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.
Cold Chill
Stevie Wonder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hangin' out with my crew
Hot to trot and about to pop
Tryin' to find some girl to get into
There she was fine as can be
Hair braided down to her knees
She took me home, she turned me out
It was a cold chill on a summer night
Never thought that girlie wouldn't treat me right
It was a cold chill on a summer day
Never thought that girl would dog me out that way
It was a cold chill on a summer morn
Never cried like a baby since the day I was born
It was a cold chill on a summer eve
Never had no chopper bring me to my knees
I was feeling so trustin'
Gave it all right down to the bone
But she did me wrong
On a summer night
Cold, cold, cold, cold
Cold, cold, cold, cold
Cold chill
Cold chill
Cold, cold, cold, cold
Cold, cold, cold, cold
Cold chill
There's a cold chill, yeah
Far from meek, and feelin' chic
Refusing to concede defeat
There I was same crew, same time
Same club we kicked it at the previous week
I asked her how could she have the nerve
To treat me with such disgrace
She blinked her eyes, smiled, apologized
Threw her drink right in my face
It was a cold chill on a summer night
Never thought that girlie wouldn't treat me right
It was a cold chill on a summer day
Never thought that girl would dog me out that way
It was a cold chill on a summer morn
Never cried like a baby since the day I was born
It was a cold chill on a summer eve
Never had no chopper bring me to my knees
I was feelin' so trustin'
Gave it all right down to the bone
But she did me wrong
On a summer night
Cold, cold, cold, cold
Cold, cold, cold, cold
On a summer night (cold chill)
A cold chill (on a summer night)
Cold, cold, cold, cold
Cold, cold, cold, cold
On a summer night (cold chill)
A cold chill, yeah
I don't think I feel like
A cold chill
A cold chill
A cold chill, a cold chill, ow
Weekends came and weekends passed
But not the yearning in my heart
And there she was to light the spark
Like she did right from the very start
I took no time, drove to her house
Got deep into a passion high
I heard a knock, the turn of a key
And the voice of another guy
It was a cold chill on a summer night
Never thought that girlie wouldn't treat me right
It was a cold chill on a summer day
Never thought that girl would dog me out that way
It was a cold chill on a summer morn
Never cried like a baby since the day I was born
It was a cold chill on a summer eve
Never had no chopper bring me to my knees
I was feelin' so trustin'
Gave it all right down to the bone
But she did me wrong
On a summer night
Cold, cold, cold, cold
Cold, cold, cold, cold
On a summer night (cold chill)
A cold chill (on a summer night)
Cold, cold, cold, cold
Cold, cold, cold, cold
On a summer night (cold chill)
It was a cold chill, yeah
It was a cold chill
Like standing in the deep freeze
A cold chill
Like when snow's above your knees
Cold chill
Like sitting at the North Pole
A cold chill
Wearing not one stitch of clothes
A cold chill
Like a winter Chicago night
A cold chill
Twenty ice cubes down your back for spite
A cold chill
Stranded in sub-zero degrees
A cold chill
Laid out on the arctic sea
Cold chill
When your fingers get frost bite
A cold chill
Buried beneath ten feet of ice
Cold chill
Baby, that ain't so nice
A cold chill
A cold chill
The song "Cold Chill," written by Stevie Wonder, is a track from his 1987 album "Characters." The lyrics describe a young man who meets a beautiful girl and spends the night with her, only to have her disregard and mistreat him. The chorus repeats the phrase, "It was a cold chill on a summer night," emphasizing the betrayal and heartbreak the singer feels. Despite the upbeat rhythm and tempo of the song, the lyrics reflect a somber mood that is further highlighted by the use of metaphors like "cold" and "deep freeze."
The song portrays a sense of vulnerability and hopelessness, as the singer's trust is broken by the girl he falls for. He describes his eagerness to give it all for her, which ultimately ends in a painful realization of her betrayal. The imagery of coldness and winter used in the chorus reinforces the idea that the singer feels frozen and immobile in the face of the girl's deception.
One could interpret "Cold Chill" as a cautionary tale about the dangers of trusting someone too quickly or blindly. The song's protagonist is left with a deep sense of disappointment and heartache, reminding listeners of the importance of protecting themselves emotionally.
Line by Line Meaning
Feelin' young and full of fun
Feeling energetic and carefree
Hangin' out with my crew
Spending time with friends
Hot to trot and about to pop
Eager and ready to party
Tryin' to find some girl to get into
Looking for a girl to hook up with
There she was fine as can be
A beautiful girl caught his attention
Hair braided down to her knees
She had long hair braided up to her knees
She took me home, she turned me out
They went home and had sex
But before sunrise she said I must leave
She asked him to leave before sunrise
It was a cold chill on a summer night
He felt betrayed and hurt after being mistreated
Never thought that girlie wouldn't treat me right
He didn't expect her to treat him poorly
Never thought that girl would dog me out that way
He never expected to be treated badly by her
Never cried like a baby since the day I was born
He never cried so much before
Never had no chopper bring me to my knees
He never felt so humiliated before
Far from meek, and feelin' chic
He felt confident and fashionable
Refusing to concede defeat
He refused to give up
There I was same crew, same time
He was with the same friends at the same place
Same club we kicked it at the previous week
They were at the same club as the previous week
I asked her how could she have the nerve
He questioned her actions
To treat me with such disgrace
He felt humiliated and disrespected
She blinked her eyes, smiled, apologized
She apologized insincerely
Threw her drink right in my face
She showed her disrespect through her actions
Weekends came and weekends passed
Time kept moving despite his heartache
But not the yearning in my heart
He still longed for her
And there she was to light the spark
She was there to reignite his passion
Like she did right from the very start
Their attraction was still strong
I took no time, drove to her house
He quickly went to her house
Got deep into a passion high
They had passionate sex
I heard a knock, the turn of a key
He heard someone else enter her house
And the voice of another guy
He realized she was cheating on him
A cold chill
He was deeply hurt and betrayed
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Stevie Wonder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Netbin
Feelin young and full of fun
Hangin out with my crew
Hot to trot and about to pop
Tryin to find some girl to get into
There she was fine as can be
Hair braided down to her knees
She took me home, she turned me out
But before sunrise she said I must leave
It was a cold chill on a summer night
Never thought the girlie wouldn't treat me right
It was a cold chill on a summer day
Never thought the girl would dog me out that way
It was a cold chill on a summer morn
Never cried like a baby since the day I was born
It was a cold chill on a summer eve
Never had no chopper bring me to my knees
I was feeling so trusting
Gave it all right down to the bone
But she did me wrong
On a summer night
Far from meek, and feelin chic
Refusing to concede defeat
There I was same crew, same time
Same club we kicked it at the previous week
I asked her how could she have the nerve
To treat me with such disgrace
She blinked her eyes, smiled, apologized
Threw her drink right in my face
It was a cold chill on a summer night
Never thought the girlie wouldn't treat me right
It was a cold chill on a summer day
Never thought the girl would dog me out that way
It was a cold chill on a summer morn
Never cried like a baby since the day I was born
It was a cold chill on a summer eve
Never had no chopper bring me to my knees
I was feeling so trusting
Gave it all right down to the bone
But she did me wrong
On a summer night, on a summer night
On a summer night, on a summer night
A cold chill, a cold chill, a cold chill, cold chill
Weekends came and weekends passed
But not the yearning in my heart
And there she was to light the spark
Like she did right from the very start
I took no time, drove to her house
Got deep into a passion high
I heard a knock, the turn of a key
And the voice of another guy
It was a cold chill on a summer night
Never thought the girlie wouldn't treat me right
It was a cold chill on a summer day
Never thought the girl would dog me out that way
It was a cold chill on a summer morn
Never cried like a baby since the day I was born
It was a cold chill on a summer eve
Never had no chopper bring me to my knees
I was feeling so trusting
Gave it all right down to the bone
But she did me wrong
On a summer night, on a summer night
On a summer night, on a summer night
It was a cold chill
Like standing in the deep freeze
A cold chill
Like when snow's above your knees
Cold chill
Like sitting at the north pole
A cold chill
Wearing not one stitch of clothes
Cold chill
Like a winter chicago night
A cold chill
Twenty ice cubes down your back for spite
Cold chill
Stranded in sub-zero degrees
A cold chill
Layed out on the arctic sea
Cold chill
When your fingers get frost bite
A cold chill
Buried beneath ten feet of ice
Cold chill
Baby, that ain't so nice
A cold chill
Justis Jones
Stevie's playing the keyboard guitar on "Taboo to Love." The personnel for this song is:
MELVIN "WAH-WAH WATSON" RAGIN/Guitar
BEN BRIDGES/Guitar Solo
STEVIE WONDER/All Other Instruments, Lead Vocal Harmony
KIMBERLY BREWER, JAZZYFATNASTEES/Background Vocals
Not only is it just a fine piece of funky, soulful new jack swing, it's the funk, the whole funk, and nothin' but the funk!
Make this another tune to add to the girls' night out playlist.
Ray D
Love it!! The Prince remix version is INSANE!!!
rossi slade
EXACTLY PRINCE DID HIS THING AS USUAL. STEVIE DIDN'T RELEASE THE P VERSION BECAUSE IT WAS BETTER. WOW P WAS JUST FCUKING INCREDIBLE. NO WORDS CAN EXPRESS THE PURPLE YODA
Brenda BaBoom
Stevie delivers the BEAT!! Lawd‼️
The Bee Gees
One of the best songs of Stevie
Deep Voice of Reasoning
Absolute magic. That baseline is kick ass.
Netbin
Feelin young and full of fun
Hangin out with my crew
Hot to trot and about to pop
Tryin to find some girl to get into
There she was fine as can be
Hair braided down to her knees
She took me home, she turned me out
But before sunrise she said I must leave
It was a cold chill on a summer night
Never thought the girlie wouldn't treat me right
It was a cold chill on a summer day
Never thought the girl would dog me out that way
It was a cold chill on a summer morn
Never cried like a baby since the day I was born
It was a cold chill on a summer eve
Never had no chopper bring me to my knees
I was feeling so trusting
Gave it all right down to the bone
But she did me wrong
On a summer night
Far from meek, and feelin chic
Refusing to concede defeat
There I was same crew, same time
Same club we kicked it at the previous week
I asked her how could she have the nerve
To treat me with such disgrace
She blinked her eyes, smiled, apologized
Threw her drink right in my face
It was a cold chill on a summer night
Never thought the girlie wouldn't treat me right
It was a cold chill on a summer day
Never thought the girl would dog me out that way
It was a cold chill on a summer morn
Never cried like a baby since the day I was born
It was a cold chill on a summer eve
Never had no chopper bring me to my knees
I was feeling so trusting
Gave it all right down to the bone
But she did me wrong
On a summer night, on a summer night
On a summer night, on a summer night
A cold chill, a cold chill, a cold chill, cold chill
Weekends came and weekends passed
But not the yearning in my heart
And there she was to light the spark
Like she did right from the very start
I took no time, drove to her house
Got deep into a passion high
I heard a knock, the turn of a key
And the voice of another guy
It was a cold chill on a summer night
Never thought the girlie wouldn't treat me right
It was a cold chill on a summer day
Never thought the girl would dog me out that way
It was a cold chill on a summer morn
Never cried like a baby since the day I was born
It was a cold chill on a summer eve
Never had no chopper bring me to my knees
I was feeling so trusting
Gave it all right down to the bone
But she did me wrong
On a summer night, on a summer night
On a summer night, on a summer night
It was a cold chill
Like standing in the deep freeze
A cold chill
Like when snow's above your knees
Cold chill
Like sitting at the north pole
A cold chill
Wearing not one stitch of clothes
Cold chill
Like a winter chicago night
A cold chill
Twenty ice cubes down your back for spite
Cold chill
Stranded in sub-zero degrees
A cold chill
Layed out on the arctic sea
Cold chill
When your fingers get frost bite
A cold chill
Buried beneath ten feet of ice
Cold chill
Baby, that ain't so nice
A cold chill
tljones9
This song should have gotten more airplay........one of the best songs that he put out since "Characters"
lazycrewband
03:34 - there'no cold chill, my heart just got fire ! You don't get music like this these days ...
Deep Voice of Reasoning
Stevie's delivery is so convincing that if he dangled about unicorns I'd believe they existed. Absolute musical genius.
Andrea Patane
I'm also going to sing this winter song from Stevie Wonder on Zoom in January 2021 for Cafe Quarantine Karaoke/Open Mic this week during Round 2️⃣ AKA the encores. It's also been added to a playlist that I made on Spotify which is called, "Winter melodies." PLEASE make it clear that this is an audio version of "Cold Chill" by Stevie Wonder. 👍🏻 if you're impressed with how well I practice for Friday afternoons.