Stevland Hardaway Morris (né Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally a… Read Full Bio ↴Stevland Hardaway Morris (né Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, soul, gospel, funk, and jazz. A virtual one-man band, Wonder's use of synthesizers and other electronic musical instruments during the 1970s reshaped the conventions of R&B. He also helped drive such genres into the album era, crafting his LPs as cohesive and consistent, in addition to socially conscious statements with complex compositions. Blind since shortly after his birth, Wonder was a child prodigy who signed with Motown's Tamla label at the age of 11, where he was given the professional name Little Stevie Wonder.

Wonder's single "Fingertips" was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963, at the age of 13, making him the youngest artist ever to top the chart. Wonder's critical success was at its peak in the 1970s. His "classic period" began in 1972 with the releases of Music of My Mind and Talking Book, the latter featuring "Superstition", which is one of the most distinctive and famous examples of the sound of the Hohner Clavinet keyboard. His works Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974) and Songs in the Key of Life (1976) all won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, making him the tied-record holder for the most Album of the Year wins, with three. He is also the only artist to have won the award with three consecutive album releases. Wonder began his "commercial period" in the 1980s; he achieved his biggest hits and highest level of fame, had increased album sales, charity participation, high-profile collaborations (including Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson), political impact, and television appearances. Wonder has continued to remain active in music and political causes.

Wonder is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales of over 100 million records worldwide. He has won 25 Grammy Awards (the most by a solo artist) and one Academy Award (Best Original Song, for the 1984 film The Woman in Red). Wonder has been inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is also noted for his work as an activist for political causes, including his 1980 campaign to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a federal holiday in the U.S. In 2009, he was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace, and in 2014, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Wonder was born Stevland Hardaway Judkins in Saginaw, Michigan, on May 13, 1950, the third of five children born to Lula Mae Hardaway, and the second of Hardaway's two children with Calvin Judkins. He was born six weeks premature which, along with the oxygen-rich atmosphere in the hospital incubator, resulted in retinopathy of prematurity, a condition in which the growth of the eyes is aborted and causes the retinas to detach, so he became blind.

Are You Sure Love Is The Name Of This Game?
Stevie Wonder Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'll admit that you've been
Playing with my heart
Just like it was a toy
And I've been playing along
And letting you treat me wrong
Because it seems to give you joy

Are you sure love is the name of this game

Are you sure love is the name of this game

For days on end you just stay away
Waitin' for my heart to weaken
It's like we're playing hide and seek
And I'm the one who's always seeking

Are you sure love is the name of this game
I wanna know
Are you sure L-O-V-E love is the name of this game

Well if everything's right
And uptight
How come the heartaches keep repeating
With every beat my heart is beating
Now can it be that you've been cheating
Cheating on me

Now how come you keep on
Telling me lies
Filling my life with sorrow
Don't know what to expect
From your affection
It's here today and gone tomorrow

Are you sure love, love, love is the name of this game

I wanna know
Are you sure L-O-V-E love is the name of this game

Overall Meaning

In "Are You Sure Love Is The Name Of This Game," Stevie Wonder sings about the confusion and pain caused by a partner who is treating him poorly. His partner seems to be playing games with his heart, causing him to question whether love is really the name of the game they are playing. Wonder feels like he is the one who is always seeking, while his partner is content to stay away, leaving him in a state of emotional weakness.

Wonder's lyrics showcase the uncertainty and heartache that can come with being in a relationship that is not built on mutual love and respect. He wonders if his partner is cheating on him and why they keep telling lies. The repetition of the phrase "Are you sure love is the name of this game" emphasizes the confusion and doubt that Wonder is experiencing.

Overall, this song suggests that true love is about more than just playing games and manipulating emotions. It is about honesty, trust, and a genuine commitment to someone else's well-being.

Line by Line Meaning

I'll admit that you've been
I confess that you have been

Playing with my heart
Playing around with my emotions

Just like it was a toy
As if it were a plaything

And I've been playing along
I have been going along with it

And letting you treat me wrong
Allowing you to mistreat me

Because it seems to give you joy
As it brings you happiness

Are you sure love is the name of this game
Do you think that this relationship is genuine love

For days on end you just stay away
You have been absent for prolonged periods

Waitin' for my heart to weaken
Waiting for me to become vulnerable

It's like we're playing hide and seek
It feels as though we are engaging in a game of hide-and-seek

And I'm the one who's always seeking
While I am the one who is always actively searching for you