Lyrics for Wild World as interpreted by kevin

Wild World Lyrics
Now that I've lost everything to you
You say you wanna start something new
And it's breakin' my heart you're leavin'
Baby, I'm grievin'
But if you wanna leave, take good care
I hope you have a lot of nice things to wear
But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there

Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
I'll always remember you like a child, girl

You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do
And it's breakin' my heart in two
Because I never wanna see you a sad girl
Don't be a bad girl
But if you wanna leave, take good care
I hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there's a lot of bad and beware

Chorus

Baby, I love you
But if you wanna leave, take good care
I hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there's a lot of bad and beware

Chorus (twice)

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  • 42 Comments
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AlbinoPink3
05-18-2002

Rated 0 
I love this song. It is so beautiful. I think Cat Stevens is just warning someone to be careful about the choices she makes.

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1 Reply
jpock
05-21-2002

Rated +1 
I guess I don't have anything too insightful to add, but I'll try anyway. To me the song is about a young woman eager to see what the world has to offer her. She's obviously naive, but determined nonetheless. The line "it's hard to get by just upon a smile" means to me that the woman only thinks she understands how the world works. Also, the fact that the narrator calls her "girl" has to imply she's unknowing. Another thing is the "remember you as a child" line. I guess that also means that the narrator knows she'll be changed. It's an amazing song -- the realization that he must let her go even know if she ever returns she won't be the same. He just can't stop her -- perhaps he loves her too much to try.

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yikwan
05-21-2002

Rated 0 
i have heard this song before.but sing by Mr.Big
it is a really lovely song

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sarahcrawford16
07-13-2002

Rated 0 
i think this song mite be about a daughter leaving home, and he's tellin her how the the world has bad too,

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Pharabus
04-24-2003

Rated 0 
I think its about the break up of a relationship and he is trying to wish her well in the future but warning her that its not so nice out there. Read the first verse- "Now that I've lost everything to you
You say you wanna start something new
And it's breakin' my heart you're leavin'
Baby, I'm grievin' "

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Champagne Dream
04-30-2003

Rated 0 
Awesome song... This song has been around for ages and is MUCH better than Mr. Bigs version which can't even compare.

I'm with sarahcrawford16 on the daughter leaving home... "and I'll always remember you looking like a child girl" ... maybe I'm wrong.. but thats just how I've always interpreted it.

Makes me sad as I'll be leaving home soon......

Good Song.

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Candi4uifyaunder22
05-24-2004

Rated 0 
this song is one of the best songs of Cat stevens, and the way that everything that is in that song is so true, that its a wake up call, it is hard to get by without a smile, and i have lost everything to you, messy break up of mine, i sing it to remind myself that life is shitty but it will get better ============and it is a wild world

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XtremeDoGloveR
06-27-2004

Rated 0 
i think of my friends and i when i hear this song. we're young, but not too young, and almost ready to try and make something of ourselves in the world but not sure how to do it. i think this song is about just that- a young girl wanting to come into her own and striving for independence, but a little uncertain and scared. i myself feel a little disheartened when i hear this song; it frightens me to think of the perils that are hiding around every corner in life, but it also excites me to think that soon, i will hopefully build up the strength, stamina and wisdom necessary for robbing those perils of their power over my life. wow that was deep lol

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precipitate
12-18-2004

Rated 0 
I love this song

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nitsirhc
12-19-2004

Rated +1 
Sucks that he's in the Taliban now. I mean Yusblahblah only sings about Islam and beards and crap like that. Psh, over it!

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ctdunstan
01-13-2005

Rated +1 
Yusuf Islam is a Muslim, not a member of the Taliban. Not all Muslims are terrorists any more than all white Americans are Timothy McVeigh (architect of the Oklahoma City bombing). And why would it "suck" that he found religion? Do you feel that he owes you something more than the 10+ years of music he's already given you?

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polythenepam
03-26-2005

Rated 0 
maybe hes talking from the perspective of a boyfriend - "I've lost everything to you" could equal his virginity, and then she gets restless eventually and wants to "start something new".
hes sad and he thinks about what theyve meant to each other and says hell " always remember you like a child, girl", referring to their young love and her naivete about the world -
"It's hard to get by just upon a smile". he's not trying to scare her, he loves her so hes trying to warn her about the ways of the world. i love this song...

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hoyden
03-29-2005

Rated 0 
i've always wanted my dad to play this for me. but i dont think he even knows i love this song.

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BLAHness90
06-25-2005

Rated 0 
Has anyone heard the Beth Orton version?? That one is also pretty good.

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libragrl4music
07-13-2005

Rated 0 
this song written abot Patti D'Arbanville his girlfriend at the time.....she an actress now and was in the show sopranos

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syko_brat
11-09-2005

Rated 0 
This song means everything to alot of people. Its when your in a relationship and you have to let them go, but you have to warn them everything isnt how it seems or whats in the movies. Especially applies now, with bombs in America, Iraq and bomb threats in Australia. They just raided and found alot of bombs and weapons in Sydney and Melbourne. Its only a matter of time

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way_2_nang
01-20-2006

Rated 0 
Great song!

The Maxi Priest version is better tho!

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count_floyd
01-22-2006

Rated 0 
This song is clearly about a relationship with a girl ending, but it seems obvious to me that the narrator is getting dumped and his girl is moving away to live a more exciting (or successful, or glamorous, whatever) life.

There's no way it can be about a daughter or a friend, because of the theme of bitterness in the first verse. He's clearly holding a grudge against this girl:
"now that i've lost everything to you" - you don't say that to a daughter, you say that to a girl who dumps you unceremoniously. The same is true for:
"I hope you have a lot of nice things to wear
But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there"

He's not actually wishing her well, he's being sarcastic. He thinks she's naive and he's mad that she broke up with him, and he's hoping that all her plans to be successful fall through. It is definitely not about fond remembrances.

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2 Replies
bbbcswr
05-03-2006

Rated 0 
Allright,here is my take on this song. Probably not what he was thinking when he wrote it but who knows...makes sense to me.


There is a girl that he has known since childhood. They grew up together and were very close. They got together in their early teens (probably lost their virginities to eachother) and she is now about to go off to college. The girl does not want to try to stay together, she wants to experience new things and see what the world has to offer. Instead of being selfish and begging her, he tells her he loves her and wishes her success. He warns her of how harsh the "real world" can be. She seems to have a distorted view of the world, like fancy clothes and what people think of her is important. But regardless, he knows her true innocence and loves her.

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thezigg
05-12-2006

Rated 0 
For me this song is about a daughter leaving home. It is a daughter the guy had with someone he didnt love and the only reason he married and stuck around was to raise and love the kid. Now that I lost everything to you could be him thinking about how he lost his freedom, lifestyle, and dreams when she was born. He loves her alot so its killing him she is leaving and he is just giving parental advise about the world. Thats what it means to me. Im sure it was about a breakup but my explanation hits home much better.

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winwin
07-02-2006

Rated 0 
i heart this song. i am an optimistic person, so many people consider me a ditz. this song seems to explain how i feel pretty well. it acknowledges that there is shit in the world, but that you need hope to get through it. wishing good for the ones you love is what you should do, but you should know that it won't be easy. so basically, i see the lyrics as a hopeful view to something that has risks.

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redgiant
01-02-2007

Rated 0 
I believe that Cat is saying that the world can do many harmful things and you can go through some really hard times but everything always works out. He is explaining you always need to live your best and always be good but always warns her to watch out for the bad.

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BeautigulMess
02-04-2007

Rated 0 
I have so many memories of falling asleep listening to this song at my camp. It just reminds me of being young and carefree. Love it!

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into_xwhite
02-10-2007

Rated 0 
The only way I can look at it is from the father-daughter perspective that some of you have mentioned, because my dad really did used to sing this to me. That's how I got into Cat Stevens. It's sad to think that most people my age have no idea who he is.

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bansheenoise
04-01-2007

Rated 0 
i hate the fact this song was covered by skins.
skins is great, but i loved it before.
now everyone likes it because its a skins song.
it should be associated with its beauty.
not coz sid sang it.

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