What the world needs now is love sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love sweet love
No not just for some but for everyone

Lord we don’t need another mountain
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb
And there are oceans and rivers enough to cross
Enough to last ’til the end of time

What the world needs now is love sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love sweet love
No not just for some but for everyone

Lord, we don’t need another meadow
There are corn fields and wheat fields enough to grow
And there are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine
Oh listen Lord, if you want to know
If you want to know

What the world needs now is love sweet love
It’s the only thing that there is just too little of
What the world needs now is love sweet love
No not just for some, oh but just for everyone

It was April of 1965 when this song was released. I was a young woman of 22, married only seven months before. Fashions of the time included bell bottom pants, loud, splashy colors for men and women, and big hair. I could easily add six inches to my height by teasing my hair into a bee hive. The Beatles were winning Grammy awards, Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews won Academy awards and exploration into space was starting in earnest. It was the age of Aquarius, flower children, entrance of American troops into Viet Nam and protests in the streets. Sounds a lot like what continues in the world today.

Hal David wrote the lyrics for “What the World Needs Now is Love” to music composed by Burt Bacharach and it was released in April, 1965.  It is said that Hal David struggled with the lyrics for almost two years.  When he finally put things into perspective the words began to flow and he was able to complete it to what we know today. At the time, the lyricist had a son who might be called up to go to war in Viet Nam.  This must have played heavily on his heart.

I grew to love this ballad during that time in my life.  I was an idealistic young woman with hopes for the future, but the world around me was turning and changing so fast.  As I look back, however, the changes being made in the ever evolving world, didn’t change God nor His purpose in my life.  Though the world was and is still in turmoil, we can still hold to the fact that God is in control.  The Bible tells us that God is LOVE.  So all we really need is God.