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.
Don't Know Why I Love You
Stevie Wonder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't know why I love you
I don't know why I love you
But I love you
Always treat me like a fool
Kick me when I'm down that's your rule
I don't know why I love you
Oh you never stop your
Cheatin ways with another guy
You laugh in my face
Lord how long must I be disgraced
Cause I love you
Oh baby, baby, baby
I don't know why I love you
I don't know
You and me baby, oh
I don't know why I love you baby
But I love you baby
Oh darlin, darlin, darlin
You throw my heart down in the dirt
You made me crawl on
This cold black earth, baby
No I never, I never knew
How much love could hurt
Until I loved you baby
Till I loved you baby, baby
Oh baby, I can't stop
I can't stop crying can't you see
Here I'm pleadin on my knees
I'm on my knees
Won't you help me, help me please
Cause I love you, I love you baby
Sure enough, baby, yeah
I don't know, you don't know
We don't know none of us
Can't do nothing about it
I don't know, I don't know
Oh baby, I don't know, I don't know
Nobody can do nothing about it
The lyrics to Stevie Wonder's Don't Know Why I Love You express a feeling many people can relate to - loving someone despite knowing they are not treating you right. The repetition of the line "I don't know why I love you" emphasizes the confusion and frustration the singer feels towards their own emotions. They acknowledge that their love interest treats them poorly, cheating and demeaning them, yet they still cannot help but love them. The lines "You made me crawl on this cold black earth, baby / No I never, I never knew how much love could hurt" paint a vivid picture of the pain and suffering the singer has endured because of their love. The repetition of "baby" and "darling" serve to further highlight their affection for this person, despite their behavior.
The use of repetition throughout the song creates a sense of desperation and hopelessness for the singer. They feel powerless to control their emotions and stop loving this person, no matter how much they mistreat them. The line "I can't stop crying can't you see / Here I'm pleadin on my knees" shows the extent to which they are willing to go to try and salvage this relationship, even though it seems hopeless.
Overall, Don't Know Why I Love You conveys a deeply emotional and relatable sentiment, highlighting the complexities of love and human relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know why I love you
The singer is unsure of why they are in love with the other person.
But I love you
Despite being unsure, the singer knows they love the other person.
Always treat me like a fool
The other person consistently treats the singer poorly.
Kick me when I'm down that's your rule
The other person enjoys taking advantage of the artist when they are vulnerable.
Oh you never stop your
The other person continues to engage in negative behavior despite the artist's feelings.
Cheatin ways with another guy
The other person is unfaithful to the singer.
You laugh in my face
The other person mocks the singer's feelings.
Lord how long must I be disgraced
The artist is feeling ashamed and embarrassed by their situation.
Cause I love you
Despite the other person's behavior, the artist still loves them.
Oh baby, baby, baby
The artist is addressing the other person affectionately.
You throw my heart down in the dirt
The other person causes the singer emotional pain.
You made me crawl on
The other person forces the artist to feel humiliated and powerless.
This cold black earth, baby
The singer is using a metaphor to describe their emotional state due to the other person's treatment.
No I never, I never knew
The singer is expressing surprise at how much love can hurt.
How much love could hurt
The singer is experiencing emotional pain due to their love for the other person.
Until I loved you baby
The artist only realized how painful love could be after falling in love with the other person.
Oh baby, I can't stop
The artist is unable to stop feeling emotional pain due to the other person's treatment.
I can't stop crying can't you see
The singer is expressing how deeply hurt they are by the other person's actions.
Here I'm pleadin on my knees
The singer is begging for the other person to treat them better and show them love.
Won't you help me, help me please
The artist is in need of the other person's assistance in repairing their relationship.
Sure enough, baby, yeah
The artist is agreeing with the other person's behavior or statement.
We don't know none of us
Both the artist and the other person are uncertain about their relationship.
Can't do nothing about it
Both the singer and the other person feel trapped in their relationship.
Oh baby, I don't know, I don't know
The artist is expressing their confusion and uncertainty about their feelings for the other person.
Nobody can do nothing about it
Despite being uncertain about their relationship, neither the singer nor the other person can change their feelings.
Contributed by Reagan O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@brittanygarrison8030
Stevie never cared for this song but it's my favorite of all his masterpieces. Prettiest voice I've ever heard. He is a gift from God.
@abraxaseyes87
The peak is amazing
@anthonyaustin2166
I grew up listening to stevie ..saw him in concert aged 18 and only heard this track just a few days ago at the ripe old age of 54 and it was worth the wait x
@richarddutchholland4780
I heard this on the radio for the first time ever today and I now do believe it’s my favourite Stevie Wonder song and probably my favourite Motown track of all time, all in the space of a couple of hours......
@eradeziel
Is that right? I didn't know that, this is one of my favourite songs.
@stillspooky
@@eradeziel You should hear the Rollings Stones cover of it
@esperwarlord
I love at the end how he just starts to lose his breath and gasp for air but still keeps on singing because HE HAS TO LET THIS GIRL KNOW HOW HE FEELS. Truly amazing. I love singing this song out loud to myself.
@majordan1000
Never really thought of it that way I always believed it was part of the message, either way work of art. Glad you noticed and mentioned. The reason I say this is because it's noticeable in the early stage also, not as much in the latter.
@alexhunter-meier
a real doormat guy he was if it is true
@9999bigb
And he was like 17 when he wrote this. No big deal