The song was introduced in the Broadway production by Dorothy Sarnoff in the role of Lady Thiang, the King's head wife.
In the 1956 film adaptation "Something Wonderful" was sung by Terry Saunders in the role of Lady Thiang: Saunders was the understudy for Sarnoff in the Broadway production and, in 1952, had taken over the role when Sarnoff departed.
"Something Wonderful" is sung by Lady Thiang to Anna Leonowens to persuade her to accept the King for what he is, despite his faults.
In a sense, these lyrics have echoes of the song "You'll Never Walk Alone" from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel, which also deals with the issue of women standing by their husbands despite all their faults.
A most recent occurrence of the song is when it is sung as a tragic satire near the end of the 2020 movie, Promising Young Woman.