If I Ruled The World
| PROFILE | |
| Composer | Cyril Ornadel |
| Lyricist | Leslie Bricusse |
| Year Written | 1963 |
| About If I Ruled The World | |
| “If I Ruled The World” was written for the 1963 West End musical Pickwick, based on Dicken’s The Pickwick Papers. Harry Secombe, the British actor, originated the role of Pickwick and his version of this song charted at #18 in the UK. The production opened in New York in 1965 on Broadway. Tony Bennett’s was one of the earliest American recordings and the song reached #34 on the US pop singles charts. | |
Lyrics
If I ruled the world,
Every day would be the first day of spring,
Every heart would have a new song to sing,
And we’d sing of the joy every morning would bring.
If I ruled the world,
Every man would be as free as a bird,
Every voice would be a voice to be heard,
Take my word we would treasure each day that occurred.
My world would be a beautiful place,
Where we would weave such wonderful dreams.
My world would wear a smile on its face,
Like the man in the moon has when the moon beams.
If I ruled the world,
Every man would say the world was his friend,
There’d be happiness that no man coud end,
No my friend, not if I ruled the world.
Every head would be held up high,
There’d be sunshine in everyone’s sky,
If the day ever dawned when I ruled the world
Session / Album Information
1965
“If I Ruled The World” was recorded on February 19, 1965 and released in 1965 on the album If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set. It was arranged by Don Costa.
This recording released on:
- 1965: CL 2343 — If I Ruled The World (Songs For The Jet Set)
- 1965: CS 9143 — If I Ruled The World (Songs For The Jet Set)
- 1965: CBS 45: 201735
- 1965: Columbia 45: 4-43220
- 1965: Columbia LP 12″: CS 9173 — Tony’s Greatest Hits, Vol. III
- 1965: Columbia LP 12″: CL 2373 — Tony’s Greatest Hits, Vol. III
- 1966: CBS EP: EP6151 — The Best Of Bennett [UK]
- 1967: CBS LP 12″: SBPG 62821 — Tony’s Greatest Hits [UK]
- 1974: Embassy LP 12″: EMB 31058 — If I Ruled the World [UK]
- 1976: Warwick LP 12″: PR 5021 — The Very Best Of Tony Bennett: 20 Greatest Hits [UK]
- 1976: Warwick/CBS LP 12″: CBS 5021 — The Very Best Of Tony Bennett: 20 Greatest Hits [UK]
- 1991: Columbia CD: C4K 46843 — Forty Years – The Artistry Of Tony Bennett
- 1993: CBS/Sony CD: SRCS-6641 — Forty Years: The Artistry Of Tony Bennett
- 1997: CK 65317 — If I Ruled The World (Songs For The Jet Set)
- 1999: Sony International CD: 91207 — The Essential Tony Bennett: A Retrospective
- 2000: Columbia/Legacy CD: CK 63570 — The Ultimate Tony Bennett
- 2000: Sony Music CD: 63570 — The Ultimate Tony Bennett
- 2002: Columbia/Legacy CD: 86634 — The Essential Tony Bennett
- 2004: Columbia/Legacy CD: C5K 92784 — Fifty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett
- 2006: RPM/Columbia/Legacy CD: 84779 — Tony Bennett’s Greatest Hits Of The ’60s
- 2008: Columbia/RPM/Legacy CD: 731397 — The Essential Tony Bennett [Limited Edition 3.0]
- 2011: Disc #31 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK30) If I Ruled The World: Songs for the Jet Set
1971
“If I Ruled The World” was recorded on January 31, 1971 and released that year on the album Get Happy with The London Philharmonic Orchestra. It was arranged by Don Costa.
This recording released on:
- 1971: Columbia LP 12″: C 30953 — Get Happy with The London Philharmonic Orchestra
- 2011: Disc #42 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK41) Get Happy with The London Philharmonic Orchestra
2006-1
“If I Ruled The World” was recorded was recorded in 2006 with Celine Dion and was released that same year on Duets: An American Classic. It was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli.
This recording released on:
- 2006: RPM Records/Columbia CD: 82876809792 — Duets: An American Classic
- 2006: RPM Records/Columbia CD: 82876887352 — Duets: An American Classic [Target Stores]
- 2006: Sony BMG CD: 828768858721 — Duets: An American Classic [Australia]
- 2006: Sony BMG CD: 82876885862 — Duets: An American Classic [UK, Singapore]
- 2011: Disc #70 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK68) Duets: An American Classic
- 2013: Columbia/Legacy – Sixty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett
2006-2
“If I Ruled The World” was recorded was recorded in 2006 with Wang Hom Lee and was released that same year on Duets: An American Classic [UK, Singapore] . It was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli.
This recording released on:
- 2006: Sony BMG CD: 82876885862 — Duets: An American Classic [UK, Singapore]
2006-3
“If I Ruled The World” was recorded in 2006 with Delta Goodrem and was released that same year on Duets: An American Classic [Australia]. It was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli.
This recording released on:
- 2006: Sony BMG CD: 828768858721 — Duets: An American Classic [Australia]