Album:  

Writer:

Colin Vearncombe

Length:

3:32

Notes:

I'm showing my age here but I loved this song when I first heard it back in 1987. It was the breakthrough single for Black (a.k.a. Colin Vearncombe). It is sad that artists such as this are often ignorantly labelled as 'one-hit wonders' when in truth they have dedicated years both before and after to their passion for music. At the end of the day, it is only the public that decide what is a hit, and the public are nothing if not fickle. Work ethic and talent are no guarantee of success in the cut-throat music industry—without Lady Luck on your side your chances of making it are slim.

Just like Springsteen's "Born In The USA", the lyrics of "Wonderful Life" are taken at face value by most people. It is seen as a feel-good song, but, as with Springsteen's hit, it was meant to be ironic. Vearncombe was broke when he wrote it and struggling to make it in the industry. But Premier Inn seized on the feel-good factor in 2015 when they ran a massive ad campaign featuring Katie's sensational cover. Who knows, it may have revived Vearncombe's career but just a few months later, he died following a traffic accident. Lady Luck can be callous indeed.

YouTube:

Here is the official video: Wonderful Life
and here is an exquisite live performance in Berlin from 2017 Wonderful Life Live in Berlin

Lyrics:

Wonderful Life