The song of the day for Thursday, October 21, 2021, is “If I Ruled The World.”

About Today

Today we are honoring lyricist Leslie Bricusse, who died on October 19, 2021, at the age of 90. Obituaries: New York Times, Washington Post, Rolling Stone Magazine, The Times (UK), and The Guardian.

About This Song

“If I Ruled The World” was written in 1963 by Cyril Ornadel and Leslie Bricusse 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.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “If I Ruled The World” in 1965 for If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set, featuring an excellent Don Costa arrangement.

“If I Ruled The World,” as well as If I Ruled The World: Songs For The Jet Set is available on Apple Music.