Indian spiritual Guru Meher Baba (1894–1969) often used the expression "Don't worry, be happy" when cabling his followers in the West, and the expression was printed on … See more

The "instruments" in the a cappella song are entirely overdubbed voice parts and other sounds made by McFerrin, using no instruments at all; McFerrin also sings with an affected See more

The music video for the song is playful and comedic in nature. Directed by Drew Takahashi, it features McFerrin, Robin Williams, and Bill Irwin engaging in various humorous antics while cutting back and forth to McFerrin singing along with the lyrics, and is … See more

The song is ranked No. 31 on VH1's "100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '80s" and also appears on Rolling Stone's list of the 15 Best Whistling Songs of All Time. It was featured at #301 in the Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts See more

Kieran McCarthy of AllMusic expected that the song would "probably remain prevalent in pop culture as long as humans speak English and play … See more

At the 1989 Grammy Awards, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" won the awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal … See more

The song was used in George H. W. Bush's 1988 U.S. presidential election as Bush's 1988 official presidential campaign song, and it was used without McFerrin's permission or … See more