Wonderful World | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| B | G#m |
Verse 1
||: B | G#m | E | F# :||
Don’t know much about History, don’t know much Biology.
Don’t know much about a Science book, don’t know much about the French I took.
Bridge 1
| B | E | B | E |
But I do know that I love you, and I know that if you love me, too.
| F# | B |
What a wonderful world this would be.
Verse 2
Don’t know much about Geography, don’t know much Trigonometry.
Don’t know much about Algebra, don’t know what a slide rule is for.
Bridge 2
But I do know one and one is two, and if this one could be with you.
What a wonderful world this would be.
Middle 8
| F# | B | F# | B |
Now, I don’t claim to be an A student but I’m trying to be.
| C#7 | B |
For maybe by being an A student, baby.
| C#7 | F#7 |
I can win your love for me
Verse 3
Don’t know much about History, don’t know much Biology.
Don’t know much about a Science book, don’t know much about the French I took.
Bridge 3
But I do know that I love you and I know that if you love me, too.
What a wonderful world this would be.
Verse 4
La ta ta ta ta ta ta (History). Hmm-mm-mm (Biology).
La ta ta ta ta ta ta (Science book). Hmm-mm-mm (French I took).
Outro
| B | E | B | E |
Yeah, but I do know that I love you, And I know that if you love me, too.
| F# | B F# B | B |
What a wonderful world this would be.
Wonderful World | Chords + Lyrics (capo 2)
Intro
| A | F#m |
Verse 1
||: A | F#m | D | E :||
Don’t know much about History, don’t know much Biology.
Don’t know much about a Science book, don’t know much about the French I took.
Bridge 1
| A | D | A | D |
But I do know that I love you, and I know that if you love me, too.
| E | A |
What a wonderful world this would be.
Verse 2
Don’t know much about Geography, don’t know much Trigonometry.
Don’t know much about Algebra, don’t know what a slide rule is for.
Bridge 2
But I do know one and one is two, and if this one could be with you.
What a wonderful world this would be.
Middle 8
| E | A | E | A |
Now, I don’t claim to be an A student but I’m trying to be.
| B7 | A |
For maybe by being an A student, baby.
| B7 | E7 |
I can win your love for me
Verse 3
Don’t know much about History, don’t know much Biology.
Don’t know much about a Science book, don’t know much about the French I took.
Bridge 3
But I do know that I love you and I know that if you love me, too.
What a wonderful world this would be.
Verse 4
La ta ta ta ta ta ta (History). Hmm-mm-mm (Biology).
La ta ta ta ta ta ta (Science book). Hmm-mm-mm (French I took).
Outro
| A | D | A | D |
Yeah, but I do know that I love you, And I know that if you love me, too.
| E | A E A | A |
What a wonderful world this would be.
Wonderful World | Chords + Lyrics (capo 4)
Intro
| G | Em |
Verse 1
||: G | Em | C | D :||
Don’t know much about History, don’t know much Biology.
Don’t know much about a science book, don’t know much about the French I took.
Bridge 1
| G | C | G | C |
But I do know that I love you, and I know that if you love me, too.
| D | G |
What a wonderful world this would be.
Verse 2
Don’t know much about Geography, don’t know much Trigonometry.
Don’t know much about Algebra, don’t know what a slide rule is for.
Bridge 2
But I do know one and one is two, and if this one could be with you.
What a wonderful world this would be.
Middle 8
| D | G | D | G |
Now, I don’t claim to be an A student but I’m trying to be.
| A7 | G |
For maybe by being an A student, baby.
| A7 | D7 |
I can win your love for me
Verse 3
Don’t know much about History, don’t know much Biology.
Don’t know much about a Science book, don’t know much about the French I took.
Bridge 3
But I do know that I love you and I know that if you love me, too.
What a wonderful world this would be.
Verse 4
La ta ta ta ta ta ta (History). Hmm-mm-mm (Biology).
La ta ta ta ta ta ta (Science book). Hmm-mm-mm (French I took).
Outro
| G | C | G | C |
Yeah, but I do know that I love you, And I know that if you love me, too.
| D | G D G | G |
What a wonderful world this would be.
Wonderful World Chords: Master the Classic Progression in Multiple Keys
Verse
Wonderful World features a classic chord progression, making it an excellent example when referencing the I – VI – IV – V changes, also known as the Stand By Me changes.
It’s worth practising this progression in all keys, but for Wonderful World (without a capo), it’s in the key of B, like this:
||: B (I) | G#m (VI) | E (IV) | F# (V) :||
There are two more sections in Wonderful World:
Bridge
The bridge moves between chords I and IV, then transitions to V – I, like this:
| B (I) | E (IV) | B | E |
| F# (V) | B |
Middle 8
The middle 8 is the most adventurous section, moving between V – I, before stepping outside the key with the IIx chord (C#), like this:
| F# (V) | B (I) | F# | B |
| C#7 (IIx) | B |
| C#7 | F#7 |
For those who prefer playing in other keys, there are TAB examples for the keys of A and G, as well as the original key of B. You can find the complete lesson with all the details here: Wonderful World – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Playing in the keys of A and G is often more comfortable, especially if you’re playing Wonderful World on your own or with an acoustic guitar duo. To make things easier, I’ve provided six TAB examples for all three keys.
Once you’ve completed the TAB lesson, you’ll only need this simple chord chart to play the song.
Wonderful World Card Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Wonderful World chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Wonderful World iReal Pro.
Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key which is a great plan as discussed above.
Wonderful World TAB | Course Preview
In the course, we explore how to play Wonderful World‘s chords in different keys as we apply a capo.
As a preview, here’s Example 1 — the starting point, without a capo, thinking in the key of B.
Exploring the Legacy
Released in 1960, Wonderful World, also known as What A Wonderful World, became Sam Cooke’s biggest hit since You Send Me (1957). The song was penned by a songwriting team, although Cooke did rewrite some of the lyrics himself.
Charting at #2 in both the U.S. and the U.K., Wonderful World was a success, but its legacy has grown significantly over the years, surpassing its initial impact.
This enduring popularity is evident in the numerous cover versions by artists such as Art Garfunkel, Don McLean, Michael Bolton, James Taylor, Otis Redding, and Herman’s Hermits. Interestingly, the Herman’s Hermits version featured Jimi Page on guitar, for which he was paid £12.
Wonderful World Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Wonderful World (Sam Cooke) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
