I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)

Hillside Singers

About I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)

"I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" is a pop song that originated as the jingle "Buy the World a Coke" in the groundbreaking 1971 "Hilltop" television commercial for Coca-Cola and sung by The Hillside Singers. "Buy the World a Coke" was produced by Billy Davis and portrayed a positive message of hope and love, featuring a multicultural collection of teenagers on top of a hill appearing to sing the song. The popularity of the jingle led to it being re-recorded in two versions; one by The New Seekers and another by The Hillside Singers, as a full-length song, dropping references to Coca-Cola. The song became a hit record in the US and the UK.  


Year:
1972
2:16
247 
#1

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I'd like to build the world a home
And furnish it with love
Grow apple trees and honey bees and snow-white turtle doves

I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I'd like to hold it in my arms and keep it company

I'd like to see the world for once
All standing hand in hand
And hear them echo through the hills "Ah, peace throughout the land"

(That's the song I hear)
I'd like to teach the world to sing (that the world sings today)
In perfect harmony

I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony

I'd like to build the world a home
And furnish it with love
Grow apple trees and honey bees and snow-white turtle doves

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Hillside Singers

The Hillside Singers were an American folk group. The ensemble was created by advertising agency McCann Erickson to sing in a television commercial. McCann Erickson had written the jingle "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" for Coca-Cola, and had sought to have The New Seekers sing it, but that group could not fit the project into their schedule and turned it down. McCann Erickson then got in touch with producer Al Ham, who put together a group of singers for the project (including his wife, Mary Mayo, and their daughter Lorri). The commercial began airing in July 1971 and was extremely popular, convincing Ham to rewrite the song as "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" and to record an album and a Christmas record. The single hit No. 1… more »

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Written by: WILLIAM M BACKER, ROGER F. COOK, ROQUEL DAVIS, ROGER GREENAWAY

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Origin
"I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" was originally conceived and used in a 1971 advertisement for Coca-Cola.
Variations
Although the most famous renditions are by the Hillside Singers and The New Seekers, the song has been covered by various other artists internationally.
New Verse Addition
The Hillside Singers version added a new verse to turn the commercial jingle into a full-length song: "I'd like to see the world for once/All standing hand in hand/And hear them echo through the hills/Ah, peace throughout the land".
Chart Performances
The New Seekers' version reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1972. In the U.S., it managed to reach number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Coca Cola's Contribution
The song was part of a Coca-Cola marketing campaign in 1971. The name of the campaign was "Buy the World a Coke."
Songwriters
The song was written by Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway, Bill Backer and Billy Davis.
Remixed Version
A remixed version of the song was released in 1991 by The New Seekers and was used in a Diet Coke advertising campaign.
Holiday Single
In 1971, the New Seekers also produced a Christmas variation, "We'd Like to Wish You a Merry Christmas," based on the melody of "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing."
Inspiration Vs Aspiration
The song's origin as a commercial jingle for a brand and its lyrics represent a contrast between the realities of the world (strife, discord) and the wish (for global brotherhood, peace, and harmony), creating a powerful emotional resonance.
Chorus Origin
The first line of the chorus, "I'd like to buy the world a Coke," was inspired when one of the songwriters was delayed at an airport and noticed that all the passengers were enjoying a Coke with others, creating a sense of global connectivity.

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    I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1972

    Billboard #13


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    I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing

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      I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)

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