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.
Down To Earth
Stevie Wonder Lyrics
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I've been away too long
I got lost but then I came home again
Oh where I belong
Down to earth just in time
To the love I failed to see
I gave up a dream for a change of scene
Down to earth, down to earth
All that I lost I have found
What's it worth this bitter earth
Without your love around?
I got lost in the crowd
That's the price I had to pay
Cause I couldn't find what I left behind
'Til love showed me the way, yeah
Down to earth, down to earth
All that I lost I have found
What's it worth this bitter, bitter, bitter earth
Without your love around? Yeah
Welcome home little fool
And it's been a long hard climb
From a world unreal to the things I feel
Well love was waiting all the time
Down to earth, down to earth
Down, down to earth, yeah, yeah
The lyrics to Stevie Wonder's song Down to Earth are about returning to a sense of familiarity and comfort after experiencing a period of disorientation and confusion. The singer acknowledges that he has been away for too long, but he is grateful to be back where he belongs. He also acknowledges that he failed to see the love that was present in his life before he left - this love now serves as an anchor for him as he navigates the turbulence of the world.
The lyrics draw heavily on the metaphor of being "down to earth." This phrase can have different meanings - it can refer to a person who is unpretentious and humble, or it can refer to a sense of groundedness and stability. In the context of the song, being "down to earth" represents a return to both of these things: the singer has regained his sense of humility and connection to the people and places that matter to him.
Overall, the lyrics to "Down to Earth" are a poignant reflection on the need for human connection and grounding in a world that can be confusing and overwhelming. The song speaks to the power of love and community to provide a source of strength and stability, even in the most challenging of times.
Line by Line Meaning
Down to earth once again
Returning to a sense of humility and reality.
I've been away too long
I've been gone for too much time.
I got lost but then I came home again
I lost my way, but now I'm back where I belong.
Oh where I belong
In the place where I feel most comfortable and myself.
Down to earth just in time
I came back to reality just in time to see what I was missing.
To the love I failed to see
I was blind to the love that was there.
I gave up the dream for a change of scene
I abandoned my dreams for a change of environment.
Now I'm back where I should be
Now I am where I should have been all along.
Down to earth, down to earth
Back to reality, back to humility.
All that I lost I have found
I have regained everything that I had lost.
What's it worth this bitter earth
Is life worth living without the one I love?
Without your love around
Without the love of the one I hold dear.
I got lost in the crowd
I was overlooked and overshadowed by everyone else.
That's the price I had to pay
It was the price for being lost and not noticed.
Cause I couldn't find what I left behind
I was unable to find what I had left behind.
Till love showed me the way
Until love led me back to the right path.
Welcome home little fool
I may have been foolish, but welcome back.
And it's been a long hard time
It has been a difficult time, but I have made it through.
From a world unreal to the things I feel
From a fake world to the genuine feelings I am experiencing now.
Well love was waiting all the time
Love was always present and waiting for me to return.
Down to earth,down to earth
Returning to reality, humility, and a true sense of self.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ronald Miller, William O'malley, Avery Vanderberg
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!