In 1967, Bob Thiele (writing as “George Douglas”) and George David Weiss combined their creative writing skills and wrote a short song that would eventually touch the globe. The first to record the song was Louie Armstrong. Of course, I’m talking about “What a Wonderful World.” The official length of the recorded song was two minutes, twenty-one seconds…hence, the title of this blog. Armstrong’s gritty, raspy, jazz voice was unique in every way and made every second of the classic as precious as gold. His smile as he sang was contagious as the plague. By April of 1968, the song had topped the pop chart in the United Kingdom. Ironically enough, the song did not do so well here in the states. The primary reason was simple enough-the president of ABC Records didn’t like the song. His name was Larry Newton…and Mr. Newton had the authority to make or break a song or an artist in his day…so he flexed his muscles and kept the song from reaching the heights it had made in other parts of the world.

The song eventually made its rounds and found moderate success here and there despite Mr. Newton’s monstrous blunder. But in 1988, the song was dug out from the vaults and used in the Robin Williams’ hit movie, “Good Morning Vietnam.” The song was reissued as a single and climbed all the way to #32 on the Billboard Hot 100…17 years after the great Louie Armstrong had passed away. Finally, in 1999, Armstrong’s recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It took our nation some time to come around…but we finally got it right…and did the right thing.

First of all, a shout-out to the good folks at Wikipedia for the trivia helps on what you’ve just read. However, there is still an issue unresolved. What in the world was in a song that lasted only two minutes and twenty-one seconds that could make it worthy of global honors and remembrance? Certainly, Louie Armstrong’s voice carried some weight. In this genre of music, I’m not sure he has an equal. He stands alone. The tune was sweet and memorable as well. However, the lyrics by Mr. “Douglas” and Mr. Weiss were precious in their own right. Coupled with the ideal voice…like Louie Armstrong…you end up with something special…very special.

For the life of me, I cannot imagine what Mr. Newton was thinking back in his day. How did he get it so wrong? Sadly, a new question confronts us here in 2024-how will we make it through our now hate-filled, polarized, secular culture where things and people are only good if we get our way and folks agree with us? I grew up hearing there was a fine line between love and hate…but the line, these days, appears to be thinner than ever. Though Louie didn’t write the song…it was obvious he believed it as he sang. Why was the world “wonderful?” What made it so? Was there some deep, mysterious, buried secret somewhere that only a few would ever find? Not at all. Turns out…the song highlighted the simple things…things that were available for EVERYONE to see…IF they wanted to. Trees of green, red roses, skies of blue, clouds of white, bright blessed days, dark sacred nights…are not exactly buried treasures…in fact they are out there for all of us every single day. But Louie wasn’t finished…he threw in the colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky, are also on the faces of people going by, friends shaking hands and what that really meant, babies crying and growing up before your very eyes…with the classic line, “They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know…” Lump in your throat? You’re not alone. The glue that held all these little pictures together was the chorus line, “And I think to myself, What a wonderful world.”

It’s hard to believe we live on the same planet that Louie sang about. Just today the headlines on this very computer are filled with death, violence, corruption, hatred on a pandemic scale, and enough political lies to fill all five of the Great Lakes…but many believe them as though they are being told by their dearest friends…not realizing they are being used as pawns. In such a setting, Louie’s classic heart string tugger seems like a song for Pluto…and not Earth. Yet the content of the song is just as visible now as it was then. The problem is not context…the problem is us and what we choose to see. Not many notice the beauty of the simple things anymore. Lest we forget, Louie Armstrong was undoubtedly facing his own challenges as an African American in the late 60’s…yet he sang with a smile that pierced the soul and made us all smile…except for Mr. Newton, of course. Two minutes and twenty-one seconds doesn’t seem like much time…but it was enough time for Louie Armstrong to remind us we live in a wonderful world if we would only see it.

As a Christian, this song is more than just a sweet little tune. I’ve listened to it many times over the years and I’ve watched the video of Armstrong singing it on YouTube more times than I can count. What strikes me most as a believer is the simple truth is God is responsible for much of what the song points out. God is the creator of the beautiful things we see in nature every day. He is the creator of ourselves and our fellow human beings who we see shaking hands and little children we are blessed to get to watch grow up. Those beautiful blue skies, clouds of white, and the colors of the rainbow are all the works of His hands…or so we say we believe. I will grant you the song is not necessarily Christian, per se. But I would contend it should be a special song to the Christian…for we know who made it all possible and He knows us. Make no mistake, we should stay informed about the world we live in and that will mean recognizing some pretty awful things as I mentioned earlier. However, should it not be the Christian who also takes the lead in pointing out the world God made and the blessings that come from knowing Him through Christ? Take two minutes and twenty-one seconds and give the song a listen…and see how “What a Wonderful World” and the Good News can bless you with a great day. Blessings to all.