John Grimes of Jedward surprised fans and followers this afternoon with a deliciously laid back acoustic guitar cover of the Louis Armstrong Classic, ‘What A Wonderful World’.
Originally released in 1967 (John pays homage to this fact with his jersey), the song was written specifically for Armstrong by composer and performer George Weiss, who was inspired by Armstrong’s ability to bring together people of different races. The song challenges us to stop a while and consider all the beauty around us, and put aside our differences, while instead concentrating on that which we have in common.
John’s rendition of the song is a reflective, slowed down version, causing the listener to think of the true meaning of the words. In this time of social unease and unrest it’s – almost sadly – as relevant a song as it was back in 1967.
Accompanied only by his acoustic guitar, and singing straight to his phone camera, John’s voice is sweet and contemplative, with a delicious amount of tremolo.
Listen to John’s cover below:
