JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum I Hate A Song That Everybody Loves

Hi Tony,

Well, you aren't alone in disliking this song. It was hated by many from the time it came out, but defied the odds and became a smash hit. I imagine it was the fact that it was all McFerrin's voice--that made it kinda novel at the time. I don't think Rundgren had done his all voice album, yet.

I don't mind the song and read it a little different than you. To me he's saying, "all this bad stuff might be happening to you, so just take a time out, cuz there's nothing you can do about it at the moment" --and YES I realize his lyric is actually saying something more like "give up being responsible and be a moron" LOL..but it has that Reggae vibe and I associate it with finding a way to relax, more than anything..

I can also imagine that a little humor was intended, cuz he's describing homelessness and saying DWBH..maybe he could have made that humor even more apparent and absurd with further verses:

your family's all dead
you got a tumor in your head
don't worry..be happy..


cuz then if we shift into seeing McFerrin's intention was also to make us smile from the absurdity of being happy in the face of such tragedy, and then maybe his DWBH idea has already worked..if we smiled, that is..

Mike