Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing

Music and lyrics

Reception

With its playful Latin-piano-and-street-jive intro... and its uplifting, upward-spiralling chorus, Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing easily takes its place among the works of pure joy that the musical prodigy has effortlessly poured out throughout his career. Showcased on the 1973 Innervisions album that came from the period in which Wonder... was experimenting with synthesized sounds with producer Robert Margouleff, it’s a back-to-basics song that relies on the interplay of piano, percussion and that ecstatic voice. It sounds and feels like a burst of summer happiness.

Covers

• In 1974 it was covered by David Axelrod on his album Heavy Axe.
• In 1974 it was covered by Thad Jones & Mel Lewis Orchestra on the album Potpourri in an arrangement by Thad Jones
• In 1974 it was covered by Roy Ayers on his album Change Up the Groove.
• The Main Ingredient on their album Euphrates River.
• In 1975 it was covered, in Swedish, as a duet between Lill-Babs and Marie Bergman on the album Det våras för Barbro.
• In 1975 it was covered by American soul jazz alto saxophonist, Hank Crawford, who used it as the title track for his album Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing.
• In 1976 it was covered by Weldon Irvine on his album Sinbad.
• Covered by A Certain Ratio in 1983 as a B-side to their single "I Need Someone Tonite" on Factory Records
• In 1992, it was covered by British acid jazz band Incognito, who took it to number 19 in the UK.
• In 1992, it was covered by the group First Call on their album Human Song.
• In 1995 Al Jarreau covered it live at various evenings of Night of the Proms, in Belgium as well as in the Netherlands. This version was recorded twice for a CD release in both countries.
• In 1997, it was covered by Hiram Bullock on his Carrasco CD.
• In 2005 it was covered by John Legend, produced by will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas.
• In 2005 American smooth jazz saxophonist Nelson Rangell released a rendition on his album My American Songbook, Vol. 1.
• In 2013 Kyoto rock band Unchain released a cover of the song on their first compilation album "Love & Groove Delivery".
• In 2013, multi-instrumentalist and singer Jacob Collier uploaded a vocal and instrumental arrangement of the song to YouTube, singing and playing all parts himself.
• In 2016, Tori Kelly as the voice of Meena covered the song for the animated movie Sing and. It was released as a single on March 3, 2017.

  Soundtrack appearances

• Wonder's rendition has been featured in the films Holy Man, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins and Silver Linings Playbook in addition to the TV show Scandal.
• The John Legend version was included on the soundtrack to Hitch.
• The Tori Kelly version was featured in the film Sing and its soundtrack.
• 'Bout A Thing appeared in a UPS Store commercial.

  Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts