Whole Wide World - Wreckless Eric, 1977

 
 

When I was a young boy
My mama said to me
There's only one girl in the world for you
And she probably lives in Tahiti

I'd go the whole wide world
I'd go the whole wide world
Just to find her

Or maybe she's in the Bahamas
Where the Caribbean sea is blue
Weeping in a tropical moonlit night
Because nobody's told her 'bout you

I'd go the whole wide world
I'd go the whole wide world
Just to find her
I'd go the whole wide world
I'd go the whole wide world
Find out where they hide her
I'd go the whole wide world
I'd go the whole wide world
Just to find her

Why am I hanging around in the rain out here
Trying to pick up a girl
Why are my eyes filling up with these lonely tears
When there're girls all over the world

Is she lying on a tropical beach somewhere
Underneath the tropical sun
Pining away in a heat wave there
Hoping that I won't be long

I should be lying on that sun-soaked beach with her
Caressing her warm brown skin
And then in a year or maybe not quite
We'll be sharing the same next of kin

I'd go the whole wide world
I'd go the whole wide world
Just to find her
I'd go the whole wide world
I'd go the whole wide world
Find out where they hide her
I'd go the whole wide world
I'd go the whole wide world
Just to find her

I'd go the whole wide world
I'd go the whole wide world
Find out where they hide her

Yeah

 
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Eric Goulden, better known as Wreckless Eric, is an English-born rocker who got his start with the New Wave era in the late '70s. Signing with Stiff Records, he shared the spotlight with Ian Dury, Elvis Costello the Damned and Nick Lowe.

Wreckless Eric has released 18 singles over his career, the latest being in 2003. But Whole Wide World seems to have struck a chord with other artists. Covers of this tune include the The Monkees ('80s comeback), Mental As Anything, The Lightning Seeds, and The Proclaimers. The problem with having a single song stand out in your career is lamented by Eric in this statement:

"There was a time when I regarded Whole Wide World as an albatross round my neck - I thought it was the only song of mine that people wanted to hear. It's the track that unimaginative radio presenter(s) always play when I go on their shows."

Eric met his future wife Amy Rigby while she was touring in England. She was singing a cover version of Whole Wide World, and he came onto the stage to join her!

I became aware of his music when I saw the 2006 movie Stranger Than Fiction. Will Ferrell's character starts singing Whole Wide World while playing his guitar. When Maggie Gyllenhaal kisses him, the original version takes over. After that, I couldn't get the tune out of my head.

Hmmm - guess I'm also guilty of focusing on that one song.