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.

Bang Bang
Stevie Wonder Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She was five and I was six
We rode on horses made of sticks
I wore black and she wore white
She would always win the fight

Bang bang she shot me down
Bang bang I hit the ground
Bang bang that awful sound

Bang bang my baby shot me down

Seasons came and changed the time
I grew up, I called her mine
She would always laugh and say
Remember when we used to play

Bang bang I shot you down
Bang bang you hit the ground
Bang bang that awful sound
Bang bang I used to shoot you down

The music played and people sang
And just for me the church bells rang

Hey!
Bang bang bang bang
Hey!
Bang bang bang bang
Hey!
Bang bang bang bang
Yeah!
Bang bang bang bang

Now she's gone I don't know why
'Till this day some times I cry
She didn't even say goodbye
She didn't take the time to lie

Bang bang she shot me down
Bang bang I hit the ground

Bang bang that awful sound
Bang bang my baby shot me down

Overall Meaning

At first listen, Stevie Wonder's Bang Bang might seem like a generic song about a girl shooting a boy down. But in reality, the song holds a deeper meaning. The first verse sets the stage with the lines "She was five and I was six, we rode on horses made of sticks." This is a reference to childhood innocence and playfulness, where even the most mundane things could turn into a source of joy. However, as the song progresses we learn that the girl, who used to play with the boy on makeshift horses, has now shot him down, using "bang bang" to signify the sound of the gun. This metaphor could be interpreted as representing the loss of innocence and the harsh reality of growing up.

Line by Line Meaning

She was five and I was six
The singer and his childhood friend were very young when they first met.

We rode on horses made of sticks
As children, the singer and his friend rode imaginary horses.

I wore black and she wore white
The singer and his friend dressed in opposite colors.

She would always win the fight
The artist's friend was better at imaginary battles than he was.

Bang bang she shot me down
The artist's friend 'killed' him in their imaginary battles.

Bang bang I hit the ground
The imaginary 'death' was represented by the singer falling to the ground.

Bang bang that awful sound
The 'gunshot' sound accompanies the imaginary death.

Bang bang my baby shot me down
The use of 'baby' is a term of endearment for the friend, emphasizing that she was only a child in their imaginary battles.

Seasons came and changed the time
As they grew older, things changed.

I grew up, I called her mine
The artist and his friend entered a romantic relationship as they got older.

She would always laugh and say
The friend had fond memories of their childhood battles.

Remember when we used to play
The friend reminiscences about their imaginary battles.

Bang bang I shot you down
The singer's role in their imaginary battles shifted as they got older.

Bang bang you hit the ground
The friend's imaginary 'death' is represented again.

Bang bang that awful sound
The 'gunshot' sound is used once again.

Bang bang I used to shoot you down
The interaction changed from the friend 'killing' the artist, to the artist 'killing' the friend.

The music played and people sang
The lyrics depict a celebratory atmosphere with music and singing.

And just for me the church bells rang
The singer hears church bells ringing, perhaps celebrating his wedding or another significant event.

Hey!
An exclamation, indicating excitement or emphasis.

Bang bang bang bang
Repetition of the 'gunshot' sound, perhaps representing the continued violence in their relationship or emotions.

Now she's gone I don't know why
The artist's romantic interest is no longer with him and he doesn't understand why.

'Till this day some times I cry
Even though time has passed, the artist still feels emotional about their relationship.

She didn't even say goodbye
The friend left the singer abruptly, without warning.

She didn't take the time to lie
The friend didn't bother with an excuse or explanation - she simply left.

Bang bang she shot me down
The use of 'she' adds emphasis to the friend's role in the singer's emotional pain.

Bang bang I hit the ground
The 'gunshot' sound is used again, representing the emotional pain of the singer.

Bang bang that awful sound
The 'gunshot' sound is used to close the song, bringing the relationship full circle.

Bang bang my baby shot me down
The repetition of the opening line emphasizes the cyclical nature of the relationship and the lasting emotional impact of their imaginary battles.

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Senen Reyes, Louis Freeze, Sonny Bono, Demerick Shelton

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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