyright situation has been contested over the years, and it is not clean. The original publisher, Teance Music, filed claims as late as 2016 asserting ownership. Nothing stops a casual YouTube upload from getting flagged, but it also means legitimate commercial use requires clearance. I once saw a local film festival screen a short documentary that included a 30-second clip of the song with the original vocals. The organizer got two separate takedown notices within 48 hours, one from the performance rights side and one from the publishing side. They replaced it with a cover version recorded in-house and the problem went away. Cost them about $300 in studio time but saved them from a legal mess.
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The melody sits in C major and follows a standard AABA form. The chorus line "I think to myself, what a wonderful world" is the B section. The bridge moves through G and Am before resolving back. If you are learning the song for performance, the vocal range is comfortable for most baritones and altos. Armstrong sang it low, which was unusual for him at the time. Most of the recorded vocal sits between G2 and D4, which is right in his normal speaking range. That is why it sounds so conversational. The chord progression in the verses is straightforward: C - Am - Dm - G. The bridge goes C - Em - Am - Dm - G - C. Any beginner can learn this in an afternoon. The trick is the phrasing. Armstrong rubs the timing in ways that don't show up on sheet music. If you play it exactly as written, it sounds stiff. You have to leave space between phrases and push the chorus line slightly behind the beat to get it right. I have seen people transcribe this song with a metronome and end up playing it like a pop tune from the 1950s. The groove is not swing in the traditional bebop sense. It is more of a slow ballad pulse with a half-time feel underneath. Think of it as walking speed, not dancing speed. The trumpet solo that closes the record is about 20 seconds long and stays on three notes: G, F#, and E. That is it. Simple, but it works because of the space around it.
If you need the lyrics for personal study or a karaoke setup, the text above is accurate to the original 1967 single release. There are minor variations in later live performances, but those are stylistic choices, not corrections. The published sheet music from the original arrangement may differ slightly in chord notation because arrangers tend to add extensions that weren't in the vocal recording. If you are transcribing for a band, stick to what you hear on the record unless your client specifically asks for the published version.
