It Could Be a Wonderful World

If each of us knew what true brotherhood meant

Hi all,

Thank you for joining me for today’s song, “It Could Be a Wonderful World”, by Hy Zaret and Lois Singer, sung by Ellen Edson. If you’d like to hear the song before you read about it, I’ve included a YouTube video below the article. 

Comments and questions are welcome. For Japanese students, vocabulary words in bold are provided in Japanese below. TOEIC (PBT) 450+, Eiken 2, CEFR B1. 

Did you know you can listen to each article of “Social Issues in Song” on the Substack App? Download the app here:

An interview with Ellen Edson

(520 words)

In today’s article, we have invited children’s folk musician and teacher Ellen Edson to join us for a short interview. 

Louise: Thank you for joining us today, Ellen. To begin with, would you please tell us a little about your background? How did you become interested in music and social issues?

Ellen: I was born into a musical family in the 1950s. My dad wrote music for movies, and my mom used to be a singer but then stayed home to take care of us. Both of my parents wanted me and my brothers and sisters to know about important things like social justice and the civil rights movement. At home, we listened to all kinds of music, and that’s where I first heard the music of Pete Seeger, Josh White, Woody Guthrie, Odetta, and other folk musicians from the 1960s. This is when I learned to play the guitar and banjo. I loved singing songs about important people, events, and ideas that talked about social issues.

Louise: How does music relate to your teaching?

Ellen: When I became a teacher of young children in the 1980s, I was able to bring music into my classroom. We sang songs during class, while getting ready for different activities, during rest time, and even outside during playtime. If I didn’t know a song that fit the moment, I could make one up!

One song I learned when I was a teenager was “It Could Be a Wonderful World.” I learned it from Pete Seeger. The song was written in 1949 by Hy Zaret, who also wrote the words to the famous song “Unchained Melody,” and Lois Singer. Even though Zaret and Singer mostly wrote popular songs back then, they also wrote songs for children.

Louise: Why do you think this is an important song?

Ellen: “It Could Be a Wonderful World” uses simple words and ideas to paint a picture of how life could be better for everyone. It’s full of hope and shows what’s possible if we all work together to make the world kinder, healthier, and safer. That’s why it’s such a great song to sing with kids!

Louise: And adults! We adults can learn a lot from the messages in this song. Thank you, Ellen, for sharing your story with us. 

Chorus:

If we could consider each other
a neighbor, a friend, or a brother
It could be a wonderful, wonderful world
It could be a wonderful world
Mm-hmm, it could be a wonderful world

If each little kid could have fresh milk each day
If each one who worked had enough time to play
If each homeless soul has a good place to stay
It could be a wonderful world
Mm-hmm, it could be a wonderful world

Chorus

If there were no poor and the rich were content
If strangers were welcome wherever they went
If each of us knew what true brotherhood meant

It could be a wonderful, wonderful world
It could be a wonderful world
Mm-hmm, it could be a wonderful world

Did you know that mm-hmm is another way to say “Yes” in English? (Mm-hmm.)

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Question:

What is one thing you can think of that could make it a wonderful world?

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Vocabulary

social justice 社会正義

the civil rights movement 公民権運動

make (something) up 作り上げる

consider 他人に思いやりを持つ

soul 人

be content 他人に思いやりを持つ

brotherhood 兄弟愛

Learn more about Ellen Edson at her website:

https://ellenedson.com/

or her YouTube channel at:

https://www.youtube.com/@ellenedson5631

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Photos: Unsplash