The Wonder of It All

Musical entertainment touring group Up With People was founded in Tucson, AZ, in 1965 by one J. Blanton Belk in response to the growing number of protests and demonstrations spearheaded by the nation's youth. In its original incarnation, the nonprofit included a leadership curriculum and overseas study program in addition to a song-and-dance troupe that spotlighted the talents of performers aged 18-25. With its squeaky-clean image and wholesome, humanistic entertainment, Up With People proved popular at sporting events and other large gatherings — they headlined no fewer than four Super Bowl halftime shows, most notably 1976's Super Bowl X, with their production "200 Years and Just a Baby: America's Bicentennial Tribute." At its peak, the group was earning 30 million dollars annually, with five different 150-member casts of performers simultaneously touring the globe; for the Pace label, Up With People also recorded a handful of LPs, among them Encore!, The Sing-Out Musical, and In Hollywood.

• Contains complete lyrics

Available at a discount in these digital sheet music collections:

Collection: The Up With People Songbook (1970 Show)

Collection: A Treasury of Up With People Favorites 1965-1975