Based on “Marry an Ugly Woman” by Roaring Lion (1934).
Also recorded (as “From a Logical Point of View”) by Robert Mitchum (1957).
Hit version by Jimmy Soul (US #1/R&B #1 1962 |UK #39 1963).
From the wiki: “‘If You Wanna Be Happy’ is based on the song ‘Marry an Ugly Woman’ by the Calypso artist Roaring Lion, from Trinidad, first recorded in 1934. Robert Mitchum did a cover version of ‘Ugly Woman’ on Calypso — Is Like So…! titled ‘From a Logical Point of View’ (1957).
“Jimmy Soul’s ‘If You Wanna Be Happy’ was adapted by Joseph Royster, Carmella Guida and Frank Guida (‘Quarter to Three’) and recorded by Soul in 1962, topping both the Pop and R&B charts in the US.”