Pharrell Says He Wrote Ten Versions Of "Happy"

"I got to point zero, and I just said to myself, 'How do you make a song about a guy who is so happy and relentless in doing so?'" Pharrell said.

Appearing as a guest on Good Morning America earlier today (April 7), Pharrell explained writing nine versions of his recent song “Happy” before arriving at a final version with the tenth. During the show the producer/singer also performed the hit for an audience in Times Square. 

“It was actually nine versions before I got to the tenth,” he said. “That’s when I had to ask myself, one more time, for the last time, I got to point zero, and I just said to myself, ‘How do you make a song about a guy who is so happy and relentless in doing so?’ That’s when I realized that the answer had been sleeping in the question all along.”

Describing the writing process within the context of its placement on the animated film Despicable Me 2, Pharrell outlined being nervous about delivering the track for the sequel.