Wonderful World, Beautiful People – English Lyrics

• By: Jimmy Cliff
• Album: Vietnam

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the uplifting rhythms and universal message of Jimmy Cliff's 'Wonderful World, Beautiful People.' This classic reggae tune, with its clear and empowering English lyrics, offers a fantastic opportunity to explore the language through its direct and positive call for global harmony. Learn vocabulary related to peace, unity, and human connection while enjoying one of reggae's most iconic and inspiring tracks.

[English]

Hey, yeah, wonderful world, beautiful people

You and your girl, things could be pretty

But underneath this, there is a secret

That nobody can repeat

...

Take a look at the world

And the state that it's in today

I am sure you'll agree

We all could make it a better way

With our love put together

Everybody learn to love each other

Instead of fussing and fighting

Cheating, backbiting

Scandalizing and hating

Baby, we could have a

Wonderful world, beautiful people

You and your girl, things could be pretty

But underneath this, there is a secret

That nobody can repeat, yeah you know

Man and woman, girl and boy

Let us try to give a helping hand

This I know and I'm sure

That with love we all could understand

This is our world, can't you see?

Everybody wants to live and be free

Instead of fussing and fighting

Cheating backbiting

Scandalizing and hating

Yeah, we could have a

Wonderful world, beautiful people

You and your girl, things could be pretty

But underneath this, there is a secret

That nobody can repeat

Yeah, yeah, now

Talking 'bout the

Wonderful world, beautiful people

You and your girl (taking 'bout you), things could be pretty (taking 'bout me)

Wonderful world (taking 'bout me solely), beautiful people (apparently someday)

Wonderful world (we all could do), beautiful people (end with singing)

Wonderful world (have a little bit of now), beautiful people (do what you can)

Wonderful world (have a little bit of now)

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
wonderful /ˈwʌndərfl/ B1	adjective - extremely good; inspiring delight or admiration.
beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪfl/ A2	adjective - pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically.
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries and peoples.
people /ˈpiːpl/ A1	noun - human beings in general or considered collectively.
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman.
things /θɪŋz/ A1	noun - an object that one need not, cannot, or does not wish to give a specific name to.
secret /ˈsiːkrət/ B1	noun - something kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others. adjective - not known or seen or not meant to be known or seen by others.
look /lʊk/ A1	verb - direct one's gaze towards someone or something or in a specified direction. noun - an act of directing one's gaze.
state /steɪt/ B1	noun - the condition of something at a particular time. verb - express something definitely or clearly in speech or writing.
sure /ʃʊr/ A2	adjective - confident that one knows something or that something is true.
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection. verb - feel deep affection for (someone).
learn /lɜːrn/ A2	verb - gain or acquire knowledge of or skill in (something) by study, experience, or being taught.
fighting /ˈfaɪtɪŋ/ B1	noun - the act of fighting; violent conflict.
free /friː/ A2	adjective - not under the control or power of someone else; able to do or say what you want.
understand /ˌʌndərˈstænd/ A2	verb - perceive the intended meaning of (words, a language, or a speaker).

Key Grammar Structures

• Things could be pretty

  ➔ Conditional Mood (Second Conditional - possibility)

  ➔ Uses "could" + be + adjective. Suggests a possibility, but not a certainty. It implies that if conditions were different, things might be 'pretty.' The unspoken 'if' clause is the missing piece.

• Underneath this, there is a secret

  ➔ Inversion (Emphasis)

  ➔ Normally, the sentence would be: "There is a secret underneath this." Inverting the order places emphasis on "underneath this."

• We all could make it a better way

  ➔ Modal Verb 'could' (Suggestion/Ability)

  ➔ "Could" expresses a suggestion or a possibility that we have the ability to make the world a better place.

• Everybody learn to love each other

  ➔ Imperative (Informal)

  ➔ "Learn" here is used in the bare infinitive form, characteristic of an imperative sentence. It's a command or strong suggestion given to a general audience.

• This is our world, can't you see?

  ➔ Tag Question (Seeking Agreement)

  ➔ The "can't you see?" at the end is a tag question. It's used to encourage the listener to agree with the statement "This is our world."

• Everybody wants to live and be free

  ➔ Parallel Structure (Infinitive verbs)

  ➔ "To live" and "to be free" are parallel infinitives connected by "and". This emphasizes the equal importance of both desires.

• Let us try to give a helping hand

  ➔ Imperative with 'Let' (Suggestion/Invitation)

  ➔ "Let us" introduces a suggestion or invitation for the speaker and others to do something together. It's a softer way of giving a command.

• This I know and I'm sure

  ➔ Fronting (Emphasis)

  ➔ Normally the sentence would be: 'I know this and I'm sure'. Fronting 'This' emphasizes the importance of what the speaker knows.