About The Song
“Wild World” is a song by English singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, released as a single from his fourth album, Tea for the Tillerman, on September 1970 by Island Records in the UK and A&M Records in the US, with “Miles from Nowhere” as the B-side in the US. Written by Stevens and produced by Paul Samwell-Smith, it was recorded in July 1970 at Morgan Studios in London. The song, featuring Stevens on classical and acoustic guitars and keyboards, was a key track in establishing his international breakthrough, with the album selling over 500,000 copies within six months, per Wikipedia.
The single saw commercial success, particularly in North America. It entered the Billboard Hot 100 on February 7, 1971, peaking at No. 11 on April 4, 1971, and charting for 13 weeks. In Canada, it reached No. 14 on the RPM Singles Chart. Notably, it was not released as a single in the UK, where Island Records prioritized album sales, but a cover by Jimmy Cliff, produced by Stevens, hit No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart in 1970. Other covers include Maxi Priest’s 1988 version, which peaked at No. 5 in the UK and No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, and Mr. Big’s 1993 cover, which reached No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Tea for the Tillerman album peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, earning triple Platinum certification in the US (3,000,000 units) and Gold in the UK (100,000 units). The song ranks No. 202 on Pitchfork’s Top 200 Tracks of the 1970s.
The song’s origins are tied to Stevens’ personal life and career transition. Initially inspired by his relationship with actress Patti D’Arbanville, which ended around 1970, Stevens later clarified in a 2009 Chris Isaak Hour interview that it was more about his own journey after recovering from tuberculosis in 1969. He described it as a self-directed warning about entering the “wild world” of fame, per Songfacts. The chord progression, rooted in Spanish music influences, was developed during his recovery, as he told Mojo in 2009. The track was first demoed in 1970, with a version included in the 2008 Tea for the Tillerman deluxe edition.
Production details highlight its simplicity. Recorded with Alun Davies on acoustic guitar, Harvey Burns on drums, and John Ryan on bass, the track used a Neumann KM84 microphone for Stevens’ vocals, captured in a few takes, per Paul Samwell-Smith in a 2011 Total Guitar interview. The backing track was laid down live, with Davies’ Guild acoustic guitar miked separately to avoid boominess. Jimmy Cliff’s reggae cover was recorded first, with Stevens producing, after Cliff heard the demo and loved it, as Cliff recalled in a 2012 Mojo interview. The song was performed live by Stevens on BBC in 1970 and later at his 1987 Berlin Wall concert as Yusuf Islam. It appeared in TV shows like The Good Fight (2017) and was covered by artists like Joanna Wang (2011). In 1987, Jonathan King accused Pet Shop Boys of plagiarizing its melody for “It’s a Sin,” but lost a legal settlement, per Wikipedia.
Video
Lyric
Now that I’ve lost everything to you
You say you wanna start something new
And it’s breakin’ my heart you’re leavin’
Baby, I’m grievin’
But if you wanna leave, take good care
I hope you have a lot of nice things to wear
But then a lot of nice things turn bad out thereOh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world
It’s hard to get by just upon a smile
Oh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world
I’ll always remember you like a child, girlYou know I’ve seen a lot of what the world can do
And it’s breakin’ my heart in two
Because I never wanna see you a sad girl
Don’t be a bad girl
But if you wanna leave, take good care
I hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there’s a lot of bad and bewareOh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world
It’s hard to get by just upon a smile
Oh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world
I’ll always remember you like a child, girlBaby, I love you
But if you wanna leave, take good care
I hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there’s a lot of bad and bewareOh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world
It’s hard to get by just upon a smile
Oh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world
I’ll always remember you like a child, girlOh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world
It’s hard to get by just upon a smile
Oh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world
I’ll always remember you like a child, girl