Bobby McFerrin Made History With This One-Hit Wonder

In 1988, Bobby McFerrin released “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”. On Simple Pleasures, his sophomore album, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” is McFerrin’s only No. 1 single. The song was written by McFerrin, who also made history with this song.

A multi-week, platinum-selling, global hit, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” became the first a cappella song to reach the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Although it might sound like there are some instruments in the song, McFerrin used only his voice and body for all of the parts.

The singalong song begins with, “Here’s a little song I wrote / You might want to sing it note for note / Don’t worry, be happy / In every life we have some trouble / When you worry you make it double / Don’t worry, be happy / Don’t worry, be happy now.”

The Story Behind “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin

McFerrin had the idea to write “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” after seeing The Three Amigos. It is a comedic film starring Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short. According to the Library of Congress,  McFerrin saw the movie with his manager, Linda Goldstein. On their way into the studio the next day, they were laughing about the movie and the over-the-top accents the actors used. As soon as McFerrin got into the studio, he began singing “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”. It was the continuation of a song he had been working on for more than five years. This time, he sang it using his own funny accent.

McFerrin meticulously recorded seven separate tracks, one for his vocal and one for each of the “instruments,” using his own voice. Although it sounds painstaking, all of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” was recorded in about three hours.

McFerrin won three Grammy Awards for “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”. McFerrin won a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year.

“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” has been part of several films since its release. It first appeared in the movie Cocktail, which also came out in 1988, starring Tom Cruise and Elisabeth Shue. It was also part of Casper – A Spirited Beginning, out in 1997, and Battle In Seattle in 2007.

Since “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” was inspired by a comedy, it seems only fitting that famed comedian Robin Williams appears in the video for this song. After releasing “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”, McFerrin released three more singles. Sadly, none of them became radio hits.

Photo by CBS via Getty Images

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