“Happy Talk” by Captain Sensible

“Happy Talk”, like the name states, is about talking about the things that make you happy. Captain Sensible goes on to say that dreams can be anything, but it can only come true if you have one.

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Captain Sensible's Happy Talk at Lyrics.org.

A list of little things that one could usually see in their daily lives is later made in the song. Some examples would be “the moon floating in the sky” and “counting all the ripples on the sea.” This ultimately aims to show how life can be filled with happiness if you enjoy the little things in life.

Enjoying the Little things in Life

Often in life, we are caught in the fast-paced cycle surrounding work and getting our to-do lists checked off that we forget to give ourselves time to simply be present in the moment. Technology has also made it equally easy to be accessible to everything that it can distract us from what’s important. We check and reply emails, attend to work or be engrossed on social media even as we are on the move (funny thing – I’m writing this while on the bus). Simply put, while it’s good to have things to do, we should also remember to take time to pause from our busy lives to look around and enjoy the people and things around us. Take a few deep breathes to clear our minds. Who knows? It would actually make you more happier and productive for the day. Remember – with good health comes great wealth. 

This is basically what Captain Sensible’s “Happy Talk” is propagating. Humans should pause for a while to enjoy the little things in life.

Who wrote “Happy Talk”?

To begin with, Captain Sensible (whose real name is Raymond Burns) didn’t write this song. Two influential American songwriters/composers are credited with the composing/writing of “Happy Talk”. They are:

When did Captain Sensible release “Happy Talk”?

Sensible released this song in June of 1982 as the first single from his maiden solo album, “Women and Captains First”.

That said, it is important to state that “Happy Talk” wasn’t originally released by Sensible. Put simply, Sensible’s version of the song is a cover. The song was originally published way back in 1949.

The song was actually written for and used in the 1949 musical titled “South Pacific“. In this musical, which was created by the writers of “Happy Talk” (Hammerstein and Rodgers), the song is sung by a character named Bloody Mary.

“Happy Talk” scores Sensible a No. 1

Captain Sensible enjoyed massive success with “Happy Talk”, especially in the UK. Not long after the song’s official release, it shot straight to the number 1 spot on UK’s official singles charts (UK Singles Charts).

Outside of the UK, “Happy Talk” also performed quite well in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Belgium. In these countries, it gave Sensible a top-40 hit.

Another country where it also performed exceptionally well was the Republic of Ireland. Here, the song also hit the apex of the country’s official singles chart.

It is worth mentioning that to date, “Happy Talk” remains Sensible’s most successful single. It is also the only number 1 single of his entire solo career.

As if the chart success wasn’t enough, Sensible was also honored when his version of “Happy Talk” was sampled in British rapper Dizzee Rascal’s 2004 hit song titled “Dream”.

Other Popular Covers

Captain Sensible’s version isn’t the only interpretation of this classic tune to be formally released. However, to date, it is the most famous. Other notable interpretations/covers of “Happy Talk” include:

  • Ella Fitzgerald’s of 1955
  • Doris Day’s of 1960
  • Nancy Wilson’s of 1961
  • Karrin Allyson’s of 2015

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