“What the world needs now...”

THE FAMOUS SONG LYRIC THAT STILL RESONATES: “What the world needs now is love, sweet love.”        Hal David (1921-2012)        American song lyricist; frequent songwriting partner of Burt Bacharach         The well-known line from the song “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” one of many with lyrics by David and music by Bacharach.         The song was first recorded and popularized by Jackie DeShannon in 1965 and has since recorded by hundreds of other singers and bands.

AN EARLIER, LESS SUCCINCT (BUT EQUALLY ADMIRABLE) VERSION: “What the world needs now, and is ready for, is a patriot’s love for neighbor, fellow-citizen, and native land, based on sympathy and charity for all humanity.”        P.M. Magnusson (fl. late 1800s)        Minnesota educator and writer        Comment in an article published in the School Education Journal, January 1896

PROCHNOW’S VARIATION: “What the world needs is six months of peace so we can catch up on our worrying.”        Herbert V. Prochnow (1897-1998)         American toastmaster, author and bank executive        A quip included in his book 1000 Stories and Illustrations for All Occasions (1994)        (Cartoon by Mike Keefe)

THURMAN'S VARIATION: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”        Howard Thurman         American author, theologian, educator and civil rights leader        A popular quote of Thurman’s cited by many books and websites. It appears to have been originally quoted by theologian Gil Bailie as something Thurman said to him (recorded in Bailie’s book Violence Unveiled).

THE SEO/WEINER SIZE VARIATION: “I used to charge for access to my blog. But now it’s free, because I’ve realized what the world needs now is not love and peace and other boring turds, but raw unauthorized lists of things that YOU need to do to improve your SEO, PageRank and weiner size.”        Noah Stokes                  American product design and development consultant         A quip on his old website explaining why he is “the best choice for all your front end development needs”

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