Who Did It Better
Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing
Don't you worry 'bout a thing
'Cause everything's gonna be alright
Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing 0:30 is a calm hand on your shoulder when the world is shaking. Not a solution. A presence. Someone who will not panic even when the way is unclear.
That steadiness is rare. Knowing somebody is there who refuses to break makes the hard parts bearable. The worry shrinks. That presence becomes its own kind of answer when no answers exist.
The Original -- 1973
Stevie Wonder
"Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" releases the listener from the obligation of controlling the future. Stevie Wonder recorded it in 1973 as a reminder that most of what we fear never arrives. The Latin piano intro signals that the song operates in a different emotional register than standard soul. Romance and heartbreak are not the subject. The subject is the specific relief of handing your anxiety over to someone who tells you they will handle it. Let it go. He has it covered.
Incognito took that same release in 1999 and gave it a European jazz-funk setting that proves anxiety is universal. Stevie's version is rooted in his clavinet and the rhythmic confidence of the 70s. Incognito stretches the arrangement, lets the bassline breathe, and makes the reassurance last longer. The worry does not disappear faster. It just has better music to dissolve into.
The Cover -- 2010
John Legend
"Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" releases the listener from the obligation of controlling the future. Stevie Wonder recorded it in 1973 as a reminder that most of what we fear never arrives. The Latin piano intro signals that the song operates in a different emotional register than standard soul. Romance and heartbreak are not the subject. The subject is the specific relief of handing your anxiety over to someone who tells you they will handle it. Let it go. He has it covered.
Incognito took that same release in 1999 and gave it a European jazz-funk setting that proves anxiety is universal. Stevie's version is rooted in his clavinet and the rhythmic confidence of the 70s. Incognito stretches the arrangement, lets the bassline breathe, and makes the reassurance last longer. The worry does not disappear faster. It just has better music to dissolve into.
Image Credits
1,414 artist portraits across 5 genres (Rock, Jazz, Soul, Blues, Folk). 1,363 sourced from Wikipedia (Creative Commons / Public Domain), 50 from Deezer (promotional artwork).
