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

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1182









Released: 1960
Length: 2:04
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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. 
Sam Cooke’s subversive radicalism was sooo deceptive.
GODLIKE!!!
 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.



How many here know what a slide rule is for?
 ScottFromWyoming wrote:
ArbiterOfGoodTaste wrote:
Heh, science book.
Whoever did know what a slide rule was for?
 

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. 
 Still hilarious.

treatment_bound wrote:


 

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!  
What a beautiful voice
 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.


oh my god the man's voice! this song is a piece of art imo

so fine Bluto couldn't smudge it  
S'perb.
So many memories with this song. Which is odd when you are born in 1982.
But it's a song embedded in my memories. 
 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.
Don't like songs about choosing to be stupid, specifically, this song.  I normally do like Sam Cook. 
So I am not the only one...
 
Austin2Florida wrote:
Great song. I always think of "Animal House" when I hear it.
 


 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?"
That boy is a P-I-G pig!
itaish wrote:

Same here!

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

 


What a pleasure to hear this on RP. It's all about the context baby! Good call!

 
me too :-)

Carl wrote:

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


 Austin2Florida wrote:
Great song. I always think of "Animal House" when I hear it.
 
Same here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZN4r8p6KbU 
Wow... 50 years ago.
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!
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.
Great song. I always think of "Animal House" when I hear it.
One of the best ever.
DBCinCA wrote:
This would fit lyrically right next to XTC's "Mayor of Simpleton."
was thinking the same thing
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.
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.
Has any singer influenced more popular vocalists? Live at the Harlem Club is a must own.
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.
This would fit lyrically right next to XTC's "Mayor of Simpleton."
{french i took} {could be with you}
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.
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.
One of the smoothest voices in song.
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!
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...
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.
Here's what a slide rule is for and how to use it: (click here) Enjoy Ha!
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..
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"....
MrMan wrote:
What a beautiful song, but for the last 25 years impossible for me to take out of an Animal House context...
FOODFIGHT!
An absolute gem.
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.....
What a beautiful song, but for the last 25 years impossible for me to take out of an Animal House context...
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)
:sunny.gif:
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
One of the very few "Oldies" I like.
Cliche phrase, but this is truly a "Golden Oldie". 8)
This one made me stop working and smile. :D Thanks RP!
buddhakowski wrote:
Ah, my first "Added" upload. Feels good to be a part of this kick-ass community. Thanks.
a nice first added!!
ArbiterOfGoodTaste wrote:
Heh, science book.
Whoever did know what a slide rule was for?
Ah, my first "Added" upload. Feels good to be a part of this kick-ass community. Thanks.
Sam had such a cool voice.
Heh, science book.