Stevie Wonder’s

Lyrics

Should Be Remembered

By Ms. Chambers

Dec. 13, 2007

GT 6^th Grade Research

Sample/ Model

The Lyrics of Stevie Wonder Should Be Remembered

By Ms. Chambers

Stevie Wonder is a well known, 57-year-old, blind musician whose lyrics should be remembered, not only because he created scores of hit recordings, but also because his lyrics provide a history of African Americans in contemporary society. Stevie Wonder was born Stevland Morris is Saginaw, Michigan on May 13, 1950. He’s won 25 Grammy awards, which is a record for a solo artist. Blind since infancy, Stevie Wonder was twelve when he signed with Motown Records in Detroit, Michigan. In addition to creating lyrics for himself, he also creates for many of his musical contemporaries, and he plays many instruments, including the piano, synthesizer, talkbox, harmonica, congas, drums, bongos, bass guitar, organ, melodica, and clavinet. In his early career, he was best known for his harmonica work, but today he is better known for his keyboard skills. Its estimated his total sales cover more than 100-million units.

Stevie Wonder’s first hit was Fingertips—Part 2, recorded in 1963. The lyrics in that hit emphasized an upbeat, dance tempo and message. But, it was soon followed by a string of hits that emphasized love and romance until his later years when his lyrics turned more to a depiction of urban life, then a promotion of the creation of the Dr. King holiday and finally now to work in the name of various causes. His 1996 album/CD “Songs in the Key of Life”has been hailed by many, including classical artists, as another of his “works of genius.” In his 1973 hit “Living for the City,” Stevie Wonder combines his musical talent with his ability to accurately describe the often harsh life that accompanies “living in the city.” Those lyrics are here:

Stevie Wonder - Living For The City lyrics

A boy is born in hard time Mississippi
Surrounded by four walls that ain't so pretty
His parents give him love and affection
To keep him strong moving in the right direction
Living just enough, just enough for the city...ee ha!

His father works some days for fourteen hours
And you can bet he barely makes a dollar
His mother goes to scrub the floor for many
And you'd best believe she hardly gets a penny
Living just enough, just enough for the city...yeah

His sister's black but she is sho 'nuff pretty
Her skirt is short but Lord her legs are sturdy
To walk to school she's got to get up early
Her clothes are old but never are they dirty
Living just enough, just enough for the city...um hum

Her brother's smart he's got more sense than many
His patience's long but soon he won't have any
To find a job is like a haystack needle
Cause where he lives they don't use colored people
Living just enough, just enough for the city...
Living just enough...
For the city...ooh,ooh
[repeat several times]

His hair is long, his feet are hard and gritty
He spends his love walking the streets of New York City
He's almost dead from breathing on air pollution
He tried to vote but to him there's no solution
Living just enough, just enough for the city...yeah, yeah, yeah!

I hope you hear inside my voice of sorrow
And that it motivates you to make a better tomorrow
This place is cruel no where could be much colder
If we don't change the world will soon be over
Living just enough, just enough for the city!!!!

La, la, la, la, la, la,
Da Ba Da Da Da Da Da Da
Da Da Da Da Da Da
Da Ba Da Da Da Da Da Da Da
[Repeat to end]

As one can tell from the lyrics, Stevie Wonder was aptly able to describe in this song the move from small town country life to life in larger urban cities. He depicts to strains and pressures of each in both poetic and rhythmic form. The impact of the two intertwined and created a hit that is still active today………….

Works Cited

www.stevie-wonder.com, "Home page." Stevie Wonder: The Web Site 2004 2004 13 Dec 2007 <http://steviewonder.free.fr/>