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Sam Cooke — (What A) Wonderful World
Album: Portrait of a Legend
Avg rating:
8.1

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1238









Released: 1960
Length: 2:03
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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Don't know much about history
Don't know much biology
Don't know much about a science book
Don't know much about the French I took

But I do know that I love you
And I know that if you love me, too
What a wonderful world this would be

Don't know much about geography
Don't know much trigonometry
Don't know much about algebra
Don't know what a slide rule is for

But I do know one and one is two
And if this one could be with you
What a wonderful world this would be

Now, I don't claim to be an A student
But I'm trying to be
For maybe by being an A student, baby
I can win your love for me

Don't know much about history
Don't know much biology
Don't know much about a science book
Don't know much about the French I took

But I do know that I love you
And I know that if you love me, too
What a wonderful world this would be

La ta ta ta ta ta ta (History)
Hmm-mm-mm (Biology)
La ta ta ta ta ta ta (Science book)
Hmm-mm-mm (French I took)

Yeah, but I do know that I love you
And I know that if you love me, too
What a wonderful world this would be
Comments (59)add comment
Holy cow - read the "Personal life" section of Cooke's Wikipedia account for a wild ride through late 1950s and early 1960s lives of the rich or famous or both in America. 
Posted 1 year ago by snakechaser    [ Reply ]
Sam Cooke’s subversive radicalism was sooo deceptive.
Posted 1 year ago by MassivRuss    [ Reply ]
GODLIKE!!!
Posted 2 years ago by eileenomurphy    [ Reply ]
 sqqqrly wrote:

How many here know what a slide rule is for?

All the folks at Kueffel and Esser...And then came Texas Instruments

scientific calculators...;-(

Tony in NJ

W.A.S.T.E.



Posted 2 years ago by tonyinnj    [ Reply ]
How many here know what a slide rule is for?
Posted 3 years ago by sqqqrly    [ Reply ]
 ScottFromWyoming wrote:
ArbiterOfGoodTaste wrote:
Heh, science book.
Whoever did know what a slide rule was for?
 

Posted 3 years ago by kazoo    [ Reply ]
Never felt any desire to watch Animal House.  Me, I always think of the scene in Witness. where Harrison Ford starts dancing with the young Amish woman (oh, the horror!) in the barn. 
Posted 5 years ago by rita_johnson    [ Reply ]
 Still hilarious.

treatment_bound wrote:


 

Posted 6 years ago by FatPants    [ Reply ]
Nice! While not my favorite Sam Cooke tune, you gotta love that voice!  How sad and tragic a story his was.  7+2 for the voice! 
Long Live RP!  
Posted 6 years ago by lizardking    [ Reply ]
What a beautiful voice
Posted 7 years ago by rpdevotee    [ Reply ]
 LizK wrote:
Don't like songs about choosing to be stupid, specifically, this song.  I normally do like Sam Cook. 

 
It doesn't seem to me that the lyrics are about "choosing to be stupid" at all.  From the lyrics of the bridge, it seems more like the narrator is lamenting his lack of knowledge and aspiring for more:

...Now, I don't claim to be an A student
But I'm trying to be
For maybe by being an A student, baby
I can win your love for me...

Anyhow, the song is almost 60 years old.


Posted 7 years ago by Proclivities    [ Reply ]
oh my god the man's voice! this song is a piece of art imo

so fine Bluto couldn't smudge it  
Posted 7 years ago by hayduke2    [ Reply ]
S'perb.
Posted 7 years ago by TerryS    [ Reply ]
So many memories with this song. Which is odd when you are born in 1982.
But it's a song embedded in my memories. 
Posted 8 years ago by Kaw    [ Reply ]
 LizK wrote:
Don't like songs about choosing to be stupid, specifically, this song.  I normally do like Sam Cook. 

 
I agree with the sentiment in general, but I think you're doing Mr. Cooke a disservice here. He's saying he knows he's not that smart, which isn't the same thing. Moreover, there's the bridge. He's tryin'!

Now, I don't claim to be an "A" student,
But I'm tryin' to be
For maybe by being an "A" student, baby,
I can win your love for me

My peeve with this song are the contrived rhymes: "science book/French I took". Eek.

On the other hand, the music is wonderful.
Posted 8 years ago by lewie221    [ Reply ]
Don't like songs about choosing to be stupid, specifically, this song.  I normally do like Sam Cook. 
Posted 8 years ago by LizK    [ Reply ]
So I am not the only one...
 
Austin2Florida wrote:
Great song. I always think of "Animal House" when I hear it.
 


Posted 9 years ago by itaish    [ Reply ]
 Vicey wrote:
That boy is a P-I-G pig!
itaish wrote:

Same here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZN4r8p6KbU 

 

 
"See if you can guess what I am now?"
Posted 9 years ago by Foot    [ Reply ]
That boy is a P-I-G pig!
itaish wrote:

Same here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZN4r8p6KbU 

 


Posted 9 years ago by Vicey    [ Reply ]
What a pleasure to hear this on RP. It's all about the context baby! Good call!
Posted 9 years ago by Dssident    [ Reply ]

Posted 9 years ago by treatment_bound    [ Reply ]
 
me too :-)

Carl wrote:

I think of Witness (Harrison Ford dancing with Kelly McGillis in the barn). Great song! Great movie!
 


Posted 11 years ago by jocelynsart    [ Reply ]
 Austin2Florida wrote:
Great song. I always think of "Animal House" when I hear it.
 
Same here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZN4r8p6KbU 
Posted 11 years ago by itaish    [ Reply ]
Wow... 50 years ago.
Posted 18 years ago by Old_Pool_Skunk    [ Reply ]
Austin2Florida wrote:
Great song. I always think of "Animal House" when I hear it.
I think of Witness (Harrison Ford dancing with Kelly McGillis in the barn). Great song! Great movie!
Posted 18 years ago by Carl    [ Reply ]
ScottFromWyoming wrote:
Whoever did know what a slide rule was for?
When I was teaching a college algebra course, I really wanted to get a bunch of slide rules when we got to the section on logarithms. I thought it would have been interesting for everybody to see how the logarithmic identities made them work (as well as a kick for the older students, who might have used one when they were younger). But alas, in 1993 I didn't know anything about the internet, so I didn't even know where to begin looking for them.
Posted 18 years ago by Vogelfrei    [ Reply ]
Great song. I always think of "Animal House" when I hear it.
Posted 18 years ago by Austin2Florida    [ Reply ]
One of the best ever.
Posted 18 years ago by Whirlpool    [ Reply ]
DBCinCA wrote:
This would fit lyrically right next to XTC's "Mayor of Simpleton."
was thinking the same thing
Posted 18 years ago by jbtidwell    [ Reply ]
ScottFromWyoming wrote:
Whoever did know what a slide rule was for?
Still have mine from high school. Uh, prefer to use a calculator and Excel these days. Precision, you know.
Posted 18 years ago by WonderLizard    [ Reply ]
marrdcheez wrote:
Animal House? No, it's Harrison Ford dancing in the barn in Witness.
It's both. I also cannot get the Animal House cafeteria scene with John Belushi out of my mind. The scene it witness had slipped my mind, but that was pretty good too.
Posted 18 years ago by MojoJojo    [ Reply ]
Has any singer influenced more popular vocalists? Live at the Harlem Club is a must own.
Posted 18 years ago by jedzep    [ Reply ]
Herman's Hermits did a version of this that was somewhat of a hit. Hate to admit it, but it was how I first learned of this song. Had the albums.
Posted 18 years ago by steeler    [ Reply ]
This would fit lyrically right next to XTC's "Mayor of Simpleton."
Posted 18 years ago by DBCinCA    [ Reply ]
{french i took} {could be with you}
Posted 18 years ago by Darrooon    [ Reply ]
BradAl wrote:
One of the smoothest voices in song.
While this is certainly true, it's also important to note that he wrote almost all of his hits, though he was only a co-writer of this one.
Posted 19 years ago by SCJoniguy    [ Reply ]
MrMan wrote:
What a beautiful song, but for the last 25 years impossible for me to take out of an Animal House context...
Animal House? No, it's Harrison Ford dancing in the barn in Witness.
Posted 19 years ago by marrdcheez    [ Reply ]
One of the smoothest voices in song.
Posted 19 years ago by BradAl    [ Reply ]
dewhead wrote:
Here's what a slide rule is for and how to use it: (click here) Enjoy Ha!
Thanks! That was a fun diversion. I inherited a few slide rules from an office supply store I used to work for which are beautiful instruments (Pickett) with unfortunately dense manuals. You never know what you'll find at RP!
Posted 19 years ago by whitenoyse    [ Reply ]
ScottFromWyoming wrote:
Whoever did know what a slide rule was for?
It's the only way to get any use out of that book of trig tables. But somehow I think you already knew that...
Posted 19 years ago by islander    [ Reply ]
dewhead wrote:
Here's what a slide rule is for and how to use it: (click here)
Thanks. And speaking as an electrical engineer from the Apollo era (the era, not the program), the write-up is well done: nice & short and clear & accurate.
Posted 19 years ago by lester    [ Reply ]
Here's what a slide rule is for and how to use it: (click here) Enjoy Ha!
Posted 19 years ago by dewhead    [ Reply ]
ScottFromWyoming wrote:
Whoever did know what a slide rule was for?
Weird to watch Apollo 13 and see all the NASA techs furiously calculating things on slide rules..
Posted 19 years ago by TheLoneIguana    [ Reply ]
This reminds me of nights on the front porch listening to my dad play his guitar and sing for us. This was one that he always played...not to mention he was also a math and physics teacher, so it was always funny to hear him say, "Don't know much about Algebra"....
Posted 19 years ago by southern_duality    [ Reply ]
MrMan wrote:
What a beautiful song, but for the last 25 years impossible for me to take out of an Animal House context...
FOODFIGHT!
Posted 19 years ago by flandersdog    [ Reply ]
An absolute gem.
Posted 19 years ago by lester    [ Reply ]
MrMan wrote:
What a beautiful song, but for the last 25 years impossible for me to take out of an Animal House context...
I was thinking the same thing.....
Posted 19 years ago by Darlington    [ Reply ]
What a beautiful song, but for the last 25 years impossible for me to take out of an Animal House context...
Posted 19 years ago by MrMan    [ Reply ]
ScottFromWyoming wrote:
Whoever did know what a slide rule was for?
it's all i ever saw my dad carry until the '70s. he tried to teach me how to use it. that was a fun day! (not)
Posted 19 years ago by bubble_headed_beach_blond    [ Reply ]
:sunny.gif:
Posted 19 years ago by R_P    [ Reply ]
truk77 wrote:
Cliche phrase, but this is truly a "Golden Oldie". 8)
Maybe at the time a phrase like this wasn't such a cliché yet
Posted 19 years ago by Johray63    [ Reply ]
One of the very few "Oldies" I like.
Posted 19 years ago by KevinM    [ Reply ]
Cliche phrase, but this is truly a "Golden Oldie". 8)
Posted 19 years ago by truk77    [ Reply ]
This one made me stop working and smile. :D Thanks RP!
Posted 19 years ago by pigglywiggly    [ Reply ]
buddhakowski wrote:
Ah, my first "Added" upload. Feels good to be a part of this kick-ass community. Thanks.
a nice first added!!
Posted 19 years ago by JrzyTmata    [ Reply ]
ArbiterOfGoodTaste wrote:
Heh, science book.
Whoever did know what a slide rule was for?
Posted 19 years ago by ScottFromWyoming    [ Reply ]
Ah, my first "Added" upload. Feels good to be a part of this kick-ass community. Thanks.
Posted 19 years ago by buddhakowski    [ Reply ]
Sam had such a cool voice.
Posted 19 years ago by ptooey    [ Reply ]
Heh, science book.
Posted 19 years ago by ArbiterOfGoodTaste    [ Reply ]