Thank you for being here. This is a song we all know, 'What a Wonderful World,' but I've let it breathe in a new way. I've woven in some verses of my own, and in doing so, I've tried to show that the world can be full of joy even when it's shadowed by sorrow.
You’ll hear a line—'I hear babies cry'—repeated with a few variations. It’s a very personal line for me; it reflects a deep, complicated part of my story. But I've found that even in that pain, 'my heart still longs, and the world still holds its wonder.'
So I hope you’ll join me on this journey, and in the end, find your own wonder in the world.
"What a Wonderful World" (Verse 1-3) written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss. Recorded by Louis Armstrong 1967.
Verse 1 I see trees of green, Red roses too. I see them bloom, For me and you.
Verse 2 I see skies of blue, And clouds of white. The bright blessed day, The cold dark night.
Verse 3 I hear babies cry, Watch them grow. They'll learn much more, Than I'll ever know.
Verse 4 The whisper of dreams, That have yet to come true, Our future is bright, Because I’ve found you:
Verse 3.2 I hear babies cry, I see their bright eyes glow, They’ll dream of worlds, I’ll never know.
Verse 5 A sunrise is painting, The heavens in gold, A new day begins, New stories unfold.
Verse 3.3 I hear babies crying, I see what their future holds, They’ll shape the world, In ways I’ll never know.
Verse 6 My heart still longs, Yet somehow I see, The world holds its wonder, And it still offers me.
Chorus And I sing to myself, "What a wonderful world."
𝄞SunsetPiano Extra Verses (v14) 9/12/25 1210 Composed 8/22/2025 2112 Sheet Music v14
(Keep “I hear babies cry” as line 1, then vary the others.)
I hear babies cry,
I see their bright eyes glow,
They’ll dream of worlds,
I’ll never know.
I hear babies cry,
I watch their laughter flow,
They’ll carry tomorrow,
Where I can’t go.
I hear babies cry,
I see their spirits grow,
They’ll write new stories,
I won’t ever know.
I hear babies cry,
I watch their small hearts show,
They’ll sing new songs,
I can’t forego.
I hear babies cry,
I watch new friendships grow,
They’ll walk new paths,
I’ll never know.
I hear babies cry,
I see tomorrow’s glow,
They’ll find new answers,
I’ll never know.
I hear babies cry,
I watch their bright hopes grow,
They’ll heal the wounds,
I could not sow.
I hear babies cry,
I see the future show,
They’ll shape the world,
I’ll never know.
I hear babies cry,
I see their young hearts grow,
They’ll climb high mountains,
I can’t bestow.
I hear babies cry,
I watch their spirits grow,
They’ll light the darkness,
I’ll never know.
for Verse 3 mod 1 and 2: follow this structure:
Line 1: I hear babies cry, (keep this line as is, change line 2,3 and 4 but keep similar and on the same theme of hearing babies crying)
Line 2: I watch them grow (keep theme of joy that as an older person, it is wonderful to see younger people grow up)
Line 3: They'll learn much more, (future generations)
Line 4: Than I'll ever know (something humble maybe)
Perfect, thank you for laying out the full structure and your intentions. I’ll keep the original “Wonderful World” spirit but adapt the new verses so they reflect your personal state of mind—mixing longing, sadness, and yet still finding wonder.
I’ll give you 10 options each for:
Verse 3 mod 1
Verse 3 mod 2
Verse 6 (the final verse / resolution)
That way you can pick, mix, or tweak what resonates most with your voice.
(echoes Verse 3 but starts adding a bittersweet, reflective tone)
I hear voices sing, soft lullabies,
Songs full of hope, beneath weary skies.
I see children laugh, then stumble and fall,
Learning through pain, still answering the call.
I hear stories told, of joy and of pain,
Each fleeting moment, like drops in the rain.
I see hands reach out, with kindness they give,
Reminding my heart, there’s reason to live.
I hear gentle prayers, whispered at night,
Carrying sorrow, yet burning with light.
I see people smile, though burdened with care,
The strength of their spirit, is wondrous and rare.
I hear footsteps fade, of those gone before,
Their echoes remind me, life’s worth even more.
I see kindness bloom, in places so small,
Tiny acts of love, the greatest of all.
I hear laughter ring, then silence descend,
Reminding me life is beginning to end.
I see fleeting time, slip through my hand,
Yet still it leaves beauty across the land.
(darker/more weary, leaning into the tension before the last verse)
I see lovers walk, their hands intertwined,
A shadow reminds me, none walk with mine.
I hear wedding bells, but not for me,
Their joy is a song, I can’t set free.
I see friendships bloom, but drift away,
The weight of my silence, pushes them astray.
I watch families gather, their tables are full,
The ache in my chest, is quiet but cruel.
I see lonely nights, and days without end,
The hope for a partner, that time will not send.
I watch candles burn, their flames burning bright,
While my room stays empty, each cold, endless night.
I hear vows exchanged, promises kept,
And lie awake wondering, why love never wept.
I see faces glow, with love they have found,
But in my own heart, no such joy resounds.
I see echoes fade, of what might have been,
The sadness within me, I cannot unpin.
I hear songs of love, they pierce like a knife,
A longing unanswered, through all of my life.
(ties it all together—sadness, honesty about loneliness, but still finding wonder in existence itself)
I walk here alone, with no hand to hold,
Yet still see the sunlight, turn silver to gold.
Though my nights are long, and my heart feels sore,
The world whispers softly, “there’s beauty in more.”
My soul aches for love, a partner, a friend,
Yet wonder still finds me, again and again.
Though silence surrounds me, and shadows remain,
There’s music in sorrow, and grace in the pain.
Alone in this journey, though weary, I find,
The world still holds marvels, that quiet my mind.
No partner beside me, no warmth to my name,
Yet beauty keeps burning, a steady small flame.
Though suffering haunts me, and burdens grow tall,
This world still is wondrous, in spite of it all.
My heart still is longing, yet somehow I see,
The world holds its wonder, and still offers me.
Though I walk in sorrow, the truth is revealed,
The gift of existence can never be sealed.
I ache for the love I may never obtain,
But still this world whispers, through joy and through pain.
👉 These final verses let you end truthfully: loneliness acknowledged, suffering not erased, but beauty/wonder still present.
Would you like me to polish this into a fully singable set of chosen verses (rhythm + rhyme aligned with the melody), so you could literally slot them into What a Wonderful World as lyrics?
please help me finish writing/modifying this song. Here is what I need you to do.
write two modified versions of Verse 3 (called Verse 3 mod 1 and 2) and write a 6th closing verse, tying it all together.
please give 10 samples/suggestions for Verse 3 mod 1 and 2 and Verse 6.
make verse 6 something about that even though I am single and without a partner, (the "you" referred to in verse 4 I don't have and that makes me sad, so sad it is hard to genuinely say this is a Wonderful World), and that even thought life is hard, grueling even, and that the suffering seems unbearable at time, there is still something Wonderful about this World.
here is the song so far:
My Custom Arrangement rearranges the lyrics a little, adds 3 more verses, repeats verse 3 modified a few times, holds off on saying the titular title line until it really means something to me. I changed it to make it more personal and reflect my life and state of mind more.
V1
V2
V3
V4 +What a Wonderful World
V3 mod 1
V5 +What a Wonderful World
V3 mod 2
V6 +What a Wonderful World
Verse 1
I see trees of green, Red roses too
I see them bloom, For me and you
Verse 2
I see skies of blue, And clouds of white
The bright blessed day ,The dark cold night
Verse 3
I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more, Than I'll ever know
Verse 4
The whisper of dreams that are yet to come true,
The future is brighter because of you,
And I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."
Verse 3 mod 1
I hear babies cry, I see their bright eyes glow,
They’ll dream of worlds, I’ll never know.
Verse 5
A sunrise is painting the heavens in gold,
A new day beginning, a story unfolds,
And I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."
Verse 3 mod 2
I hear babies cry, I see the future show,
They’ll shape the world, I’ll never know.
Verse 6
My heart still is longing, yet somehow I see,
The world holds its wonder, and still offers me.
And I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."
About Song:
"What a Wonderful World" song (Verse 1-3) written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss. Recorded by Louis Armstrong on August 16, 1967.
𝄞SunsetPiano Extra Verses (v4 - v6) 8/22/2025 1526 Sheet Music v10.00
v11.0 11/7/2025 0818
8/22/2025 1513