Songfacts®:

• This inspiration for this song was one of Gwen Stefani's real-life high-school romances. During an interview for the December 6, 2006 issue of Australian music magazine Inpress, she said it's one of her favorite songs, and explained: It was written for my... I guess he was my first kissing-love who I had in ninth grade - I guess I can say his name, Matt Ellej. He actually passed away and I wanted to write a song for him, and I wrote the song 'Wonderful Life.' The thing that's really crazy about the whole thing is - because obviously I hadn't seen him for a really long time, and I loved him and he changed my life so much - he's the one that turned me onto groups like The Cure and Depeche Mode. He was really into it; I mean he was Robert Smith - he had the whole big hair and everything. He was super into Depeche Mode, and so when Martin Gore played on the record I told him about Matt and how much he loved them. I mean, if he knew that... I mean, how beautiful is that? To have a song I wrote for him, and then to have his idol play on it - it was quite a meaningful experience for me." >>>

  Suggestion credit:
  Vitor - Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil
• Stefani wrote this song with Linda Perry, who has also written with Christina Aguilera, Pink and The Dixie Chicks.
• Stefani had this ready for her first solo album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby., in 2004, but it didn't make the cut so she included it on her next one, The Sweet Escape, in 2006.