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.
At Last Album Version
Stevie Wonder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What is there to moon glow, when love has passed you by
Then there came a midnight and the world was new
Now here am I so spellbound, darling
Not by stars, but just by you
At last my love has come along
My lonely days are over and life is like a song
My heart was wrapped in clover the night I looked at you
I found a dream that I can speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to press my cheek to
A thrill I've never known
You smiled and then the spell was cast
And here we are in Heaven
For you are mine at last
At last my love has come along
My lonely days are over and life is like a song
At last the skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped in clover the night I looked at you
I found a dream that I can speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to press my cheek to
A thrill I've never known
You smiled and then the spell was cast
And here we are in Heaven
"At Last" is a romantic ballad expressing the feeling of joy and relief at finding true love after a long period of loneliness. The song starts by highlighting the singer's past, where despite the beauty of the stars and the moon, they were meaningless as love eluded them. However, that all changes when they finally meet somebody special, someone who captures their heart so much that they are spellbound despite the absence of celestial wonders.
The chorus is a repetition of the phrase "at last," expressing the singer's sense of satisfaction at having found their soulmate. They feel a true sense of liberation from the loneliness of their past and are now able to sing out joyfully, likening their new experience to a beautiful and memorable song. The lyrics also portray the newfound understanding that comes with being in love, as the singer talks about finding a dream that they can call their own and a thrill that they never knew existed.
Overall, "At Last" is a tribute to the transformative power of love, capturing the essence of a moment in which everything seems to align perfectly. Its lyrics are heartfelt and emotive, making it one of the most enduring love songs of all time.
Line by Line Meaning
I was never spellbound by a starry sky
I have never before been enchanted by a starry night sky.
What is there to moon glow, when love has passed you by
Why should I be captivated by the moon's glow, when I have already lost love?
Then there came a midnight and the world was new
But then, one night, everything changed and the world seemed brand new.
Now here am I so spellbound, darling
Now I find myself completely enchanted, my dear.
Not by stars, but just by you
But my captivation is not due to the stars anymore, it is only because of you.
At last my love has come along
Finally, after waiting for so long, love has arrived in my life.
My lonely days are over and life is like a song
My days of loneliness have ended and life now feels like a beautiful melody.
At Last the skies above are blue
Finally, the sky above has turned blue, and everything around me feels perfect.
My heart was wrapped in clover the night I looked at you
The night I laid my eyes on you, my heart felt like it was wrapped in a warm, lucky clover.
I found a dream that I can speak to
I have discovered a dream that is so real, that I can talk to it like it is a person.
A dream that I can call my own
This dream is so special to me that I feel like it belongs only to me.
I found a thrill to press my cheek to
I have found the most thrilling thing to put my cheeks against.
A thrill I've never known
This thrill is something so new to me, that I have never felt anything like it before.
You smiled and then the spell was cast
The moment you smiled, I knew I was under your spell and completely enchanted by you.
And here we are in Heaven
Now, we are together and this moment feels like we are in a heavenly place.
For you are mine at last
Finally, my love, you are mine, and I could not be any happier.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HARRY WARREN, MACK GORDON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Phil Mitchell
James Jamerson was one of the greatest electric bassists to ever live, hands down.
modernsunrecords
this song is like a miracle... my favourite song ever from every musical genre.... i dont understand what to feel by listening to it, sadness or happiness.... its exactly the same with his other song called - id be a fool right now -.... how could he recorded song like this ??? Stevie is A MIRACLE in our world... he has made our world better ... sincerely,....
Nathan Miller
What a great tune! I'm discovering more killer Jamerson basslines all the time.
johnniewalker23
If you're looking for more Jamerson basslines check out Stevie's For Once In My Life album, he did that whole album. Here's a playlist to the album. http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC664E0649EF1DAE3
Ron Duskin "The One-Man Entertainer"
When I was small I remember my sister(RIP) bought this album and I loved listening to this song particularly little did I know I would grow to not only be a lover of music but also one who plays it, this is still one of my favorite Stevie songs!
Phil Mitchell
His bass lines in 'For Once in My Life' and 'What's Going On' by Marvin Gaye are two of my favorites. JJ's melodic approach to playing was a great complement to the Motown sound, and bass playing in general.
SaturnoGoya
At last, my love has come along My lonely days are over And life is like a song Oh, yeah, at last The skies above are blue My heart was wrapped up in clovers The night I looked at you I found a dream that I could speak to A dream that I can call my own I found a thrill to rest my cheek to A thrill that I have never known Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile Oh, and then the spell was cast And here we are in heaven For you are mine At last
celticsoulboy
Bassist is James Jamerson who played bass in a the Motown House band... a genius who revolutionsed the art of playing bass and in many ways invited a lot of the funk and disco bass which followed... sadly he died a poor man which is IMHO a tragedy. Still this is a terrific performance from both JJ and Stevie...
Everyone Noone
Stevie took this song out of Etta's blues and into the sunshine where it belongs. Exactly where the writers intended it to be. A notch up from Glenn Miller in the 1942 original. Originally I thought Nat King Cole's cover (recorded 1956) 5 yrs before Etta's was the best. Followed by the First Lady of Song Ella Fitzgerald's, then Etta. But I gotta put Stevie up there now, that I've heard it! Thanks for uploading this! :D
Ana Iftimie
love this song!!!