Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing
| "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Stevie Wonder | |||||||
| from the album Innervisions | |||||||
| B-side | "Blame It on the Sun" | ||||||
| Released | March 5, 1974 | ||||||
| Genre | Latin soul | ||||||
| Length |
4:44 (album version) 3:40 (single edit) | ||||||
| Label | Tamla | ||||||
| Writer(s) | Stevie Wonder | ||||||
| Stevie Wonder singles chronology | |||||||
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"Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" is a hit single by Stevie Wonder, taken from his 1973 album Innervisions; it reached number 16 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, number 10 on the Cash Box chart,[1] and number 2 on the R&B chart. The song's lyrics convey a positive message, focusing on taking things in one's stride and accentuating the positive.
Over a staccato cha-cha-chá/bossa nova piano and percussion backing, the song opens with a dialogue, partly in mock-Spanish, in which Wonder portrays a slick character trying to impress a woman with his worldliness: "'Cause like I been to, y'know, Paris, Peru, y'know, I mean, uh, Iraq, Iran, Eurasia... y'know I speak very, very, um fluent Spanish ... um, 'Todo 'stá bien chévere' .... you got that?"
The tune is in E♭ minor, starting with a Latin piano intro. The song's second chorus begins with Stevie taking the vocals up an octave with two vocal overdubs singing the same line. He also sings two other background overdub vocals, mimicking a horn line with the Spanish phrase "Todo 'stá bien chévere", which, loosely translated, means "Everything's really cool."
Covers
In 1974 it was covered by Roy Ayers on his album Change Up the Groove and in the same year by The Main Ingredient on their album Euphrates River. In 1975 it was covered, in Swedish, as a duet between Lill-Babs and Marie Bergman on the album Det våras för Barbro. Also in 1975 it was covered by American soul jazz alto saxophonist, Hank Crawford, who used it as the title track for his album Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing[2]
In 1992, it was covered by British acid jazz band Incognito, who took it to number 19 in the UK Singles Chart. Also in 1992, it was covered by the group First Call on their album Human Song. In 1995 Al Jarreau covered it live at various evenings of Night of the Proms, in Belgium as well as in the Netherlands. This version was recorded twice for a CD release in both countries. In 1997, it was covered by Hiram Bullock on his Carrasco CD.
In 2005 it was covered by John Legend, produced by will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas. The same year American smooth jazz saxophonist Nelson Rangell released a rendition on his album My American Songbook, Vol. 1.[3][4]
In 2013, multi-instrumentalist and singer Jacob Collier uploaded a vocal and instrumental arrangement of the song to YouTube, singing and playing all parts himself.[5][6][7]
Soundtrack appearances
Wonder's rendition has been featured in the films Holy Man, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins and Silver Linings Playbook in addition to the TV show Scandal.
The John Legend version was included on the soundtrack to Hitch (2005).
References
- ↑ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles.
- ↑ "Hank Crawford: Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing". Allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- ↑ "My American Songbook, Vol. 1 overview". Allmusic.com.
- ↑ "Nelson Rangell - My American Songbook (Vol. 1)". SmoothViews.com.
- ↑ "How Youtube Jazz Sensation Jacob Collier Creates Music". Freejazzlessons.com. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- ↑ Sankin, Aaron. "British YouTube phenom Jacob Collier's Stevie Wonder cover is perfect". Dailydot.com. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- ↑ "Jacob Collier Band - Late Late Show Special! - Ronnie Scott's". Ronniescotts.co.uk. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
