‘I’m Yours’ by Jason Mraz is probably one of the best-known songs of the 2000s at this point. With its instantly recognizable ukulele riff, it has also become one of the most covered songs of the time period on that instrument in particular, with thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people trying their hand at this simple but sweet song.
We guarantee, however, Music Man readers, that this video is the most adorable cover of the song you will have ever seen. Uploaded in 2009, it shows a casually filmed home video of a sweet Japanese boy called Makoto Sato trying his hand at the song, and with 73 million views on YouTube alone, we can only guess that it’s the sweet simplicity of the video that has kept viewers flocking to watch it even all these years later.
The sweetest part of the video is not Makoto’s ukulele playing – although this is really cute in its own way. It’s actually his vocals; with English most likely not being his first language, the little boy chooses to sing just the sounds of the words rather than the actual words themselves, resulting in a performance that is as heartwarming as it is watchable.
Makoto’s YouTube channel, which was presumably run by his parents or guardians at the time, has just six videos uploaded. The video of him playing ‘I’m Yours’ is the most watched on there by a long stretch, but another one that has also proved popular is a similar video of him trying his hand at ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ by The Beatles.
It’s hard to say what has made Makoto’s YouTube videos so popular. Whether it’s the adorable face he is making while he concentrates, his sweet enthusiasm for the songs he is playing, or the simplicity of the videos themselves, we’ll probably never know – but one thing we can do is return to his videos to experience the joy they bring again and again.
Credit: Makoto Sato (YouTube, 2009). His homemade ukulele cover of Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours” is a tiny treasure—innocent, lovable and endlessly replayable. It’s a reminder of how simplicity and heart make viral magic. To watch the clip or discover more covers and background, check the useful links below.