“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” – Single by Bobby McFerrin from the album Simple Pleasures
Released July 24, 1988
Label EMI-Manhattan
Songwriter Bobby McFerrin
Producer Linda Goldstein
Charted No.1 in US, No.1 in West Germany; No.1 in Australia, No.1 in Austria, No.1 in Canada, No.23 in Italy, No.2 in Sweden, No.2 in UK
“Don’t Worry Be Happy” reached #1 on the US Hot 100, which is astounding for a song sung a cappella (without instruments). Bobby McFerrin recorded it using only his body to make all the sounds. The simple message and unusual sound made it a surprise hit.
The phrase “Don’t Worry Be Happy” came from the Indian guru Meher Baba. In an interview with USA Weekend magazine, McFerrin explained that he saw a poster of Meher Baba with the phrase and thought it was “a pretty neat philosophy in four words.”
The music video for the song is playful and comedic in nature. Directed by Drew Takahashi, it features McFerrin, Robin Williams, and Bill Irwin engaging in various humorous antics while cutting back and forth to McFerrin singing along with the lyrics, and is somewhat shorter than the album version.
At the 1989 Grammy Awards, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” won the awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
In 2024, the single was selected for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
