A recent flurry of playing jobs has kept me away from the Weekly Tunes lately.  I have plans for several singers but have been unable to meet with them, but I am taking advantage of this Thanksgiving weekend to try and get some recorded.

In the meantime, I played through a song that I’d always liked but had forgotten about.  It is If I Ruled the World, with music by Cyril Ornadel and lyrics by the better known Leslie Bricusse and it came back to me during the long election season.  I guess you might think of it as the ultimate stump speech.

  It was composed for the 1963 West End musical Pickwick and, to my knowledge, is the only hit from that score.  It has been recorded by many singers including Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis Jr. and, if memory serves, Anthony Newley.

  The lyrics are a bit sappy, but I’ve always liked the tune. Click above to hear it and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

 If I ruled the world,

Every day would be the first day of spring.

Every heart would have a new song to sing

And we sing of the joy every morning would bring.

If I ruled the world,

Every man would be as free as a bird

Every voice would be a voice to be heard

Take my word, we would treasure each day that occurred.

Bridge:

My world would be a beautiful place

Where we would weave such wonderful dreams.

My world would have a smile on its face

Like the man in the moon when the moon beams.

If I ruled the world,

Every man would say the world was his friend.

There’d be happiness that no man could end.

No, my friend, not if I ruled the world.

Every head would be held up high,

There’d be sunshine in everyone’s sky

If the day ever dawned when I ruled the world.