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.
Cash In Your Face
Stevie Wonder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To see how this building looks inside
This must be a lucky day for me
Because the sign says there's a vacancy
Look, I know you came a long way
But you made it just too late
So we had to give it to somebody else
Well, I talked to you on the phone less than fifteen minutes ago
I graduated from Howard U
My job is paying good money too
And if you check on my resume
You'll find they all wanted me to stay
Well, I can't take the time out
To check your credit card
'Cause the computer just broke down today
Well, I'll stop by here tomorrow to complete our interview
But I know what you're gonna say
I know what your bottom line is
You might have the cash
But you can not cash in your face
We don't want you living in here
Say you might have the cash
But you can not cash in your face
We don't want your kind living in here
Too, too, too bad
Too, too, too sad
Our first child is due here any day
That's why we're desperate for a place to stay
The location is so perfect too
So please try to do what you can do
Well, in this apartment complex no children are allowed
And if you told me that I could have saved you a lot of time
Well, I thought the bill was passed that said you could not discriminate
But I know some excuse you'll find
Because your bottom line is
You might have the cash
But you can not cash in your face
We don't want you living in here
Say you might have the cash
But you can not cash in your face
We don't want your kind living in here
Ay, you might be a great doctor
You might be a great lawyer
You might possess the key to the city
Or maybe a politician
Say you might have the cash
But you can not cash in your face
We don't want you living in here
No, no, no
You might have the cash
But you can't cash in this face
The song "Cash In Your Face" by Stevie Wonder is a social commentary on discrimination and prejudice, specifically in the housing sector. The lyrics tell the story of a couple who is desperately trying to find a place to live, but keep encountering rejection and discrimination because of their race, with the real estate agent refusing to give them a chance despite their good credit and income.
In the first verse, the couple arrives at a building with a "vacancy" sign, only to be told that someone else has already been given the apartment. The real estate agent dismisses them, claiming that the computer system is down and they cannot check their credit card. In the second verse, the couple explains that they are about to have their first child and desperately need a place to live. However, the agent insists that no children are allowed in the building. The agent argues that despite their good credit and income, the couple is not wanted in the building because of their race. The chorus repeats the phrase "You might have the cash, but you can not cash in your face" to drive home the message of how discrimination can prevent people from achieving their goals and living a fulfilling life.
Overall, the song shows the frustration and helplessness that can result from prejudice, leading to significant consequences in people's everyday lives. The message is clear; society needs to be more inclusive, and people should not be judged by their skin color or other societal factors.
Line by Line Meaning
You just could not know how long we tried
We've been struggling for a while and you have no idea how hard it's been for us.
To see how this building looks inside
We've been looking for a place to live and we're curious about what the inside of this building looks like.
This must be a lucky day for me
I'm feeling fortunate because there's a sign indicating that there might be an apartment available.
Because the sign says there's a vacancy
I'm hopeful because there's a sign indicating that there might be an apartment available.
Look I know you came a long way
I understand that you traveled a long distance to meet with me.
But you made it just too late
Unfortunately, we already gave the apartment to someone else.
So we had to give it to somebody else
We had to rent the apartment to someone else because you weren't here at the right time.
Well I talked to you on the phone less than fifteen minutes ago
We spoke on the phone just a few minutes ago.
And you told me that it was cool
You sounded like you were okay with everything we discussed on the phone earlier.
I graduated from Howard U.
I have a degree from Howard University.
My job is paying good money too
I have a well-paying job.
And if you check on my resume
If you review my resume, you'll see that I'm a qualified candidate.
You'll find they all wanted me to stay
My previous employers all wanted me to continue working for them.
Well I can't take the time out
I don't have time to verify your credit card information right now.
To check your credit card
I don't have time to verify your credit card information right now.
Cause the computer just broke down today
Our computer isn't working properly today, so I can't process your credit card information.
Well I'll stop by here tomorrow to complete our interview
I'll come back tomorrow to finish our conversation about renting an apartment.
But I know what you're gonna say
I anticipate your response to my request.
I know what your bottom line is
I understand what your final decision will be.
You might have the cash but you
Even if you can pay for the apartment,
Can...not cash in your face
we will not allow you to rent here for (discriminatory) reasons.
We don't want you living in here
We don't want you to rent an apartment in this building.
Say you might have the cash but you
Even if you can pay for the apartment,
Can...not cash in your face
we will not allow you to rent here for (discriminatory) reasons.
We don't want your kind living in here
We don't want people like you to rent apartments in this building.
Too-oo, too-oo too bad,
That's unfortunate,
Too-oo, too-oo too sad
That's sad.
Our first child is due here any day
We have a baby on the way and we need a place to live very soon.
That's why we're desperate for a place to stay
We're in a desperate situation and need somewhere to live right away.
The location is so perfect too
This apartment building is in a perfect location for us.
Well in this apartment complex no children are allowed
Unfortunately, this apartment building does not allow children to live here.
And if you told me that I could have saved you a lot of time
If you had told me about the no-children policy earlier, I could have saved myself time and effort by not coming here.
Well I thought the Bill was passed that said you could not discriminate
I was under the impression that anti-discrimination laws prevented landlords from discriminating against potential tenants.
But I know some excuse you'll find
I'm sure you'll come up with an excuse for not renting to us.
You might be a great doctor
Even if you have an impressive job as a doctor,
You might be a great lawyer
Even if you have an impressive job as a lawyer,
You might possess the key to the city
Even if you have an important role in the city,
Or maybe a politician
Even if you're a politician,
Aye, you might have the cash but you
Even if you can pay for an apartment,
Can...not cash in your face
We won't let you rent an apartment in this building for discriminatory reasons.
We don't want you living in here
We don't want you to rent an apartment in this building.
Say you might have the cash but you
Even if you can pay for an apartment,
Can...not cash in your face
We won't let you rent an apartment in this building for discriminatory reasons.
We don't want your kind living in here
We don't want people like you to rent apartments in this building.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Stevie Wonder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cheryl Rowland Hall
on Isn't She Lovely
Dedicated to my lovely daughter, Amy Kathleen Rawson, the lovely child who helped mom to grow up!