What A Wonderful World
1970

This song was originally released in the United States in 1967, a year defined by massive racial tension, the Vietnam War, and violent urban riots.

Some critics and listeners felt the song’s overly optimistic lyrics were naive or out of touch with the harsh realities people were facing at the time.

Armstrong, who had used his own money to pay the orchestra when the label refused to pay overtime, saw the song as a necessary antidote to the chaos. He later explained that he sang it with the future of younger generations in mind, hoping it would inspire peace.