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.
Drown in My Own Tears
Stevie Wonder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Into my eyes
When I begin
To realize
I've cried so much
Since you've been gone
I guess I'll drown in
My own tears
I've sit and cry
Just like a child
My pouring tears
Are running wild, yeah
If you don't think, yeah
You'll be home soon
I guess I'll drown, oh yes
In my own tears
I know it's true
Into each life
Some rain, oh yeah
Must fall
I'm so blue
Here without you
It keeps raining
More and more
Why don't you
Come on home?
So I won't be
So all alone, yeah
If you don't think, oh no
You'll be home soon
I guess I'll
(Drown in my own tears)
Everyday in my life I guess I'll
(Drown in my own tears)
Yeah, drown
(Drown in my own tears)
I guess I'll drown
Oh yes
In my own tears, yeah, yeah, yeah, ohh
The lyrics of Stevie Wonder's song "Drown in My Own Tears" convey the immense pain and sadness felt by a person who has been deeply hurt and abandoned by someone they love. The opening lines of the song express the despair of the singer who realizes that they have cried so much since their loved one left them that they might as well drown in their own tears. The second stanza of the song further emphasizes the depth of the singer's emotions by comparing their tears to that of a child. The absence of the loved one feels like a never-ending rain of sadness, leaving the singer feeling blue and lonely.
The song uses powerful imagery and figurative language to convey the emotional state of the singer, the lyrics of the chorus being the most powerful. The repetition of the phrase "drown in my own tears" not only emphasizes the depth of the singer's emotions but also reinforces the idea that the singer has been affected beyond repair by the abandonment of their loved one. The singer's plea for their loved one to come back home so they won't be so alone is a desperate cry for help, demonstrating the extent of their emotional dependence on this person.
Overall, "Drown in My Own Tears" is a poignant and emotional song that captures the heartbreak and pain of losing someone dear. Its powerful lyrics and Stevie Wonder's soulful performance make it a timeless masterpiece.
Line by Line Meaning
It brings the tears
The realization of your absence is so painful that it brings tears to my eyes.
Into my eyes
My eyes can't hold back the tears when thoughts of you cross my mind.
When I begin
At the moment I start to realize how much I miss you.
To realize
Becoming fully aware of how much I need you by my side.
I've cried so much
My tears have been flowing non-stop since you've been gone.
Since you've been gone
Since you left my world, my tears have been my constant companion.
I guess I'll drown in
My tears will eventually consume me and I'll succumb to them.
My own tears
I'll be overwhelmed by my own sadness and pain in your absence.
I've sit and cry
I've been sitting alone, crying uncontrollably, like a helpless child.
Just like a child
My vulnerability and desperation for you make me feel like a helpless child.
My pouring tears
My tears are flowing uncontrollably and in large amounts.
Are running wild, yeah
My tears and emotions are out of control and driving me crazy.
If you don't think, yeah
If you don't consider my feelings and come back to me soon...
You'll be home soon
I'm hoping and praying that you'll come back to me soon.
I guess I'll drown, oh yes
If you don't return to me soon, my tears and sadness will consume me and I'll be lost.
In my own tears
I'll be unable to cope with the pain and sadness on my own and be overwhelmed by my emotions.
I know it's true
I understand that in life, everyone experiences moments of sadness and hardship.
Into each life
We all face difficult times and hardships at some point in our lives.
Some rain, oh yeah
We all have to face unpleasant and difficult situations in life.
Must fall
It's inevitable to experience hardship, but it doesn't make it any less painful.
I'm so blue
I'm incredibly sad and lonely without you in my life.
Here without you
I'm struggling to cope without you by my side.
It keeps raining
My tears and pain keep pouring and I can't seem to stop them.
More and more
My sadness and pain are getting worse with each passing day.
Why don't you
I'm begging and pleading for you to come back to me.
Come on home?
I need you by my side and I'm asking you to come back to me.
So I won't be
If you come back to me, I won't have to feel...
So all alone, yeah
Alone and lost without you in my life.
If you don't think, oh no
If you don't consider my feelings and come back to me soon...
You'll be home soon
I'm hoping and praying that you'll come back to me soon.
I guess I'll
I'm out of options and...
(Drown in my own tears)
I'll be consumed and overwhelmed by my own sadness and pain.
Everyday in my life I guess I'll
Every day, the pain and sadness without you is consuming me and...
(Drown in my own tears)
I'll be consumed and overwhelmed by my own sadness and pain.
Yeah, drown
I'll be lost in my own sadness, feeling like I'm drowning.
(Drown in my own tears)
I'll be consumed and overwhelmed by my own sadness and pain.
I guess I'll drown
Without you, there's nothing I can do and I'll be consumed by my own sadness.
Oh yes
It's inevitable without you.
In my own tears, yeah, yeah, yeah, ohh
I'll be overwhelmed and consumed by my own emotions, without you by my side.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Henry B. Glover
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!