As I walk through
This wicked world
Searchin' for light in the darkness of insanity
I ask myself
Is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?

And each time I feel like this inside
There's one thing I wanna know:
What's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding? Oh
What's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding?

And as I walked on
Through troubled times
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
So where are the strong
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony

'Cause each time I feel it slippin' away, just makes me wanna cry
What's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding? Oh
What's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding?

So where are the strong?
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony

'Cause each time I feel it slippin' away, just makes me wanna cry
What's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding? Oh
What's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding? Oh
What's so fun about peace, love and understanding?


Lyrics submitted by Mopnugget

(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding? Lyrics as written by Nicholas Lowe

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love and Understanding song meanings
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13 Comments

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  • +6
    General Comment
    This song sums up exactly how I feel about the way the human race is... nothing saddens me more than the amount of hate and intolerance that still exists in the world... and, really, what is so funny about peace, love and understanding? why does it always have to be fighting and killing and hatred... why can't anything be sorted out without those things? the fighting, killing and hatred just spreads more of the same, so surely people should realise it's not the right way. what's so funny about peace, love and understanding?!
    Lennonforeveron May 01, 2006   Link
  • +3
    My Opinion
    What's So Funny about Peace, Love and Understanding?-i've always wanted to ask that Rock Question myself! When Elvis asks "So where are the strong/And who are the trusted/And where is the harmony?/Sweet Harmony?"-Mr. Costello is asking-"How and when are we gonna make things better in the world?"-Through rock
    rabbitbunnyon July 09, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    Great song -- very nice to see Elvis sing it when he was hosting Letterman. He'd just had a new album come out but played this as a statement instead. Love him!!
    amyshon February 07, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    It's about the end of the hippie era, when people were getting together and caring for each other and a much better and more humane world seemed to be at fingers reach, until it all got marketed as just another product and the "fashion" passed, making the old "peace and love" motto sound dated and subject to jokes by most people. But it's interesting the way Elvis does it, as compared to the original Brinsley Schwartz version in '74. While the original sounded almost like Nick Lowe and band were mourning at the "better world"'s funeral, Elvis is downright mad at those who "murdered" it. One of the most moving songs of all time without a doubt, thanks Nick Lowe for writing it and Elvis for the great version and keeping it alive.
    Tiger Kingon October 17, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    Feel good song by a feel good artist. my personal favorite Costello song.
    Gangon September 23, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    Yes, this song was written by Nick Lowe, but many more people associate it with Elvis. I was studying James Joyce's Ulysses and made a presentation on one of the episodes (Cyclops, in which Bloom goes into a pub and "Citizen" starts to berate him and chases him out into the street) - before we started our discussion, I played this song as I thought it fit so perfectly. I don't know about Nick, but I bet that Elvis is very familiar with Joyce.
    drgjeltenon April 17, 2014   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    What a great song? Maybe George W. Bush should read this? Oh wait, he can't read.
    Giackson July 14, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Chris Cornell played an awesome live acoustic version of this song... Download it !
    QuebecGuy777on August 04, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion
    What's So Funny about Peace, Love and Understanding?-I've always wanted to ask that Rock Question myself-In this song, I agree with Elvis about one thing-"How are we gonna make it better in our world today?"-Mr. Costello is right. This song has been covered by many bands and artists notably the Hooters, Steve Earle and the Dukes and Midnight Oil among many others. It is Elvis Costello's best song-he made it his own. Through rock & roll, we can make the world a better place!
    rabbitbunnyon January 22, 2014   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Elvis' version is great. A classic. I strongly encourage those of you that love this song to not miss Nick Lowe's version. It's excellent in its own regard. Cheers, trl.
    thereadletteron February 13, 2016   Link

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