Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing
"Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" is a single by Stevie Wonder, taken from his 1973 album Innervisions. It reached number 16 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, number 10 on the Cash Box chart,[1] and number 2 on the R&B chart. The song's lyrics convey a positive message, focusing on taking things in one's stride and accentuating the positive.
| "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Stevie Wonder | ||||
| from the album Innervisions | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | March 5, 1974 | |||
| Genre | Latin soul | |||
| Length | 4:44 (album version) 3:40 (single version) | |||
| Label | Tamla | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Stevie Wonder | |||
| Stevie Wonder singles chronology | ||||
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Music and lyrics
The tune is in E♭ minor, starting with a Latin piano intro. The opening melody is reminiscent of Horace Silver's "Song For My Father"[2] over which Stevie engages in an English dialogue with a woman, trying to impress her with talk of worldliness of having been to "Iraq, Iran" and a made-up place he calls "Ukraingia," before changing to Spanish, using the phrase "Todo 'stá bien chévere", which loosely translates as "Everything's really great," continuing with an attempt to impress the woman.
Reception
Describing the song for the "Stevie Wonder: 20 Essential Songs" feature in The Daily Telegraph, Chris Harvey said:
With its playful Latin-piano-and-street-jive intro ... and its uplifting, upward-spiralling chorus, Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing easily takes its place among the works of pure joy that the musical prodigy has effortlessly poured out throughout his career. Showcased on the 1973 Innervisions album that came from the period in which Wonder ... was experimenting with synthesized sounds with producer Robert Margouleff, it’s a back-to-basics song (although it does feature a Moog bass, played by Wonder) that relies on the interplay of piano, percussion and that ecstatic voice. It sounds and feels like a burst of summer happiness.[3]
Billboard said that the song is a "strong ballad with gentle arrangements."[4]
Covers
- In 1974 it was covered by David Axelrod on his album Heavy Axe.
- In 1974 it was covered by Thad Jones & Mel Lewis Orchestra on the album Potpourri in an arrangement by Thad Jones
- In 1974 it was covered by Roy Ayers on his album Change Up the Groove.
- The Main Ingredient on their album Euphrates River (1974).
- In 1975 it was covered, in Swedish, as a duet between Lill-Babs and Marie Bergman on the album Det våras för Barbro.
- In 1975 it was covered by American soul jazz alto saxophonist, Hank Crawford, who used it as the title track for his album Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing.[5]
- In 1976 it was covered by Weldon Irvine on his album Sinbad.
- Covered by A Certain Ratio in 1983 as a B-side to their single "I Need Someone Tonite" on Factory Records
- In 1992, it was covered by British acid jazz band Incognito, who took it to number 19 in the UK.
- In 1992, it was covered by the group First Call on their album Human Song.
- In 1995 Al Jarreau covered it live at various evenings of Night of the Proms, in Belgium as well as in the Netherlands. This version was recorded twice for a CD release in both countries.
- In 1997, it was covered by Hiram Bullock on his Carrasco CD.
- In 2005 it was covered by John Legend, produced by will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas.
- In 2005 American smooth jazz saxophonist Nelson Rangell released a rendition on his album My American Songbook, Vol. 1.[6][7]
- In 2013 Kyoto rock band Unchain released a cover of the song on their first compilation album "Love & Groove Delivery".[8]
- In 2013, multi-instrumentalist and singer Jacob Collier uploaded a vocal and instrumental arrangement of the song to YouTube, singing and playing all parts himself.[9][10][11][12]
- In 2016, Tori Kelly as the voice of Meena covered the song for the animated movie Sing and its soundtrack. It was released as a single on March 3, 2017. [13]
Soundtrack appearances
- Wonder's rendition has been featured in the films Holy Man, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins and Silver Linings Playbook in addition to the TV show Scandal.
- The John Legend version was included on the soundtrack to Hitch (2005).
- The Tori Kelly version was featured in the film Sing (2016) and its soundtrack.
- 'Bout A Thing appeared in a UPS Store commercial.
Chart performance
References
- "Top 100 1974-06-01". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- "Segment 24 | Bill Fitzhugh". billfitzhugh.com. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
- https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopmusic/11238633/Stevie-Wonder-20-essential-songs.html?frame=3113160
- "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. March 23, 1974. p. 62. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
- "Hank Crawford: Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing". Allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- "My American Songbook, Vol. 1 overview". Allmusic.com.
- "Nelson Rangell - My American Songbook (Vol. 1)". SmoothViews.com.
- "UNCHAIN discography - other". virusoul.net/unchain/. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
- "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing - Jacob Collier". YouTube. Jacob Collier. 2013-10-13. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
- "How Youtube Jazz Sensation Jacob Collier Creates Music". Freejazzlessons.com. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- Sankin, Aaron. "British YouTube phenom Jacob Collier's Stevie Wonder cover is perfect". Dailydot.com. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- "Jacob Collier Band - Late Late Show Special! - Ronnie Scott's". Ronniescotts.co.uk. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
- "Tory Kelly - Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing". YouTube. Vevo. 2017-03-02. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
- "Top 100 1974-06-01". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved 2015-02-05.
- Bac-lac.gc.ca
- "Top 100 Hits of 1974/Top 100 Songs of 1974". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
