Wonderful by Everclear

Album: Songs From An American Movie Vol. 1, Learning How To Smile (2000)

Charted: 36 11

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Songfacts®:

Lead singer Art Alexakis wrote this from a child's perspective. He was dealing with a recent divorce and the effect it had on his daughter, Anna. He says, "I was a child of a broken marriage, my daughter was the child of a broken marriage, and it was hard to watch it happen to her. That was me trying to make sense of it."
Alexakis: "It's one of those songs where I take my experiences as a kid, some experiences of some friends of mine, and kind of put myself into this kid's place. It's not really autobiographical but it's coming from a place that I understand very well. My characters tend to have aspects of my personality. It wouldn't be real if it didn't have a part of my reality."
Along with "Father Of Mine" and "Santa Monica," Alexakis considers this one of his most personal songs. He used to think these kind of songs were too serious and intense to be hits, but has found they strike chords with people and do very well. (Check out our interview with Art Alexakis.)

Comments: 16

Scream Queen from Springfield Virginia This song strikes a cord in me that’s deeper than a black cord it always seems to make me tear up each time I hear it
Michael Paschal from NigeriaThe lyrics are great and tells a lot, and really helps me understand more things about song writing
Carolyn from Detroit, MiWhen I first heard this song, I was eight years old, and didn't think much of it because I lived a wonderful life with both parents. Now, I'm 19, and yesterday my mom told me she was getting a divorce. I was looking for songs about divorce and this came up, and even experiencing this as an adult, this song describes exactly how I feel.
Karen from Metuchen, NjGah! Even thinking of the title of this song makes me cry! Once you're a parent, thinking of things that hurt your children really affect you. I still love the song, but if I'm having a hormonal day and it comes on my iPod shuffle, I have to bypass it!
Alexa from Cs, NyI can't even explain how much I can relate to this song. Every line describes exactly how I feel.
Rob from Pasadena, Mdi listened to this song and it made me cry so bad because he says everything that really happens to a person whos parents break up , and i would kno because my parents just broke up
Steph from Arden Hills, Mnthe first time i heard this song. my older brother was singing it to me. that was 9 years ago and every time i hear that song now i cry... it's a really deep song and it hits really close to home for me
Diane from Albuquerque, NmI love this song and it's a song that I listened to a lot after it came out because it reminded me a lot of my home life and problems and how we all wish for everything to be better.
Stacey from Someplace, Australiaawesome song the perspective is really sad but in the begining the wording is so cute like a little kid rhyming bad with sad etc and you feel so sad for him then it changes "i don't want to hear you say.."and his more like a teenager. i had a friend wen his parents broke up he was so upset and this song really comforted him and helped him through that part of his life. Also ilove learning how to smile too
Sara from Pakenham, Australiaeverclear know just how to find all your weak spots and make cry laugh and feel what their playing. great band great song!
Matt from Monroe, LaGreat song....even though Everclear does whine in alot of there lyrics...still a good song...
Jerry from Palm Harbor, FlI was in 8th grade when I first head this song. It was right before school- my dad was currently cheating on my mom who was suffering from schizophrenia...

I felt the first tears in years after hearing this one.
Alexandra from Staten Island, NyI can't believe how beautiful this song is. I knew I loved how it sounded, but I just read the lyrics now and I can't get enough.
Clint from Bloomington, InThis song is incredible. I hate to admit this because I'm really not a flake but this song defnitely does strike a cord with some people. I had never paid much attention to the lyrics - just liked the sound then one day I paid attention and it was just like I had written the song about my parents break up when I was 5. I couldn't have believed that a song could bring it all back so vividly - I was in the car and almost had to stop driving because my mind was reeling.

This song is a perfect example of how we're a generation that is fried by our parents' selfishness. I have five kids now and my wife and I argue but I remember how miserable it makes a kid and I know we'll never divorce - I keep working on making sure they know their parents love each other as much as we know we do (even though we argue sometimes). My brother is the other side of the coin, he learned nothing from my parents divore and is just all damage and pain. He has been arrested for domestic violence several times and I know his kids are going to have a horrible life. I wish there was something I could do - my dad thinks we (his four kids) should all just "get over it [the divorce]" but it's not something you forget and he'll never understand - the fool. Strangely, their other song "Father of Mine" is exactly like my dad too, really funny how many of us gen-x and gen-y-ers are fried and don't even know it - some of us do but have no clue what to do. Even though my dad's a hypocrite of a christian, I believe God made me able to prevent my family going the way of my Dad. I love "Woncerful!" Too bad the singer didn't learn the lesson he teaches so well in his song but aren't all of us kids of divorce kind of humpty dumpty whether we know it or not?
Madison from Atlanta, Gai remeber listening to this song when i was younger, and understanding that i was sad, but not knowing why. now that i realize that ti has been beautiful, i just couldnt appreciate it, i have been exposed to the harsh reality that is life, its not there.
Kristen from Campbellville, CanadaThis song is so amazing, its one of those never could get sick of songs. Once you see the video its like enough to make you cry, and then you watch it again. I can't believe the lack of comments on this song because I know so many people that say this song hit home for them, of course this site was hard to find. This was what made me love everclear, this song and Learning How to Smile. That song should definitly be on your site, because that song is absolutly amazing

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