At best they had the same amount of instruments and at worst Todd had one less. I’d argue the voice is an instrument and the snaps are an instrument. Todd had the piano only
Dude won ten Grammys, lives and breathes music but now nobody really talks about him its pretty crazy. Once he improvised an entire two hour show by himself, and he is capable of singing several tones at a time to harmonize with himself
He doesn't really do things you can sing along with, just admire. Makes sense, the same way instrumentalist artists aren't as big. One big paycheque and everyone who matters respecting you? That's alright.
@@BloodRider1914 That would be a big project. The guys who actually wrote the song date back from the early 60s and don't seem to have a whole lot of information about them in English. Plus you have the guys who actually did the English remix, who did nothing else and I can barely find who they actually were.
Honestly, Bobby is the essence of the word "respectable". A respectable human being making a respectable little song that didn't actually fit him. I hope he is doing alright.
Respectable is an understatement. Deeply talented, free on a philosophical level most of us can't comprehend, made a song that was pure in a way most of us hadn't experienced yet or since, and it was blown up and perverted by "the machine" so now we're all sick of it. He was wise enough to avoid the stardom lane and stick to the jazz world, which at the time was VERY protective of its acolytes
There's a webcomic called "Don't Shoot The Pianist" that basically resembles xkcd but for music nerds, and one such comic was simply a list of musical instruments for which an at-speed cover of "Flight of the Bumblebee" exists on UA-cam. The artist credited Bobby McFerrin as his own musical instrument.
His youtube channel is called The Real Bobby McFerrin?! Is there a sinister imposter running around? Or is that the imposter's channel? I don't know what reality I'm living in anymore, help...
@@mariaquiet6211 it’s all not really real. But what is really really real in the first place? Maybe everything real is only real to you. It’s all in your mind maaaaaaaaaaan 🤪🎅🏿🌞🌈☄️🏈
Two major accomplishments I can’t believe weren’t mentioned: 1. He did the music for the Pixar short Knick Knack. 2. He sang the theme song for the final (original) Pink Panther movie. I am, however, glad that you mentioned Bill Irwin by name. That dude is an underrated legend. I've seen him live a bunch of times and he's AMAZING.
“I forgot the verses of this song, I wrote it so long, ago, don’t worry be happy” he looked so sad singing that tune but my god, when he sang that line, there is a man who has truly harnessed the power of letting go. He even botched the rhyme and made it extra mediocre and he said “yes, as it should be”
I once saw Biz Markie at a concert in which he straight up forgot the words to "Just A Friend". In a way, I couldn't blame him. I bet he hates that song.
I worked at a Wegman’s grocery store during Covid and this song played at least once a day. And Todd’s right, it’s a surreal experience hearing “Don’t Worry, be happy” every day when you’re balls deep in a pandemic .
I was a music major and McFerrin came to speak to us. We were warned not to ask for or even mention “Don’t worry be happy.” We were instructed that he would walk out if anyone mentioned it.
When was that? I'm kinda hoping it was a long time and he's mellowed on it now, for his sake as much as anyone else! It must be a hard thing to live with
In 2010, I was in a choir performing with Bobby McFerrin. This guy was a musical genius and was just a happy person to be around 2024: HOLY COW! OVER 1000 likes. I guess a little funny moment after said concert with Bobby McFerrin. I get home and a rerun episode Family Guy was on. I turn the TV on at the exact moment when Stewie says, ‘this is more exciting than when I saw Bobby McFerrin fall down those stairs’.
The problem with this song is that taken at face value, it's TOO happy and pisses people off. Taken ironically, it's TOO depressing, and it pisses people off. McFerrin really is a musical genius though, and doesn't get enough (mainstream) love...
@@afterdinnercreations936 ^ This. Telling me not to worry, in the face of unprecedented generational hostility, knowing my grandparents gave themselves every leg up then dismantled those same systems for us, then turn around and blame US for our financial stagnation, it just makes me rage.
Excellent episode, but you forgot to mention one crucial thing: The Big Mouth Singing Bass and the use of Don't Worry, Be Happy. I'm fairly certain that singing fish probably made him another couple million easy. That singing fish was EVERYWHERE, as big a novelty as slinkys, fidget spinners, and Rubiks Cubes.
My dad used the billy bass to wake me up on the weekends when I wanted to sleep in. He had it on the wall right between me and my brother. He would hit the button and then throw the dog on my chest. I woke up to don’t worry be happy and take me to the river and a sheepdog licking my face hundreds of times as a teenager. I actually spent a lot of time trying to record a song using the two billy bass songs. I held it up to a microphone, and this was 2002, so the first version of garage band that existed. I would hit the button on the billy bass at the right tempo to make a rhythm section out of it.
I love that everyone in the video did go on to 'prestigious' pursuits: Bobby became a respected conductor, Robin Williams won an Oscar, and Bill Irwin won a Tony Award as the male lead in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf."
Virginia woolfe once dressed up as an African prince (blackface and possible fake beard included) with a few other scammers to make the royal navy and specifically the crew of HMS dreadnought look like fools
I think this song is almost existentialist and embracing the absurd, like life is garbage, everything sucks but whatever, you get nothing by worrying, it'll still be garbage so just don't worry, be happy
I saw Bobby as guest conductor of the Utah Symphony in 1995. He was amazing! I was able to meet him backstage afterwards with my brother and sister, who was very pregnant. He patted her tummy and said to the baby "be happy!" Four days later, a happy baby was born!
"You think this is annoying, imagine being the guy who wrote it". I always empathized with the ones that hate their most popular song because of this, and I'm happy when Bobby returns to Don't Worry Be Happy or Radiohead seems more chilled out about playing Creep again, not because I want the audience to hear them, but because I want the musicians to get to own their music again and reclaim the joy of performing them that was taken away by it being too popular.
When Radiohead came to my country after ten years, I was with a group of intense fans (like me) and we were all saying which songs we wanted to hear, and kind of shitting on creep like, I don't care at all if they sing it or not. At the end of the show they re entered the stage twice because people were so hyped up, and the second time they sang Creep. We all sang like maniacs and it was amazing. Deep down we all loved Creep
@@sofiipote7 basically the same way it went on at the concert I went to too. I think in the end it comes down to the audience and the artist respecting each other. No one drunkenly yelled “play Creep!”, and I’d fully support the right of Thom Yorke to strangle anyone who did that, but we were all happy when they actually decided to play it. Seems like they don’t feel restricted and pigeonholed by it anymore, but of course most one hit wonders will never become a Radiohead. So I get it if they don’t want to play it.
@@everwhatever completely! I totally empathize with being sick of playing the same one song over and over. And I agree too about the artist and the audience respecting each other. Feeling forced to do it can only be counterproductive
If I had a nickel for every time Todd said "the mediocre Tom Cruise movie 'Cocktail'", I would have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice, right? Also, fun fact: Bobby McFerrin and Robin Williams once did an acapella version of The Beatles' "Come Together."
That cover was part of an insane compilation album by Beatles producer George Martin where he got a bunch of other famous singers and celebrities to cover Beatles songs for some reason. If you ever wanted to hear Jim Carrey sing "I Am The Walrus", or hear Sean Connery do a spoken word version of "In My Life", then you know where to look.
I hate that 400,000 fans is considered not very successful by music industry standards. Almost half a million like this guy and wanna support his work, that's pretty good
"He sounds like if the sound effects guy from Police Academy could sing." My God I wish Todd had Googled their names together and found the excellent Key and Peele sketch where they have a dual backstage of a concert. Winslow does all the SFX, Bobby does the music.
In Todd's defense had he said "If Michael Winslow could sing" it would have went over a lot of people's head or would have made people remember who Winslow which would take away from the point he was making
Weird, I never registered McFerrin as a one hit wonder. He’s so accomplished and such a recognizable jazz performer that his status as one never registered in my head.
For me, I never knew of this song until seeing it on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders, but I definitely knew his name. When I saw him on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders as a kid, I told my parents, and they knew exactly what song that was. How I first heard of him was him doing The Wizard of Oz, which was played a few times on the morning show my parents preferred. After that, his name and face were on various signs and posters at the place I took guitar lessons while I was in elementary school. When I was in college, he visited the music school I was at (McNally Smith College of Music). There's actually a video of him singing with the voice department head, Judi Donaghy, as she and some of the other teachers had done some gigs with him. Beforehand, my classmates and I definitely ranted about how he's so much more than that song.
This song was released a couple weeks before my seventh birthday. My parents were divorcing at the time, and I was beginning a decades-long struggle with my mental health. The world was falling apart around me, but "Don't Worry, Be Happy" was a little oasis of tranquility. When it came on the radio, I could stop being sad and afraid for a little bit. I recognize its cheesiness now, and I won't be so melodramatic as to say "it saved my life," but I'll always have a soft spot for it. It helped.
@PestoMayo I can completely understand why some people might find it patronizing, but to me there isn't anything in it that sounds like it's minimizing my problems. Almost the opposite, really - everyone has problems, and they can be serious, but it's still possible to find happiness. We find our help where we can.
@PestoMayo There have been times in my life where this song would have had a negative effect on me. Times where I forced myself to smile when meeting others, hoping that they'd smile back to make me feel just a little bit less negative/hopeless on the inside. If you had met me back then and told me to "not worry" or "be happy" I'd have walked away if at all possible. There are levels of depression and anxiety where simple and otherwise very positive messages like this can feel extremely offensive and/or demoralizing. But for people who aren't that far down the spiral, the message in this song can be a good thing. And for those who already are in a healthy mental state, being mindful of the happy things and moments without worry can be a way to stay mentally healthy.
McFerrin's audience participation stuff is enthralling. There's one where he demonstrates that everyone instinctively knows the pentatonic scale by having a whole audience go up or down in pitch depending on if he jumps left or right and it totally works.
I have to admit, that final performance of the song where he sings "I forgot the lyrics to this song, I wrote this song so long ago," that legit made me smile. So give him credit for that one.
For Todd is the shadow music man I've heard he's popular in Japan So don't worry Be happy He critiques music without fear Nirvana will never kill his career So don't worry etc etc etc
"In every life we have some trouble, But when you worry you make it double" I think that's the most important part of the song. The song is perhaps a tad hyperbolic, but what it's warning against is the sort of worry that stops you from making smart choices; doing what needs doing, or not doing what needs not be done.
Agreed. I have literally all the worries in the world as a cancer patient but dwelling on it does way more than double it. It makes it impossible to function. Getting your mind off your worries is important
This guy is an absolute legend. We watched a presentation of his for music theory class when I was in high school. So much more than just the don't worry be happy guy
@Perverted Alchemist Fun Fact: his daughter provided the singing voice for the character GGK in the anime series Carole and Tuesday, a great watch on Netflix if you're a fan of pop music.
Lol I remember halfway through my high school music theory class, my teacher just gave up and showed us nothing but concert videos, half of which were Bobby McFerrin
Should note, he has the ability to sing separate pitches w his vocal cords. So left is doing a C, right is doing a G. Dunno if many other singers can do this - seems as impossible as perfectly done rebreathing.
Having taken voice lessons for a year and a half, I'd say most singers have the physical capability, but many either don't know how to do it, or don't have the right train of thought. It does require keeping track of different notes in your brain at the same time, bowing the notes up and down (or quivering them) when necessary, and knowing the range and each vocal cord. If you don't know how to go into your falsetto voice though, I'd say forget it. And no, I'm not misspelling the word "cord". :-)
@@Tricob1974 went to music school and knew a lot of singers. It seems to be the vocal equivalent of rebreathing/circular breathing, but kinda is more of a party trick. And I’ve been calling them chords because music school scarred my brain
Vocal folds can’t produce individual notes by themselves. The sound is produced when the air flows between them and they open or close partially, working together to produce different keys. If you only had one fold you would be mute. Being able to produce more than one sound is very uncommon. It usually only happens when you’re sick and have a raspy voice and something is obstructing the normal function of the folds. It’s not something that singers can usually produce at will and control. The only singer I know that can do that is Lalah Hathaway and still is very limited to a certain amount of sounds. It’s something so out of the ordinary that it doesn’t even have a name and it’s not fully understood. And no, singers don’t have circular breathing, unless they’re playing a wind instrument and not singing.
I don't know if this counts but the singer Earl Jordan had the ability to sing three notes at once. It's best displayed in the song "Engine of Love", and it blows my plebian mind every time I hear it.
As a cancer patient, there's a lot that offends me. Sometimes I roll my eyes at my friends ranting about a simple problem, but keep in how much it frustrates me. But this song does not offend me at all. It is somehow very comforting. Something about it feels genuine, but also sarcastic, but it just hits the right spot for my mood. Positivity and negativity combined.
Kinda surprised Todd missed this in his review, but another thing Bobby McFerrin after the hit was he wrote and performed the music for the Pixar short Knick Knack in 1989, years before they made Toy Story. He also did the music for free feeling the short would be cool to work on. His hit song may have a weird reception, but I think having your legacy tied to a Pixar short (and way before they became the big hit studio we now know) is a pretty good one to have.
The commentary for the short also mentions that he improvised while watching a rough cut, but since they had placeholder credits that read "blah-blah-blah" he simply started singing "blah-blah-blah", and that was kept in the final short lol
Imagine being a serious, respectable composer and you're only known by 99% of the world as the performer of a silly song like this. I almost feel bad for him.
At least you're known but it can be an easy thing to live with. It's not quite the same but Nina Simone must be known by a number of people only for "My Baby Just Cares For Me" (or possibly the remix of "I Got Life"), and she's definitely sooo much more than that.
Not only that, but a large amount of people don't even realise he did this song; they think Bob Marley did it. Well, I know it was a common misconception, but I don't know if it still is.
For me, growing up with Minnesota Public Radio and A Prairie Home Companion, Bobby was famous for basically reenacting the entirety of The Wizard of Oz in about 5 minutes.
20:14 Funny thing about using Sesame Street as an example here is that they've had avant-garde types and jazz musicians show up a TON, from Zap Mama and Philip Glass to Kronos Quartet and Dizzy Gillespie. Heck, that clip of him here is actually from a year BEFORE he released Don't Worry, Be Happy!
I think Sesame Street might've been where I first saw Bobby McFerrin, and he showed up fairly regularly from what I recall. For most of my childhood I assumed he was exclusively a children's performer.
When I was watching this video before Todd showed that clip I just randomly thought to myself Bobby McFerrin seems like someone who would be on Sesame Street and when I looked it up lo and behold I found a clip of him on Sesame Street.
@@jbwarner8626 He had a song called Tweet in the Morning that he sang with a bunch of birds and it was on an album of Sesame Street songs I listened to CONSTANTLY as a kid. Totally blissed me out.
Fun fact: You can sing this and "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes to the same exact chords. (Bobby used my sister's children's choir a decade ago for a jazz backup band, and he was apparently the most fun guy they ever worked with.)
Fun fact: Todd said before that "What's Up" is one of his least-favorite songs and he doesn't want to do an episode on it because he hates it so much...which of course makes me desperately crave a 4 Non Blondes episode.
Emotionally and thematically speaking, they kinda would mash up together. "25 years and my life is still/Trying to get up that great big hill of hope/For a destination" and "Landlord says your rent is late/He might have to litigate/Don't worry, be happy" are in a similar ballpark.
At first I wasn't surprised by your comment: many many songs share the same chord structure, such as the 4 chords of pop. But then, singing along, I realized that...holy shit! The verses actually sound a LOT alike!
It's weird how when you first hear this song at best and worst, you think it's just a silly novelty song that's ungodly catchy, and when you learn Bobby McFerrin vocalized the entire thing you can't help but respect him, cuz he's genuinely talented.
He's a genuine acapella maestro, and an accomplished singer-songwriter and composer on top of that. What's not to like ? :-) I genuinely feel he's one of the most legitimate and nicest musicians/singers you've ever covered, with only Scatman coming anywhere close.
he's extremely legit. I saw his band perform live back in 2015 for his (to this day) most recent album spirityouall. His daughter was also in the band!
One of Bobby McFerrin’s most amazing performances is his rendition of The Wizard of Oz. With his voice alone, he takes you on a journey through the entire movie. Every time I play this on UA-cam, everyone who is with me stops what they’re doing to watch or listen. It is amazing!
Well she certainly did discover it, just discovered it for herself :) As someone who's lived their whole life almost dying from medical issues, this made me tear up, thanks for sharing this.
I'm currently surviving with cancer (so far, the prognosis is good) and my songs are another OHW alumni "Flagpole Sitta" as well as Morrissey's "First of the Gang to Die"
I'm 45 years old. I thought this was going to be a totally sad episode. Cause I 100% thought McFerrin was tragically dead. Super stoked to hear he's not and had/has a great career doing stuff he loves. (I'm not into jazz or all the other things he does.) But now I can enjoy Don't Worry Be Happy again without any taint of sadness.
Todd's covered my mom's favorite song in the world (Hellfire by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown) and now he's covering her least favorite. Truly, he is one of the top mom-approved UA-camrs in existence.
I guess it has 2 do with mood, and current situation somebody finds themselves in life. What's going on the world around them, and their views on it, or weather it bothers them ,or not. That depends on weather or not they find enjoyment out this song, or not.
@@jeremyusreevu237 Todd was absolutely right in that this sort of demented positivity can strike you the wrong way *hard*. What the fuck do you mean 'don't worry be happy', I have real problems in my life! If you're in a good mood, it'll feel right. If you're not, it will IMMEDIATELY piss you off.
@@jeremyusreevu237 When a song is this...cheerfully shallow, people often try to read deeper meaning into it rather than taking it at face value. It's like how I keep hearing rumours that Shiny Happy People is secretly about the Tiananmen Square massacre. It's not. It's exactly what it says on the tin. Maybe it was intended to be ironic at one point but if so, the irony got lost. It's why REM hates it. Because of this, Don't Worry, Be Happy can come across like it's way more sarcastic than it was probably intended. It can come off like it's outright *mocking* you for feeling down if you're in the wrong mood when you hear it.
When that clip of Bobby singing started, as an example of his talent as a jazz vocalist, my jaw honestly dropped. That is... really not easy to do, to say the least. A true talent he is. And man, being such a talented vocalist that you can carry a whole musical set on your own, with nothing but your voice. Incredible.
Bobby McFerrin's daughter, Madison McFerrin, also makes music! Her first few releases were also in an acapella style, and she's pretty good at it, too. Her songs "Try" and "Hindsight" are fantastic tracks. (Though they aren't acapella.) I would definitely recommend checking her out!
One of the rare instances where the "one-hit-ness" of a song has the reverse effect of a one hit wonder. The casual mainstream music listener gets a gateway into other, broader music worlds. The potential that it created for non pop artists to dip their toes into the pop world and influence the culture, make a little extra cash and spread their work to the masses is pretty great. You should cover Rock It by Herbie Hancock, which did the same thing years earlier, and is a similarly "one-hit" track by an accomplished respected artist who's accolades in jazz make having a pop hit into a side note on their CV.
As a preteen music video junkie, I was fascinated by the "Rockit" video. It was creepy and cool. I wonder if that song would have had a chance at making the pop charts if it weren't for MTV. I doubt it, considering it only made it to 71 on the Hot 100 even with all the hype. (I just looked that up, didn't know it off the top of my head, ha) It's a really innovative song for the era, with its rock and hip-hop influences, composed and performed by an acclaimed jazz musician. I still think it's great.
I once saw a Herbie Hancock interview where he said he was asked to judge a breakdancing contest. Of the 25 contestants, 24 chose to dance to Rockit, and Herbie admitted to not enjoying hearing his own song that many times.
As a result of my dad's decorating choices during my childhood, I have an unfortunate tendency to associate this song with wall mounted electronic singing bass fish more than anything else.
I think you missed a huge aspect of the historical setting of this song, and that is the Theory of Positive Thinking that became super popular in the 80s, and still lives on today. It became so popular that it became a type of groupthink and discouraged rational criticsm. It was taking a hippie philosophy, making it the basis of the whole self-help movement and then taking it into the workplace and forcing everyone to comply with it, if they wanted to keep their jobs. Originally there was some science that seemed to support it but it was eventually realized that being naturally positive and being forced to be happy do not have the same consequences, and not being able to challenge bad ideas can lead to disasters such as the Challenger explosion. But it has become so omnipresent I think a lot of people don't even realize that it is not fact that you must think positive to be successful or live a good life. This song hit at a time when it had completely taken over, but the underground resentment was building, so of course it was a lightening rod even though it seems harmless and even well intentioned.
Toxic positivity was a plague upon the 80's. According to my mother, most people she knew were into Norman Vincent Peale, prosperity gospel, self help, or new agey mantras.
Actually, it was a pro-ignorance movement more than anything else. It began in the 1980s, certainly - but it didn't become a serious driving force until the Beavis & Butt-Head TV series. The movie Dumb And Dumber pretty much cemented that state after that.
My dad was one of those “300,000 - 400,000 jazz freaks”. I remember hearing his live cover of Paul McCartney’s Blackbird when I was a kid, a couple of years before, so McFerrin was my introduction to the idea that one hit wonders often have long and successful careers before and after the big song.
@@LolTollhurst One hit wonders on the billboard hot 100 (they got to 25), and there are so many insane stories: how the cover artist had to use a white name to hide being Japanese, Paul Desmond’s crazy contract with Brubeck, etc..
I didn't know this song had some hate and backlash. I always loved this song, it makes me relax. As a person who tends to overthink things, worry about consequencies and be anxious, this song speaks to me.
This, "Mickey" by Toni Basil, "Oh Yeah" by Yello, "Tubthumping" by Chumbawumba, and "Pepper" by the Butthole Surfers, in some respects follow a theme. Already-accomplished musicians and outsiders making a pop-hit and choosing to leave the mainstream afterwards to either pursue their actual goals, or not get involved in the pop-music industry hellscape.
For Chumbawamba it was more about using mainstream success as an excuse to agitate. Given a choice of behaving themselves or getting dropped by their label, they chose the latter but continued on for another 15 years.
Also, I'm surprised you didn't mention the viral video of him at a 2009 science conference demonstrating the pentatonic scale to a bunch of non-musicians. It's a fantastic watch, and a great showcase of his talents outside of his one big hit.
I remember first seeing that. During my second semester of college, he came and did a presentation. The following year, a completely new teacher who wasn't there when he was there showed us that film.
“Fight The Power” might’ve been a gut punch rebuke of this song, but I’ve always wondered what Chuck D thought of McFerrin. Chuck has very eclectic music tastes, including jazz, and I can imagine him being familiar with McFerrin before and after “Don’t Worry”. What did they say to each other when their paths inevitably crossed?
We already have "Grunge killed my career" when we talk about hair metal bands that slid into irrelevance after the 80s. Should we have "Public Enemy made me look stupid" for corny rap and pop acts too?
Oh yeah, rap changed heavily right around the same time as that. NWA put MC Hammer out to pasture. There's a clear before/after in tone and style in rap from that period, as much as there is with rock.
@@crnkmnkyHammer may have technically held on for a few more years, but his "I'm gonna try to be gangsta now" period was pretty sad. And very clearly inspired by NWA. Overall, the dance/performance rap scene was replaced by the street/real rap movement, in much the same way that the reality/artsy grunge movement replaced the hair/spandex metal scene. And at around the same time. We can argue exactly when each act entered and another left the limelight, but in the overall arc of music history, both of those genres underwent a huge change then.
has this guy been commissioned to write a musical yet? i feel like he’d make something amazing out of an original concept that gave him creative freedom. a fully acapella show in the style of his singing specifically would actually be interesting while having enough of a gimmick to market well at the same time
it would be an incredible show i'll give you that but I doubt it'd see success given, who can really sing like mcfarren? finding an entire cast fo GOOD acappella singers might be a challenge
Speaking as someone who has been regularly suicidal for over 50 years due to years of torture as a child, I met this song at probably the worst points in my life And Absolutely Loved It!! Even more than Pharrel's Happy or Weird Al's Tacky I put this song up there with Louis Armstrong's Wonderful World & the Pythons Always Look on the Bright Side of Life Truly songs that enrich us all & I hope are still sung 10,000 years from now.
I will say, as someone who has lived on the streets and have had nothing to bring me a smile other than my own state of mind. I love this song, I do not find it condescending in any way, this song and sitting on the dock of the bay, humming those songs while begging for enough change for a can of beans, it brought me joy.
Yeah I think only people who have never struggled don't get the idea of just enjoying what you have. I've never been homeless but when I was young my mom and I definitely hovered on the edge of it. This song was always a great one it's just about making the best of a bad situation.
@@ChaosTherum Exactly! I was a teenager when this song came out and, man, did my family struggle back then. This song brought us a bit of levity when we were swimming in anything but. Now, my 12-year-old daughter and I sing this song as a duo, but we cheat... we've added ukes to the arrangement and she absolutely loves it. So, for me, well, I love this song.
@@PabloRichardFernandez I was first introduced to this soon by my sister making me a mix cd in the early 2000s awesome to hear that kind of bonding with your kid.
As a sane person with a functional brain and thus, crippling depression, this song getting constantly played or sung in my face when I'm trying to be taken seriously is enough to tip me over the edge. I liked the song when it came out... but when the bank that put me in bankruptcy over unannounced fee changes started using it, aggressively, in their ads... it bit too deep. Like Todd said, when it hits you wrong, it hits you HARD. I was sacked, lost my girlfriend and home all on the same day. This song was being used on three separate adverts at the time. I didn't know whether to sleep under a bridge or jump off it. One more run in with this song would have finished me. Yet I can enjoy it today, quite easily. I think it's how much your nose is being rubbed in it at the time.
I remember seeing him in concert and he asked a few people from the audience up on stage to sing different parts of this song. My brother was selected and he was so nervous, but little dude killed it. So now it holds a special place in my heart.
This came up on Karina Longworth's podcast last year. The fact that the only way for almost anyone to see this film is via shitty bootlegs is mindboggling. Eg. m.ua-cam.com/video/YIdrZxaP-gE/v-deo.html
@@mcalcock2241 those bootlegs are cut by about 20 minutes or so, too, as they were from a mid-70’s TV broadcast. There are some IB Technicolor prints that look gorgeous, though, but the problem is getting the clearance to screen them. I’m glad the film is preserved, but the Gershwin estate’s hostility towards it is horrible
It happens. Sorta like how there's a versatile duo called Yello that's quite popular in Europe but in the USA is basically only known for the "ohhhhh yeahhh" song that got played for laughs in 80s comedies. The duo even lamented that if they ever toured this country, they'd probably have to call it the "Oh Yeah" tour for publicity purposes.
Bobby McFerrin's "Simple Pleasures" was the very first LP I bought at age 9, my very first favorite album, and is still on my all-time list in 2023. His cover of Sunshine of Your Love is worth a listen.
I thought the Kurt Vonnegut son bit was going to end with “his son played Captain America in a shitty TV movie”, before I remembered that was JD Salinger’s kid
I was a teenager at the time and this song was so big. Another thing to remember is that this was when Gorbachov started the perestroika and it seemed that the Cold War was coming to an end. A year later the Berlin Wall fell. So this song was the perfect soundtrack to the optimism of the time.
This song almost feels like the reverse of Because I Got High. Both talk about everything going wrong at once, but one is the denial stage and the other is acceptance. Maybe we need a depression, barganing and anger version of this.
Isn't "Because I Got High" about everything going wrong for the singer because he's irresponsible? This is more about things going wrong outside of your control.
Didn't Psychostick do a song of something like that for depression? You know, being comedic on the things that make an emo person depressed and whatnot?
Uhm... No. One song (Don't Worry) is satire, or at least just a silly song, about having the kind of mentality of being so optimistic you blow sunshine and sparkles out your ass and don't take anything serious. The other song is simultaneously dark and light-hearted social commentary and just fun to listen to. Neither is meant to be taken seriously like you suggest as if they're some sort of portrayal of someone going through grief.
When I was younger, after I just got diagnosed with anxiety, my mom would quote this song at me whenever I was anxious. I've had a vitriolic response to this song ever since.
I never could've imagined this song was so new. Like you said, it feels ancient. I associate it with the anime series Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, which is about a classroom full of girls with personality disorders, because the fansub group used it for their extensive translation notes section at the end, and its ironic compliment to the tone of the show was absolutely perfect such that it feels like part of the show.
The people who get brief crossover mainstream hits, but are able to carry on being successful and respected in more niche or behind the scenes fields after are the most heartwarming episodes of this show.
I always thought that in this song the phrase "don't worry, be happy " was equivalent to "f*** it". Like, no sh**s left to give, so why bother worrying any more. And that's why it touches on dark themes so lightheartedly. It's like shrugging your shoulders at the universe and saying "I've done what I can do", and walking away from the situation.
Fun fact: One of the other nominees that "Don't Worry, Be Happy" beat for the Song of the Year Grammy was Brenda Russell's "Piano in the Dark", which I'm sure was of special interest to Todd.
I don't understand why some people don't get this song is an extended ironic joke. It is much the same as Shaggy's "It wasn't me" . It's not a philosophy of any kind, as I think the lyrics prove by not providing a solution to any problem.
12:09 I have never related to Todd this much before in my life. This sort of tunnel-vision inducing, all-consuming fury that’s so intense your face can’t even express anymore when a happy-go-lucky song comes in when you’re not in the mood for it. It really is like seeing through time like being Dr. Manhattan but if he was pissed, this is so perfect. lol
My middle school math teacher used to play this song for her classes every single friday as a way to kick off the weekend and to this day this song still makes me happy like it did then. rest in peace ms. smith, you have no more worries and can be happy for the rest of eternity.
I love this song. And I have combat PTSD, lifelong depression, and outbursts of rage. It's always been a symbol of defiance to me. It's a song about people's breaking points getting tapped, and trying to deal with it afterwards with a smile and letting go of tensions. May not be the "healthiest" coping mechanism, but it beats the alternatives. Mr. McFerrin released a song about childhood that I remember almost as well as this song, only I cannot remember the name.
"Alley Cat" for best rock n roll recording in 1962 was such an absurd concept that the composer didn't bother to show up for the ceremony - he thought it was a joke
Bobby McFerrin has been my favorite artist since I was a kid and our elementary music teacher had us listen to his and Yo-Yo Ma’s rendition of Bach’s Air. When she played more of his catalogue for us and told us he does most of his work a cappella, it blew my tiny mind. He’s incredible. Medicine Music is my desert island album.
That whole album with Yo-Yo Ma is incredible. All well known classical passages as interpreted by Yo-Yo Ma's cello & Bobby McFerrin's mouth. There's absolutely nothing else like it.
To be fair... the song is an acapella song in a reggae style... most people around the world who don't listen to Reggae... only ever know about Bob Marley (close enough first name)... so everybody attributes every Reggae song to Bob Marley...THAT kind of ignorance
It think it partly has to do with our generation's use of illegal music downloads back in the day. I distinctly remember Limewire files always crediting the song to Marley.
I saw Bobby McFerrin in concert around 2000, just him and his mic, and it was freakin' awesome. He got the audience to sing along on the Bach/Gounoud "Ave Maria."
I got to see a McFerrin concert, and it was amazing. He is an amazing performer, and it's sad so many people don't know him for more than this one song. If you haven't, you should look up his cover of Blackbird, or his song Drive. Edit: I see he showed Blackbird in the video lol Editer: and drive lol. Find the live version it's awesome
"Thinking About Your Body" was actually fairly well known in the UK (and got to 46 in the charts) because it got used in a chocolate advert (so if you thought that the lyrics were "thinking about your chocolate / thinking about your taste" then that's probably why).
He's also one of the very few singers that can do polyphonic singing, and he might be the best at it (it's like playing the Holophone from Futurama, so difficult that less than 20 people in the galaxy can do it, and they're not very good at it).
This might be the largest gap between my respect for an artist and respect for a song. McFarrin might genuinely be the most talented vocalist I've ever encountered. This extends to the song itself - I never realised it was acapella, let alone performed by _one person,_ and if you say anything about it, its production seems simple and primal, but it's _tight._ True masters make the most complex performances seem simple, and boy is it true of this song. As for the split between people who love and hate this song, I think it's because for some, it's actual good advice - worrying won't make it better, you're just adding to your stress, so try to relax -, while for others it's so useless it's utterly obnoxious and insulting. Especially for people suffering from mental illnesses that create depression: *"Don't worry, be happy!?! GEE, WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?!"* The message could use some nuance, is what I'm saying, but that _would_ rob it of its simplicity and primal nature. Difficult.
Yes, that’s the reason I’ve always hated this song. It reminds me of when you ask advice from people and they say “It’ll be alright, just think positive”. Forced optimism is NOT A SOLUTION! That said, I didn’t realize how talented of a vocalist he is and how interesting of a career he’s had until watching this episode. I have a new respect for Bobby, but I still can’t stand “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”.
The song is simple but also quite deep. It's saying that happiness isn't an end goal to work towards, it's an impermanent state of mind - a choice in the only time you have any actual control over, which is right now. You don't have to let circumstances inform your responses, i.e. be reactionary. You don't have to beat yourself up to punish yourself or try to control other people or take your anger or rage out on them. You don't have to be sad about your past or fret about your future, and neither of those actions really helps you much, and certainly cannot make you happy, because if you're feeling sad or fearful or angry all the time, there's no room at all to feel happiness or joy too. You can only be happy by letting go of the chains of your past and the endless, scary unknowns of your future - of worry, doubt, anger, sadness, fear, etc. Living fully in the present moment - even if it's just a brief moment before the eye of your inner storm gives way to the hurricane again. By listening to your body breathing and heart beating, and realizing, "I am alive, I am here - and I am enough." This is what prayer and meditation were invented for, too. To give people a chance to lay their burdens down for a higher power to carry, in the former, and in the latter, to acknowledge your mental chatter but to put it aside and focus on the now and being present within your body, by focusing and refocusing only on your breathing, for example. This is also what "being in the zone" or "hyper-focusing" can be - one being so utterly engrossed in whatever one is doing right now, particularly if it holds meaning or purpose (washing the dishes while grooving to music; working on a beloved project, craft, or art piece; even cooking a nice meal) that one's worries and frustrations can take a nap for a bit, while happiness has a chance to step in. I did say "can be" though, because UA-cam/Social Media/Google/Wikipedia rabbit holes can be hyper-focus magnets, but don't necessarily hold the same kind of meaning and purpose if one is aimlessly clicking on link after post after video after article. Also, hyperfocus can be overdone (especially for neurodiverse folks), to the extent that sleep, eating, and even going to the bathroom can get ignored to the point where they can't be anymore (that is, by the time your bladder is threatening to burst; your stomach is rumbling like mad as you suddenly realize dinnertime was several hours ago; or your eyelids have become too heavy to remain open).
I think taking an absolute approach to this song's message is the problem with it's interpretation. Even if you have a ton of problems (which I safely assume almost all of us have our fair share), taking the time to try and drop it for a bit and distract yourself with something that makes you happy can help you deal with those worries with a clearer mind when you return to them. I never heard this song as "don't worry, be happy forever". It always came off to me as "chill out for a bit, find something to appreciate, and cross each bridge as you get there". While this is definitely not some sort of panacea; it's a message that most people could get behind.
Hm. To the three of you critiquing me, I've though about it some more and come with a more nuanced conclusion. The "Don't worry." part of the message is unproblematic good advice, no ifs or buts, as long as worrying isn't helping you solve the problem and is just making you stressed. That's what you three have focused on. The "Be happy." part is what annoys me, since it isn't easy to just *be* happy. Even if you manage not to worry, it doesn't mean you'll be happy, and telling people to just *be* happy often leads to blaming *them* if they can't be.
In early October of 1988, I was 18 years-old and in my freshman-year of college. An ill-fated ride-home from a party with a weed-dealer, landed me in the county-Jail for 2-days. The guards had MTV on 24-7 and this song was in a twice an-hour rotation. I grew to hate-it immediately.
I was fully convinced that the FAILED FOLLOW-UP bit would just be the Simpsons jab “That was Bobby McFerrin’s new one: “I’m Worried, Need Money”.
Haha, likewise, I can't wait to watch the video to find out.
@@AJ-xc4qe Greetings, AJ, a pleasure meeting you here again!
@@trinaq Well, now that you found out he actually has a successful career outside of mainstream pop, do you still worry or are you happy?
Thank you for doing a better post than I could think of. "I'm worried, need money" immediately popped into my head
Who knows, maybe Aloe Blacc is his alter ego.
I'm fairly certain this is the first time Todd's piano intro has had more instruments than the original song.
since there were no instruments in the original
@@AddSerious That is, in fact, the joke of the original comment.
Unless you consider the human voice an instrument.
@@AddSerious You are literally the Foreign Guy Who Explains Jokes from *Family Guy.* "Oh, HOHOHOHO...eet's funny cuz it's true!!" 🤣
At best they had the same amount of instruments and at worst Todd had one less.
I’d argue the voice is an instrument and the snaps are an instrument. Todd had the piano only
Dude won ten Grammys, lives and breathes music but now nobody really talks about him its pretty crazy. Once he improvised an entire two hour show by himself, and he is capable of singing several tones at a time to harmonize with himself
He doesn't really do things you can sing along with, just admire. Makes sense, the same way instrumentalist artists aren't as big. One big paycheque and everyone who matters respecting you? That's alright.
I honestly really kind of wished Scatman John, Bobby McFerrin and Lou Bega started a band
damn, now I really want a McFerrin rendition of one of Scatman's songs
A little bit of Scatman in my life! A little bit of Bobby is all I need... 🎵
Right?
I've thought that too.
"Trumpet!"
That would be FUCKING AWESOME.
I love episodes where there's more about this man than a silly novelty hit, where there's an accomplished career outside of pop.
Hopefully he'll do the Macarena at some point. Read the Wikipedia article for those guys in Spanish. Quite interesting
@@BloodRider1914 That would be a big project. The guys who actually wrote the song date back from the early 60s and don't seem to have a whole lot of information about them in English. Plus you have the guys who actually did the English remix, who did nothing else and I can barely find who they actually were.
Can't wait for the Gotye episode some time in the next decade
@@royalninja2823 i hope he do it soon so gotye can get another top 10 hit lol
Yeah, especially Chumbawamba, I don't think anything's ever going to beat THEIR career
He vocalised that whole song HIMSELF?? Shit that's incredible!
I found that out via VH1’s Pop Up Video and it made me have more respect for him as well as this song.
At the time, I heard that he could sing two lines simultaneously. I still don't know if that's possible, but if anyone can do it, he can.
listen to his drum & percussion sounds on his version of "sunshine of your love" (from this same album)
amazing!
I found that out via LISTENING TO THE SONG...
@@SasquachPL Lol alright mate 👍
Honestly, Bobby is the essence of the word "respectable". A respectable human being making a respectable little song that didn't actually fit him. I hope he is doing alright.
Respectable is an understatement. Deeply talented, free on a philosophical level most of us can't comprehend, made a song that was pure in a way most of us hadn't experienced yet or since, and it was blown up and perverted by "the machine" so now we're all sick of it. He was wise enough to avoid the stardom lane and stick to the jazz world, which at the time was VERY protective of its acolytes
There's a webcomic called "Don't Shoot The Pianist" that basically resembles xkcd but for music nerds, and one such comic was simply a list of musical instruments for which an at-speed cover of "Flight of the Bumblebee" exists on UA-cam. The artist credited Bobby McFerrin as his own musical instrument.
As of Dec 2021, he has a net worth of 4 million. He's doing alright.
His youtube channel is called The Real Bobby McFerrin?! Is there a sinister imposter running around? Or is that the imposter's channel? I don't know what reality I'm living in anymore, help...
@@mariaquiet6211 it’s all not really real. But what is really really real in the first place? Maybe everything real is only real to you. It’s all in your mind maaaaaaaaaaan
🤪🎅🏿🌞🌈☄️🏈
Two major accomplishments I can’t believe weren’t mentioned:
1. He did the music for the Pixar short Knick Knack.
2. He sang the theme song for the final (original) Pink Panther movie.
I am, however, glad that you mentioned Bill Irwin by name. That dude is an underrated legend. I've seen him live a bunch of times and he's AMAZING.
Feels alert - the Pink Panther video starts with Henry Mancini literally passing the baton
Yeah I was thinking of Knick Knack all through this knowing that it had to have been him.
I KNEW I RECOGNIZED THAT VOICE. I WAS THINKING KNICK KNACK.
The whole time I was watching this video, I was hoping he would mention Knick Knack
Knick Knack is such a banger, I could listen to that song for hours
The line: "this beat Tracy Chapman's Fast Car that year" hits like a kick to the throat.
Yes. I like this song, but that fact just makes you sad.
This song is the anti-Fast Car.
both songs make me cry a little, for different reasons.
He just drove a faster car 🤷♀️
...if by "kick to the throat" you mean "a fitting elevation of quality over garbage rarely seen from Hollywood."
“I forgot the verses of this song, I wrote it so long, ago, don’t worry be happy” he looked so sad singing that tune but my god, when he sang that line, there is a man who has truly harnessed the power of letting go. He even botched the rhyme and made it extra mediocre and he said “yes, as it should be”
I once saw Biz Markie at a concert in which he straight up forgot the words to "Just A Friend". In a way, I couldn't blame him. I bet he hates that song.
@@rmyers99 rip Biz Markie
@@rmyers99 i saw him live at a free concert at my state fair not long before he died. He was rough but it was fun
I worked at a Wegman’s grocery store during Covid and this song played at least once a day. And Todd’s right, it’s a surreal experience hearing “Don’t Worry, be happy” every day when you’re balls deep in a pandemic .
Feels morre like "the pandemic was balls deep into you"
Wegman's is so overrated now, the magic is gone
@@melodywave3 that sushi though …
@@stefanfilipovits21 those cookies though...
@@RissyReads12291229 now you’re talking!
I was a music major and McFerrin came to speak to us. We were warned not to ask for or even mention “Don’t worry be happy.” We were instructed that he would walk out if anyone mentioned it.
Damn, because I would have wanted to hear about the creative process behind it.
I would have told him "Don't worry, be happy" as he was walking away
When was that? I'm kinda hoping it was a long time and he's mellowed on it now, for his sake as much as anyone else! It must be a hard thing to live with
@@helenl3193 it would have been circa 2003
I guess it's a case of having so many other accomplishments and thus resenting only being known for one thing.
In 2010, I was in a choir performing with Bobby McFerrin. This guy was a musical genius and was just a happy person to be around
2024: HOLY COW! OVER 1000 likes. I guess a little funny moment after said concert with Bobby McFerrin. I get home and a rerun episode Family Guy was on. I turn the TV on at the exact moment when Stewie says, ‘this is more exciting than when I saw Bobby McFerrin fall down those stairs’.
........................and he had no worry, right?
@@davidl570 very funny but yes
@@theSamielle Great!
Dude's honestly a hero to me as a musician. Glad to hear he's as nice as I always hoped!
I did the same thing in...1998 or so, and it was an incredible, unforgettable experience. The guy was barefoot then, too :)
The problem with this song is that taken at face value, it's TOO happy and pisses people off. Taken ironically, it's TOO depressing, and it pisses people off.
McFerrin really is a musical genius though, and doesn't get enough (mainstream) love...
I'd think it's not "too happy", but feels dismissive.
@@afterdinnercreations936 ^ This. Telling me not to worry, in the face of unprecedented generational hostility, knowing my grandparents gave themselves every leg up then dismantled those same systems for us, then turn around and blame US for our financial stagnation, it just makes me rage.
@Afterdinner Creations
exactly, like it’s brushing everything off and ignoring and invalidating me, i don’t know, feels a bit odd to me personally…
That's the dialectic genius of it.
@@Man-ej6uv me me me me me me me, that's the problem not the song.
Excellent episode, but you forgot to mention one crucial thing: The Big Mouth Singing Bass and the use of Don't Worry, Be Happy. I'm fairly certain that singing fish probably made him another couple million easy. That singing fish was EVERYWHERE, as big a novelty as slinkys, fidget spinners, and Rubiks Cubes.
Yes! Also..."take me to the river! Drop me in the water!"
My dad used the billy bass to wake me up on the weekends when I wanted to sleep in. He had it on the wall right between me and my brother. He would hit the button and then throw the dog on my chest. I woke up to don’t worry be happy and take me to the river and a sheepdog licking my face hundreds of times as a teenager. I actually spent a lot of time trying to record a song using the two billy bass songs. I held it up to a microphone, and this was 2002, so the first version of garage band that existed. I would hit the button on the billy bass at the right tempo to make a rhythm section out of it.
God, yes.
@@isetmfriendsofire Yeah allegedly Al Green was pretty happy about the money he got from Billy Bass singing that song too.
@@isetmfriendsofire “anyway, four dollars a pound.”
I love that everyone in the video did go on to 'prestigious' pursuits: Bobby became a respected conductor, Robin Williams won an Oscar, and Bill Irwin won a Tony Award as the male lead in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf."
Bill Irwin gets a lot of invisible (creature) work, he's very well regarded
Virginia woolfe once dressed up as an African prince (blackface and possible fake beard included) with a few other scammers to make the royal navy and specifically the crew of HMS dreadnought look like fools
that's nice :)
Okay 👍 etokay i
I think this song is almost existentialist and embracing the absurd, like life is garbage, everything sucks but whatever, you get nothing by worrying, it'll still be garbage so just don't worry, be happy
That's close to an actual philosophical school of thought: absurdism. Life has no meaning. Confront the fact and move on.
so basically Stoicism?
Edit: Yes, okay, thank you
@@OfficialROZWBRAZEL i was thinking more about Camus and Absurdism
he's smarter than we thought.
Might be about Christianity as Jesus says "do not worry" in Matthew 6:25
I saw Bobby as guest conductor of the Utah Symphony in 1995. He was amazing! I was able to meet him backstage afterwards with my brother and sister, who was very pregnant. He patted her tummy and said to the baby "be happy!" Four days later, a happy baby was born!
Does he/she have any musical talent?
@@TimmyTickle well he's happy, so probably
"You think this is annoying, imagine being the guy who wrote it". I always empathized with the ones that hate their most popular song because of this, and I'm happy when Bobby returns to Don't Worry Be Happy or Radiohead seems more chilled out about playing Creep again, not because I want the audience to hear them, but because I want the musicians to get to own their music again and reclaim the joy of performing them that was taken away by it being too popular.
When Radiohead came to my country after ten years, I was with a group of intense fans (like me) and we were all saying which songs we wanted to hear, and kind of shitting on creep like, I don't care at all if they sing it or not. At the end of the show they re entered the stage twice because people were so hyped up, and the second time they sang Creep. We all sang like maniacs and it was amazing. Deep down we all loved Creep
@@sofiipote7 basically the same way it went on at the concert I went to too. I think in the end it comes down to the audience and the artist respecting each other. No one drunkenly yelled “play Creep!”, and I’d fully support the right of Thom Yorke to strangle anyone who did that, but we were all happy when they actually decided to play it.
Seems like they don’t feel restricted and pigeonholed by it anymore, but of course most one hit wonders will never become a Radiohead. So I get it if they don’t want to play it.
@@everwhatever completely! I totally empathize with being sick of playing the same one song over and over. And I agree too about the artist and the audience respecting each other. Feeling forced to do it can only be counterproductive
I mean it's sort of like how all of the members of rem ro this day still hate shiny happy people
@@petermccannell7565 isn’t REM’s one hit losing my religion?
If I had a nickel for every time Todd said "the mediocre Tom Cruise movie 'Cocktail'", I would have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice, right?
Also, fun fact: Bobby McFerrin and Robin Williams once did an acapella version of The Beatles' "Come Together."
How can such a meh movie have a solid soundtrack?
"appended to the mediocre Tom Cruise movie 'Cocktail'," more precisely
Michael Jackson also has a cover of Come Together, which is actually pretty good.
@@ToddintheShadows oh SORRY! What, did you make the videos?
Wait
That cover was part of an insane compilation album by Beatles producer George Martin where he got a bunch of other famous singers and celebrities to cover Beatles songs for some reason. If you ever wanted to hear Jim Carrey sing "I Am The Walrus", or hear Sean Connery do a spoken word version of "In My Life", then you know where to look.
I hate that 400,000 fans is considered not very successful by music industry standards. Almost half a million like this guy and wanna support his work, that's pretty good
"He sounds like if the sound effects guy from Police Academy could sing."
My God I wish Todd had Googled their names together and found the excellent Key and Peele sketch where they have a dual backstage of a concert. Winslow does all the SFX, Bobby does the music.
That was such a great and funny sketch it was one of my favorites during the shows run
Such a great concept.
In Todd's defense had he said "If Michael Winslow could sing" it would have went over a lot of people's head or would have made people remember who Winslow which would take away from the point he was making
Winslow is a great guy, he’s the only actor Mel Brooks (a big neat freak) invited to eat with him and you can tell why.
@@joebaker2311 I mean it would be one line or a two second clip of the video if he put it in.
I appreciate that you put an emphasis on how ridiculously talented Bobby McFerrin is. He was too multi-faceted to be satisfied with making pop music.
With the artists he's collaborated with, I wonder if he's ever worked with Tom Waits.
Every time I see that clip of Robin Williams smiling at the camera, I get a bittersweet feeling in my heart and I end up crying.
I miss you Robin! 💗
We all miss Robin
However someone feels about the song itself, it's clear Robin was in the video for all the right reasons.
@@Shadow-zf5ucI don't. He was annoying. Bipolar people aren't entertaining to me.
@@miskatonic6210 obvious troll is obvious
Weird, I never registered McFerrin as a one hit wonder. He’s so accomplished and such a recognizable jazz performer that his status as one never registered in my head.
For me, I never knew of this song until seeing it on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders, but I definitely knew his name. When I saw him on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders as a kid, I told my parents, and they knew exactly what song that was. How I first heard of him was him doing The Wizard of Oz, which was played a few times on the morning show my parents preferred. After that, his name and face were on various signs and posters at the place I took guitar lessons while I was in elementary school.
When I was in college, he visited the music school I was at (McNally Smith College of Music). There's actually a video of him singing with the voice department head, Judi Donaghy, as she and some of the other teachers had done some gigs with him. Beforehand, my classmates and I definitely ranted about how he's so much more than that song.
@@rommix0 he’s technically a one-hit-wonder in regards to mainstream popularity. However, amongst us musicians, he’s a major legend.
This song was released a couple weeks before my seventh birthday. My parents were divorcing at the time, and I was beginning a decades-long struggle with my mental health. The world was falling apart around me, but "Don't Worry, Be Happy" was a little oasis of tranquility. When it came on the radio, I could stop being sad and afraid for a little bit.
I recognize its cheesiness now, and I won't be so melodramatic as to say "it saved my life," but I'll always have a soft spot for it. It helped.
If it weren’t that it woulda be “Desperado”.
@PestoMayo I can completely understand why some people might find it patronizing, but to me there isn't anything in it that sounds like it's minimizing my problems. Almost the opposite, really - everyone has problems, and they can be serious, but it's still possible to find happiness.
We find our help where we can.
@PestoMayo There have been times in my life where this song would have had a negative effect on me. Times where I forced myself to smile when meeting others, hoping that they'd smile back to make me feel just a little bit less negative/hopeless on the inside. If you had met me back then and told me to "not worry" or "be happy" I'd have walked away if at all possible. There are levels of depression and anxiety where simple and otherwise very positive messages like this can feel extremely offensive and/or demoralizing.
But for people who aren't that far down the spiral, the message in this song can be a good thing. And for those who already are in a healthy mental state, being mindful of the happy things and moments without worry can be a way to stay mentally healthy.
This song makes me want to punch walls, but I'm happy it helped you.
Good on you! Lets have a pint.
McFerrin's audience participation stuff is enthralling. There's one where he demonstrates that everyone instinctively knows the pentatonic scale by having a whole audience go up or down in pitch depending on if he jumps left or right and it totally works.
that ted talk is so fucking good, he's just a really talented musician really
I have to admit, that final performance of the song where he sings "I forgot the lyrics to this song, I wrote this song so long ago," that legit made me smile. So give him credit for that one.
The stress is high, you feelin' low
But Todd's put out a new vi-de-o
So don't worry
Be happy
He hears the song I can't stand,
But they can't be as bad as Lukas Graham,
So don't worry
Be happy
For some reason, I read those first two lines in my head to the tune of Free Ride by The Edgar Winter Group
I dont know nothin' about music
But Todd makes the information stick
So dont worry
Be happy
For Todd is the shadow music man
I've heard he's popular in Japan
So don't worry
Be happy
He critiques music without fear
Nirvana will never kill his career
So don't worry
etc etc etc
This comment needs more likes
"In every life we have some trouble, But when you worry you make it double" I think that's the most important part of the song. The song is perhaps a tad hyperbolic, but what it's warning against is the sort of worry that stops you from making smart choices; doing what needs doing, or not doing what needs not be done.
People always focus on the obviously dumb line lol.
Agreed. I have literally all the worries in the world as a cancer patient but dwelling on it does way more than double it. It makes it impossible to function. Getting your mind off your worries is important
Agreed. That’s why I do so many drugs 😂
This guy is an absolute legend. We watched a presentation of his for music theory class when I was in high school. So much more than just the don't worry be happy guy
Funnily enough, high school was also my biggest exposure to Bobby because we played his piece Brief Eternity as part of a marching band show.
It was the pentatonic scale jumpy song, wasn't it?
@@orpheus288 Maybe ; )
@Perverted Alchemist Fun Fact: his daughter provided the singing voice for the character GGK in the anime series Carole and Tuesday, a great watch on Netflix if you're a fan of pop music.
Lol I remember halfway through my high school music theory class, my teacher just gave up and showed us nothing but concert videos, half of which were Bobby McFerrin
Should note, he has the ability to sing separate pitches w his vocal cords. So left is doing a C, right is doing a G. Dunno if many other singers can do this - seems as impossible as perfectly done rebreathing.
Having taken voice lessons for a year and a half, I'd say most singers have the physical capability, but many either don't know how to do it, or don't have the right train of thought. It does require keeping track of different notes in your brain at the same time, bowing the notes up and down (or quivering them) when necessary, and knowing the range and each vocal cord. If you don't know how to go into your falsetto voice though, I'd say forget it. And no, I'm not misspelling the word "cord". :-)
@@Tricob1974 went to music school and knew a lot of singers. It seems to be the vocal equivalent of rebreathing/circular breathing, but kinda is more of a party trick. And I’ve been calling them chords because music school scarred my brain
Vocal folds can’t produce individual notes by themselves. The sound is produced when the air flows between them and they open or close partially, working together to produce different keys. If you only had one fold you would be mute. Being able to produce more than one sound is very uncommon. It usually only happens when you’re sick and have a raspy voice and something is obstructing the normal function of the folds. It’s not something that singers can usually produce at will and control. The only singer I know that can do that is Lalah Hathaway and still is very limited to a certain amount of sounds. It’s something so out of the ordinary that it doesn’t even have a name and it’s not fully understood. And no, singers don’t have circular breathing, unless they’re playing a wind instrument and not singing.
Wait, so Bobby McFerrin is the whale in that one Disney short?!
I don't know if this counts but the singer Earl Jordan had the ability to sing three notes at once. It's best displayed in the song "Engine of Love", and it blows my plebian mind every time I hear it.
As a cancer patient, there's a lot that offends me. Sometimes I roll my eyes at my friends ranting about a simple problem, but keep in how much it frustrates me. But this song does not offend me at all. It is somehow very comforting. Something about it feels genuine, but also sarcastic, but it just hits the right spot for my mood. Positivity and negativity combined.
❤
yeah we get it
Sometimes cancer is karma.
Idk its kinda funny to imagine anyone taking the lyrics of this song so seriously honestly. Its just a vibe right?
@@miskatonic6210what a horrible thing to say
Kinda surprised Todd missed this in his review, but another thing Bobby McFerrin after the hit was he wrote and performed the music for the Pixar short Knick Knack in 1989, years before they made Toy Story. He also did the music for free feeling the short would be cool to work on. His hit song may have a weird reception, but I think having your legacy tied to a Pixar short (and way before they became the big hit studio we now know) is a pretty good one to have.
Holy shit that's his voice on Knick Knack.
How the fuck didn't I pick that up, it's so obviously him.
Also “freedom is a voice” that was at the end of Barnyard
I kinda wish this comment was pinned
This is actually how I learned of him, not Don't Worry Be Happy. It's a great short too. Loved it as a kid.
The commentary for the short also mentions that he improvised while watching a rough cut, but since they had placeholder credits that read "blah-blah-blah" he simply started singing "blah-blah-blah", and that was kept in the final short lol
Imagine being a serious, respectable composer and you're only known by 99% of the world as the performer of a silly song like this. I almost feel bad for him.
Chuck Berry's biggest hit was My Ding-A-Ling. What the hell?!
@@tjraven Stevie Wonder's best selling hit was "I Just Called to Say I Love You". I think I see a pattern.
It's like if the only thing people cared about Beethoven was the opening 4 notes of his 5th symphony
At least you're known but it can be an easy thing to live with. It's not quite the same but Nina Simone must be known by a number of people only for "My Baby Just Cares For Me" (or possibly the remix of "I Got Life"), and she's definitely sooo much more than that.
Not only that, but a large amount of people don't even realise he did this song; they think Bob Marley did it.
Well, I know it was a common misconception, but I don't know if it still is.
For me, growing up with Minnesota Public Radio and A Prairie Home Companion, Bobby was famous for basically reenacting the entirety of The Wizard of Oz in about 5 minutes.
Same
20:14 Funny thing about using Sesame Street as an example here is that they've had avant-garde types and jazz musicians show up a TON, from Zap Mama and Philip Glass to Kronos Quartet and Dizzy Gillespie. Heck, that clip of him here is actually from a year BEFORE he released Don't Worry, Be Happy!
I think Sesame Street might've been where I first saw Bobby McFerrin, and he showed up fairly regularly from what I recall. For most of my childhood I assumed he was exclusively a children's performer.
When I was watching this video before Todd showed that clip I just randomly thought to myself Bobby McFerrin seems like someone who would be on Sesame Street and when I looked it up lo and behold I found a clip of him on Sesame Street.
@@jbwarner8626 He had a song called Tweet in the Morning that he sang with a bunch of birds and it was on an album of Sesame Street songs I listened to CONSTANTLY as a kid. Totally blissed me out.
Fun fact: You can sing this and "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes to the same exact chords.
(Bobby used my sister's children's choir a decade ago for a jazz backup band, and he was apparently the most fun guy they ever worked with.)
Fun fact: Todd said before that "What's Up" is one of his least-favorite songs and he doesn't want to do an episode on it because he hates it so much...which of course makes me desperately crave a 4 Non Blondes episode.
Emotionally and thematically speaking, they kinda would mash up together. "25 years and my life is still/Trying to get up that great big hill of hope/For a destination" and "Landlord says your rent is late/He might have to litigate/Don't worry, be happy" are in a similar ballpark.
At first I wasn't surprised by your comment: many many songs share the same chord structure, such as the 4 chords of pop. But then, singing along, I realized that...holy shit! The verses actually sound a LOT alike!
The melodies are nearly identical, too.
Bobby just seems like an amazing guy all around.
It's weird how when you first hear this song at best and worst, you think it's just a silly novelty song that's ungodly catchy, and when you learn Bobby McFerrin vocalized the entire thing you can't help but respect him, cuz he's genuinely talented.
He's a genuine acapella maestro, and an accomplished singer-songwriter and composer on top of that. What's not to like ? :-) I genuinely feel he's one of the most legitimate and nicest musicians/singers you've ever covered, with only Scatman coming anywhere close.
he's extremely legit. I saw his band perform live back in 2015 for his (to this day) most recent album spirityouall. His daughter was also in the band!
Man Bobby McFerrin is a lot more underrated than i thought he was.
for real! as someone who does choir and listens to a lot of a cappella music, the idea of Bobby McFerrin being UNDERappreciated is mindblowing to me.
One of Bobby McFerrin’s most amazing performances is his rendition of The Wizard of Oz. With his voice alone, he takes you on a journey through the entire movie. Every time I play this on UA-cam, everyone who is with me stops what they’re doing to watch or listen. It is amazing!
That’s my favorite piece of his too!
When my niece was dying of cancer, she adopted this as her song. Kind of funny. She didn't know it was a hit and thought she'd discovered something.
Well she certainly did discover it, just discovered it for herself :) As someone who's lived their whole life almost dying from medical issues, this made me tear up, thanks for sharing this.
I'm currently surviving with cancer (so far, the prognosis is good) and my songs are another OHW alumni "Flagpole Sitta" as well as Morrissey's "First of the Gang to Die"
@@bunwithgun1587 Dunno. That something my brother said while giving the eulogy.
I'm 45 years old. I thought this was going to be a totally sad episode. Cause I 100% thought McFerrin was tragically dead.
Super stoked to hear he's not and had/has a great career doing stuff he loves. (I'm not into jazz or all the other things he does.) But now I can enjoy Don't Worry Be Happy again without any taint of sadness.
"Taint of sadness?" That sounds like if somebody got an infection from wiping back to front.
Sounds like I have a new band name!!!
I heard he killed himself, just another rumour
Bobby’s daughter Maddison has gone on to be a wonderful musician in her own right, the legacy continues
I agree
She was the singing voice of GGK in the Anime Carole And Tuesday
@@josephtafur admittedly that’s how I found her, and she’s great
Todd's covered my mom's favorite song in the world (Hellfire by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown) and now he's covering her least favorite. Truly, he is one of the top mom-approved UA-camrs in existence.
Now all he has to do for me is cover Mama Used To Say by Junior then I'm happier.
This song is one of the first things I think of when I hear "Songs that shouldn't be on Wikipedia's list of the worst songs ever made."
I really don’t get how someone could hear the song This chill and fun.
I guess it has 2 do with mood, and current situation somebody finds themselves in life. What's going on the world around them, and their views on it, or weather it bothers them ,or not. That depends on weather or not they find enjoyment out this song, or not.
@@jeremyusreevu237 Todd was absolutely right in that this sort of demented positivity can strike you the wrong way *hard*. What the fuck do you mean 'don't worry be happy', I have real problems in my life!
If you're in a good mood, it'll feel right. If you're not, it will IMMEDIATELY piss you off.
@@jeremyusreevu237 When a song is this...cheerfully shallow, people often try to read deeper meaning into it rather than taking it at face value. It's like how I keep hearing rumours that Shiny Happy People is secretly about the Tiananmen Square massacre. It's not. It's exactly what it says on the tin. Maybe it was intended to be ironic at one point but if so, the irony got lost. It's why REM hates it.
Because of this, Don't Worry, Be Happy can come across like it's way more sarcastic than it was probably intended. It can come off like it's outright *mocking* you for feeling down if you're in the wrong mood when you hear it.
Phil Collins Susudio shouldn't either.
When that clip of Bobby singing started, as an example of his talent as a jazz vocalist, my jaw honestly dropped. That is... really not easy to do, to say the least. A true talent he is.
And man, being such a talented vocalist that you can carry a whole musical set on your own, with nothing but your voice. Incredible.
Bobby McFerrin's daughter, Madison McFerrin, also makes music! Her first few releases were also in an acapella style, and she's pretty good at it, too. Her songs "Try" and "Hindsight" are fantastic tracks. (Though they aren't acapella.) I would definitely recommend checking her out!
So does Bobby McFerrin’s son, Taylor McFerrin!
@@josbamiro Taylor McFerrin is AMAZING
Madison makes music with my favorite group The Foreign Exchange from time to time too
Have you heard now that you need me by Taylor McFerrin?
@@FortWorthRaised 😯 if you didn’t have me at “McFerrin,” you definitely had me at “The Foreign Exchange.”
This was actually... Really uplifting? It sounds like Bobby got the best of all outcomes?
Seeing him live gives you that feeling too
Bobby McFerrin, Scatman John, Chamillionaire, and Biz Markie are amongst the hall of " already popped the fuck off before their number one hit ".
One of the rare instances where the "one-hit-ness" of a song has the reverse effect of a one hit wonder. The casual mainstream music listener gets a gateway into other, broader music worlds. The potential that it created for non pop artists to dip their toes into the pop world and influence the culture, make a little extra cash and spread their work to the masses is pretty great. You should cover Rock It by Herbie Hancock, which did the same thing years earlier, and is a similarly "one-hit" track by an accomplished respected artist who's accolades in jazz make having a pop hit into a side note on their CV.
As a preteen music video junkie, I was fascinated by the "Rockit" video. It was creepy and cool. I wonder if that song would have had a chance at making the pop charts if it weren't for MTV. I doubt it, considering it only made it to 71 on the Hot 100 even with all the hype. (I just looked that up, didn't know it off the top of my head, ha) It's a really innovative song for the era, with its rock and hip-hop influences, composed and performed by an acclaimed jazz musician. I still think it's great.
I once saw a Herbie Hancock interview where he said he was asked to judge a breakdancing contest. Of the 25 contestants, 24 chose to dance to Rockit, and Herbie admitted to not enjoying hearing his own song that many times.
@@mitchellgang120 To be fair, I don’t think I’d enjoy listening to any song that many times in a row.
As a result of my dad's decorating choices during my childhood, I have an unfortunate tendency to associate this song with wall mounted electronic singing bass fish more than anything else.
Your dad's Amazing! decorating talent, you mean
Yoooo I wasn't the only person on the world who had one of those haha
I was looking for a comment like this! It's the only reason I know this song
😂😂
I would love to know exactly how much in royalties Mr. McFerrin has made from those damn fish.
I think you missed a huge aspect of the historical setting of this song, and that is the Theory of Positive Thinking that became super popular in the 80s, and still lives on today. It became so popular that it became a type of groupthink and discouraged rational criticsm. It was taking a hippie philosophy, making it the basis of the whole self-help movement and then taking it into the workplace and forcing everyone to comply with it, if they wanted to keep their jobs. Originally there was some science that seemed to support it but it was eventually realized that being naturally positive and being forced to be happy do not have the same consequences, and not being able to challenge bad ideas can lead to disasters such as the Challenger explosion. But it has become so omnipresent I think a lot of people don't even realize that it is not fact that you must think positive to be successful or live a good life. This song hit at a time when it had completely taken over, but the underground resentment was building, so of course it was a lightening rod even though it seems harmless and even well intentioned.
Toxic positivity was a plague upon the 80's. According to my mother, most people she knew were into Norman Vincent Peale, prosperity gospel, self help, or new agey mantras.
This whole species is nothing but groupthink & discouragement of rationality.
This song made grunge happen.
The message is so simplistic I don't think it warrants the context.
Actually, it was a pro-ignorance movement more than anything else. It began in the 1980s, certainly - but it didn't become a serious driving force until the Beavis & Butt-Head TV series. The movie Dumb And Dumber pretty much cemented that state after that.
My dad was one of those “300,000 - 400,000 jazz freaks”. I remember hearing his live cover of Paul McCartney’s Blackbird when I was a kid, a couple of years before, so McFerrin was my introduction to the idea that one hit wonders often have long and successful careers before and after the big song.
Hell yeah, getting closer to the hardest possible one hit wonder for a pianist: Take Five by Dave Brubeck
how is Dave Brubeck a one hit wonder? he's literally one of the most famous jazz pianists of all time.
@@wrentownsend5449 chart listings. Take 5 sold well quickly.
@@LolTollhurst One hit wonders on the billboard hot 100 (they got to 25), and there are so many insane stories: how the cover artist had to use a white name to hide being Japanese, Paul Desmond’s crazy contract with Brubeck, etc..
@Perverted Alchemist Legit Twin Peaks S3 used it and it was great
Been thinking the same thing. Brubeck is *the* one hit wonder for jazz artists: a legend in his own genre who had *one* top 40 hit.
I didn't know this song had some hate and backlash. I always loved this song, it makes me relax. As a person who tends to overthink things, worry about consequencies and be anxious, this song speaks to me.
It has a degree of smugness to it that’s immensely obnoxious
This, "Mickey" by Toni Basil, "Oh Yeah" by Yello, "Tubthumping" by Chumbawumba, and "Pepper" by the Butthole Surfers, in some respects follow a theme. Already-accomplished musicians and outsiders making a pop-hit and choosing to leave the mainstream afterwards to either pursue their actual goals, or not get involved in the pop-music industry hellscape.
For Chumbawamba it was more about using mainstream success as an excuse to agitate. Given a choice of behaving themselves or getting dropped by their label, they chose the latter but continued on for another 15 years.
@@a.champagne6238 which they also pretty much told us easctheir style even in their big hit
Ooo, now I kinda want One Hit Wonderlands on all of these.
@@thevirtualtraveler he's done them all
@@Adamdidit there's a Chumbawamba documentary coming out called "I Get Knocked Down." Trailer is up.
Also, I'm surprised you didn't mention the viral video of him at a 2009 science conference demonstrating the pentatonic scale to a bunch of non-musicians. It's a fantastic watch, and a great showcase of his talents outside of his one big hit.
ua-cam.com/video/ne6tB2KiZuk/v-deo.html
I remember first seeing that. During my second semester of college, he came and did a presentation. The following year, a completely new teacher who wasn't there when he was there showed us that film.
Was just about to comment the same thing.
“Fight The Power” might’ve been a gut punch rebuke of this song, but I’ve always wondered what Chuck D thought of McFerrin. Chuck has very eclectic music tastes, including jazz, and I can imagine him being familiar with McFerrin before and after “Don’t Worry”. What did they say to each other when their paths inevitably crossed?
Don't Worry, Be Happy was a number one jam. Damned if I say it, you can slap me right here...
We already have "Grunge killed my career" when we talk about hair metal bands that slid into irrelevance after the 80s. Should we have "Public Enemy made me look stupid" for corny rap and pop acts too?
either that, or N.W.A. and Tha Dogg Pound…
I think Dr. Dre (both with NWA and solo) killed more careers than Public Enemy.
Oh yeah, rap changed heavily right around the same time as that. NWA put MC Hammer out to pasture. There's a clear before/after in tone and style in rap from that period, as much as there is with rock.
@@elbruces actually… N.W.A. peaked before Hammer (Ice Cube quit in 1990). Death Row and assorted later acts probably did him in.
@@crnkmnkyHammer may have technically held on for a few more years, but his "I'm gonna try to be gangsta now" period was pretty sad. And very clearly inspired by NWA.
Overall, the dance/performance rap scene was replaced by the street/real rap movement, in much the same way that the reality/artsy grunge movement replaced the hair/spandex metal scene. And at around the same time.
We can argue exactly when each act entered and another left the limelight, but in the overall arc of music history, both of those genres underwent a huge change then.
has this guy been commissioned to write a musical yet? i feel like he’d make something amazing out of an original concept that gave him creative freedom. a fully acapella show in the style of his singing specifically would actually be interesting while having enough of a gimmick to market well at the same time
Not many people can replicate what he does, anyway
His style would translate well in an animated feature, I think. I'm thinking claymation.
@@rmyers99 not a feature but he made the music for the short film "knick knack" (pixar 1989)
it would be an incredible show i'll give you that but I doubt it'd see success given, who can really sing like mcfarren? finding an entire cast fo GOOD acappella singers might be a challenge
Speaking as someone who has been regularly suicidal for over 50 years due to years of torture as a child, I met this song at probably the worst points in my life
And Absolutely Loved It!!
Even more than Pharrel's Happy or Weird Al's Tacky
I put this song up there with Louis Armstrong's Wonderful World & the Pythons Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
Truly songs that enrich us all & I hope are still sung 10,000 years from now.
I'm glad you made it to the other side, my sister
I will say, as someone who has lived on the streets and have had nothing to bring me a smile other than my own state of mind. I love this song, I do not find it condescending in any way, this song and sitting on the dock of the bay, humming those songs while begging for enough change for a can of beans, it brought me joy.
Yeah I think only people who have never struggled don't get the idea of just enjoying what you have. I've never been homeless but when I was young my mom and I definitely hovered on the edge of it. This song was always a great one it's just about making the best of a bad situation.
@@ChaosTherum Exactly! I was a teenager when this song came out and, man, did my family struggle back then. This song brought us a bit of levity when we were swimming in anything but.
Now, my 12-year-old daughter and I sing this song as a duo, but we cheat... we've added ukes to the arrangement and she absolutely loves it. So, for me, well, I love this song.
@@PabloRichardFernandez I was first introduced to this soon by my sister making me a mix cd in the early 2000s awesome to hear that kind of bonding with your kid.
As a sane person with a functional brain and thus, crippling depression, this song getting constantly played or sung in my face when I'm trying to be taken seriously is enough to tip me over the edge.
I liked the song when it came out... but when the bank that put me in bankruptcy over unannounced fee changes started using it, aggressively, in their ads... it bit too deep. Like Todd said, when it hits you wrong, it hits you HARD.
I was sacked, lost my girlfriend and home all on the same day. This song was being used on three separate adverts at the time. I didn't know whether to sleep under a bridge or jump off it. One more run in with this song would have finished me.
Yet I can enjoy it today, quite easily. I think it's how much your nose is being rubbed in it at the time.
I saw Bobby live at my school during a D.A.R.E assembly back in the late 80's. He was amazing. No mic or band was needed.
WAT
@@psiamnotdrunk It was the 80s, man. You had to be there to get it I guess.
I remember seeing him in concert and he asked a few people from the audience up on stage to sing different parts of this song. My brother was selected and he was so nervous, but little dude killed it. So now it holds a special place in my heart.
I love how McFerrin’s father did Sidney Poitier’s singing in Otto Preminger’s criminally underseen PORGY AND BESS
This came up on Karina Longworth's podcast last year. The fact that the only way for almost anyone to see this film is via shitty bootlegs is mindboggling. Eg. m.ua-cam.com/video/YIdrZxaP-gE/v-deo.html
Dorothy Dandridge deserved an Oscar Nomination for that film.
@@mcalcock2241 those bootlegs are cut by about 20 minutes or so, too, as they were from a mid-70’s TV broadcast. There are some IB Technicolor prints that look gorgeous, though, but the problem is getting the clearance to screen them. I’m glad the film is preserved, but the Gershwin estate’s hostility towards it is horrible
It has always baffled me that a lot of people think Bobby was just a joke, his work is amazing and he's crazy talented
It happens. Sorta like how there's a versatile duo called Yello that's quite popular in Europe but in the USA is basically only known for the "ohhhhh yeahhh" song that got played for laughs in 80s comedies. The duo even lamented that if they ever toured this country, they'd probably have to call it the "Oh Yeah" tour for publicity purposes.
Bobby McFerrin's "Simple Pleasures" was the very first LP I bought at age 9, my very first favorite album, and is still on my all-time list in 2023. His cover of Sunshine of Your Love is worth a listen.
I thought the Kurt Vonnegut son bit was going to end with “his son played Captain America in a shitty TV movie”, before I remembered that was JD Salinger’s kid
I remember hearing this on MTV as a kid. I thought this was the chillest song ever.
I was a teenager at the time and this song was so big. Another thing to remember is that this was when Gorbachov started the perestroika and it seemed that the Cold War was coming to an end. A year later the Berlin Wall fell. So this song was the perfect soundtrack to the optimism of the time.
Wow when you put it like that 😮
This song almost feels like the reverse of Because I Got High. Both talk about everything going wrong at once, but one is the denial stage and the other is acceptance.
Maybe we need a depression, barganing and anger version of this.
Isn't "Because I Got High" about everything going wrong for the singer because he's irresponsible? This is more about things going wrong outside of your control.
Todd should do an episode on Because I Got High for 4/20 next year.
What would "Mind of a stoner" be? Probably anger
Didn't Psychostick do a song of something like that for depression? You know, being comedic on the things that make an emo person depressed and whatnot?
Uhm... No.
One song (Don't Worry) is satire, or at least just a silly song, about having the kind of mentality of being so optimistic you blow sunshine and sparkles out your ass and don't take anything serious.
The other song is simultaneously dark and light-hearted social commentary and just fun to listen to.
Neither is meant to be taken seriously like you suggest as if they're some sort of portrayal of someone going through grief.
When I was younger, after I just got diagnosed with anxiety, my mom would quote this song at me whenever I was anxious. I've had a vitriolic response to this song ever since.
I never could've imagined this song was so new. Like you said, it feels ancient. I associate it with the anime series Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, which is about a classroom full of girls with personality disorders, because the fansub group used it for their extensive translation notes section at the end, and its ironic compliment to the tone of the show was absolutely perfect such that it feels like part of the show.
never thought i'd see a comment about Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei here. Damn I completely missed this detail, great reasons to rewatch haha
Fancy meeting you here
No Nate no read
Oh my God I love you guys never thought I'd see you here
Which fansub/release was this?
The people who get brief crossover mainstream hits, but are able to carry on being successful and respected in more niche or behind the scenes fields after are the most heartwarming episodes of this show.
I love this song, and I love that McFerrin used his body to make all the sounds, minus any musical accompaniment.
I can’t believe i never knew/noticed the song is acapella!
I always thought that in this song the phrase "don't worry, be happy " was equivalent to "f*** it". Like, no sh**s left to give, so why bother worrying any more. And that's why it touches on dark themes so lightheartedly. It's like shrugging your shoulders at the universe and saying "I've done what I can do", and walking away from the situation.
The fact "Don't Worry Be Happy" guy is a one-man accpella band is absolutely astounding.
This one fact honestly blew my mind
Bobby McFerrin is legitimately amazing. Glad to see you giving him his props for his work in the jazz world.
I saw Bobby live when I was young. He would riff for minutes straight, it was just like the footage here and the audience loved it.
Fun fact: One of the other nominees that "Don't Worry, Be Happy" beat for the Song of the Year Grammy was Brenda Russell's "Piano in the Dark", which I'm sure was of special interest to Todd.
I don't understand why some people don't get this song is an extended ironic joke. It is much the same as Shaggy's "It wasn't me" . It's not a philosophy of any kind, as I think the lyrics prove by not providing a solution to any problem.
Is it, though? By all accounts, McFerrin seemed earnest in his message.
The song is literally about not caring about anything at all.
He's just wrote 3 minutes to say "deal with it" or "you can't change shit"
12:09 I have never related to Todd this much before in my life. This sort of tunnel-vision inducing, all-consuming fury that’s so intense your face can’t even express anymore when a happy-go-lucky song comes in when you’re not in the mood for it. It really is like seeing through time like being Dr. Manhattan but if he was pissed, this is so perfect. lol
yeah if that shit came on when i was sitting in a bunker while bombs were dropping all around me i would’ve lost it and just combusted
it’s honestly pretty impressive that it’s fully acapella. I thought it’d have some ukelele or glockenspiel but nope
Todd: "I didn't see anyone making jokes about Robin Williams' death."
Crazy Town: "I almost pulled a Robin Williams."
In fairness, I'm pretty sure that line is only unintentionally funny. Crazy Town deliver it with arch-seriousness.
My middle school math teacher used to play this song for her classes every single friday as a way to kick off the weekend and to this day this song still makes me happy like it did then. rest in peace ms. smith, you have no more worries and can be happy for the rest of eternity.
I love this song. And I have combat PTSD, lifelong depression, and outbursts of rage. It's always been a symbol of defiance to me. It's a song about people's breaking points getting tapped, and trying to deal with it afterwards with a smile and letting go of tensions. May not be the "healthiest" coping mechanism, but it beats the alternatives.
Mr. McFerrin released a song about childhood that I remember almost as well as this song, only I cannot remember the name.
GROW TOUGHER, BECOME A BETTER WEAPON.
Exactly. In another comment I likened it to a serenity prayer on my playlist.
“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” beating “Fast Car” for Song Of The Year is my new forevermore go-to Grammy Absurdity, so thanks for that
"Winchester Cathedral" over "Good Vibrations" for 1966 Best Contemporary Rock and Roll Recording.
"Alley Cat" for best rock n roll recording in 1962 was such an absurd concept that the composer didn't bother to show up for the ceremony - he thought it was a joke
Do I need to drag out Jethro Tull beating out Metallica? And being labeled as Metal as well?
And to add salt to the wound, he did an acapella 'Drive my Car'
Never heard of Fast Car before.
Bobby McFerrin has been my favorite artist since I was a kid and our elementary music teacher had us listen to his and Yo-Yo Ma’s rendition of Bach’s Air. When she played more of his catalogue for us and told us he does most of his work a cappella, it blew my tiny mind. He’s incredible. Medicine Music is my desert island album.
That whole album with Yo-Yo Ma is incredible. All well known classical passages as interpreted by Yo-Yo Ma's cello & Bobby McFerrin's mouth. There's absolutely nothing else like it.
@@danieldaniels7571 Amen to that
How much of a one-hit wonder is this guy?
His one hit is widely cited the world over as being a Bob Marley song.
Yeah. THAT much of a one-hit wonder.
To be fair... the song is an acapella song in a reggae style... most people around the world who don't listen to Reggae... only ever know about Bob Marley (close enough first name)... so everybody attributes every Reggae song to Bob Marley...THAT kind of ignorance
No one thought that this song was done by Bob Marley, especially when he passed away several years before DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY was released.
Yeah, I've never heard that.
Now that's a one hit wonder, when your song is famously attributed to someone who not only didn't sing it, but wasn't even alive when it came out.
It think it partly has to do with our generation's use of illegal music downloads back in the day. I distinctly remember Limewire files always crediting the song to Marley.
The fact that Robin Williams is tied to Don't Worry Be Happy hurts me in a way that I can't describe
I saw Bobby McFerrin in concert around 2000, just him and his mic, and it was freakin' awesome. He got the audience to sing along on the Bach/Gounoud "Ave Maria."
I got to see a McFerrin concert, and it was amazing. He is an amazing performer, and it's sad so many people don't know him for more than this one song.
If you haven't, you should look up his cover of Blackbird, or his song Drive.
Edit: I see he showed Blackbird in the video lol
Editer: and drive lol. Find the live version it's awesome
"Thinking About Your Body" was actually fairly well known in the UK (and got to 46 in the charts) because it got used in a chocolate advert (so if you thought that the lyrics were "thinking about your chocolate / thinking about your taste" then that's probably why).
I just discovered that song not too long ago
I had the "he sounds like if Michael Winslow could sing" in my head when I heard it for the first time at 17 and I'm glad others thought that too.
He's also one of the very few singers that can do polyphonic singing, and he might be the best at it (it's like playing the Holophone from Futurama, so difficult that less than 20 people in the galaxy can do it, and they're not very good at it).
This might be the largest gap between my respect for an artist and respect for a song. McFarrin might genuinely be the most talented vocalist I've ever encountered. This extends to the song itself - I never realised it was acapella, let alone performed by _one person,_ and if you say anything about it, its production seems simple and primal, but it's _tight._ True masters make the most complex performances seem simple, and boy is it true of this song.
As for the split between people who love and hate this song, I think it's because for some, it's actual good advice - worrying won't make it better, you're just adding to your stress, so try to relax -, while for others it's so useless it's utterly obnoxious and insulting. Especially for people suffering from mental illnesses that create depression: *"Don't worry, be happy!?! GEE, WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?!"*
The message could use some nuance, is what I'm saying, but that _would_ rob it of its simplicity and primal nature. Difficult.
Yes, that’s the reason I’ve always hated this song. It reminds me of when you ask advice from people and they say “It’ll be alright, just think positive”. Forced optimism is NOT A SOLUTION! That said, I didn’t realize how talented of a vocalist he is and how interesting of a career he’s had until watching this episode. I have a new respect for Bobby, but I still can’t stand “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”.
I have mental problems and depression but i know he's right. I worry too much and don't allow myself to be happy
The song is simple but also quite deep. It's saying that happiness isn't an end goal to work towards, it's an impermanent state of mind - a choice in the only time you have any actual control over, which is right now. You don't have to let circumstances inform your responses, i.e. be reactionary. You don't have to beat yourself up to punish yourself or try to control other people or take your anger or rage out on them. You don't have to be sad about your past or fret about your future, and neither of those actions really helps you much, and certainly cannot make you happy, because if you're feeling sad or fearful or angry all the time, there's no room at all to feel happiness or joy too. You can only be happy by letting go of the chains of your past and the endless, scary unknowns of your future - of worry, doubt, anger, sadness, fear, etc. Living fully in the present moment - even if it's just a brief moment before the eye of your inner storm gives way to the hurricane again. By listening to your body breathing and heart beating, and realizing, "I am alive, I am here - and I am enough."
This is what prayer and meditation were invented for, too. To give people a chance to lay their burdens down for a higher power to carry, in the former, and in the latter, to acknowledge your mental chatter but to put it aside and focus on the now and being present within your body, by focusing and refocusing only on your breathing, for example. This is also what "being in the zone" or "hyper-focusing" can be - one being so utterly engrossed in whatever one is doing right now, particularly if it holds meaning or purpose (washing the dishes while grooving to music; working on a beloved project, craft, or art piece; even cooking a nice meal) that one's worries and frustrations can take a nap for a bit, while happiness has a chance to step in.
I did say "can be" though, because UA-cam/Social Media/Google/Wikipedia rabbit holes can be hyper-focus magnets, but don't necessarily hold the same kind of meaning and purpose if one is aimlessly clicking on link after post after video after article. Also, hyperfocus can be overdone (especially for neurodiverse folks), to the extent that sleep, eating, and even going to the bathroom can get ignored to the point where they can't be anymore (that is, by the time your bladder is threatening to burst; your stomach is rumbling like mad as you suddenly realize dinnertime was several hours ago; or your eyelids have become too heavy to remain open).
I think taking an absolute approach to this song's message is the problem with it's interpretation.
Even if you have a ton of problems (which I safely assume almost all of us have our fair share), taking the time to try and drop it for a bit and distract yourself with something that makes you happy can help you deal with those worries with a clearer mind when you return to them.
I never heard this song as "don't worry, be happy forever". It always came off to me as "chill out for a bit, find something to appreciate, and cross each bridge as you get there". While this is definitely not some sort of panacea; it's a message that most people could get behind.
Hm. To the three of you critiquing me, I've though about it some more and come with a more nuanced conclusion.
The "Don't worry." part of the message is unproblematic good advice, no ifs or buts, as long as worrying isn't helping you solve the problem and is just making you stressed. That's what you three have focused on. The "Be happy." part is what annoys me, since it isn't easy to just *be* happy. Even if you manage not to worry, it doesn't mean you'll be happy, and telling people to just *be* happy often leads to blaming *them* if they can't be.
the best voice lesson I've ever had was from Bobby McFerrin. One of the highlights of my youth!!
In early October of 1988, I was 18 years-old and in my freshman-year of college.
An ill-fated ride-home from a party with a weed-dealer, landed me in the county-Jail for 2-days. The guards had MTV on 24-7 and this song was in a twice an-hour rotation. I grew to hate-it immediately.
Sounds like something of an apt punishment for the truly guilty - though your situation certainly sounds more like guilt by association.
This time, I was just in the wrong-place at the wrong-time, but the 2-days in jail kept me away from places like that for good. ☮️
those harmonies still scratch something in my brain