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.
Fingertips Pt. 2
Stevie Wonder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A lightning-fork crack in the pearl
A fault in the rock of the island
And it's usually shaped like a girl, a girl
Leave us lost in the rust and the rubble
Nine exits north of Las Vegas, Vegas
Nine exits north of Las Vegas, Vegas
I was the first one to see her
And you were the first one to fall
Like a half-drunken downhill skier
And she was the oncoming wall
Now I get that it's all gone awry
A joke I might like to take back
Wipe a bright star from the night sky
Nothing can fill in the black
The lyrics to Stevie Wonder's song Fingertips Pt. 2 are written in a poetic style, with vivid imagery that creates a sense of vulnerability and raw emotion. The lyrics allude to the idea that even the most precious and valuable things in life can have flaws, and these imperfections are often personified as a woman. The opening lines, "But there's always a flaw in the diamond, A lightning-fork crack in the pearl" serve as a metaphor for relationships and human connections. It suggests that while love may seem perfect, it is often marred by flaws and difficulties, much like a diamond or a pearl.
The lyrics continue to describe the sense of loss and despair that comes when a relationship falls apart. The line "Leave us lost in the rust and the rubble" is an evocative image that conjures up feelings of abandonment and loneliness. The repetition of "Nine exits north of Las Vegas" further emphasizes this sense of being lost and stranded in a desolate place. The idea of being the first one to see someone and the first one to fall for them is a common theme in love songs, but in this context, it feels more like a warning. The image of the "half-drunken downhill skier" hurtling toward an oncoming wall is a powerful one that suggests the inevitability of conflict and disaster. In the end, the lyrics suggest that even though the singer may wish things had turned out differently, there is no going back, and the pain of the loss will always be there.
Line by Line Meaning
But there's always a flaw in the diamond
Even the most perfect things have imperfections
A lightning-fork crack in the pearl
A split that runs through something beautiful
A fault in the rock of the island
An issue in the foundation of something solid
And it's usually shaped like a girl, a girl
Girls are often the source of problems for boys
Leave us lost in the rust and the rubble
Left stranded in a desolate, ruined place
Nine exits north of Las Vegas, Vegas
A specific location that is far from civilization
I was the first one to see her
He noticed the girl first
And you were the first one to fall
His friend fell for the girl first
Like a half-drunken downhill skier
He fell hard and fast
And she was the oncoming wall
The girl was the obstacle he crashed into
Now I get that it's all gone awry
He realizes that the situation has turned bad
A joke I might like to take back
He regrets something he said or did
Wipe a bright star from the night sky
Erasing something that was once beautiful or meaningful
Nothing can fill in the black
The sadness or emptiness cannot be replaced or fixed
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jeffrey Bhasker, Mark Ronson, Michael Chabon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gustavoceballos5327
Stevie Wonder (at the age of 12) was the youngest artist to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in history
@wholeazzasshole
Here from Jordan Peele's 'Nope' trailer. He never fails to come with the hits for his movies.
@Bill_Tserts
Coming in hot straight from the NOPE trailer, reporting for duty, sir!
@clarkewi
Marvin Gaye on drums. Killing it.
@PhilMoskowitz
Gaye played on the studio version, not any of the live recordings.
@martin43427
Incoming “Nope trailer brought me here” comments. Which I’m hella excited for!
@maryraymond3675
A masterpiece of early soul with a 12-year-old Stevie Wonder. Amazing!
@sandygomez8381
Saw him in the Brooklyn Fox Theater in 1962 or 1963. We share the same age . I was not only amazed at his talent but he was also so poised. Still a great singer songwriter....
@danweinert7547
1963--I was there wondering how a kid 2 years younger than me could possibly be so fucking talented
@melodysanger103
TODAY IN MUSIC HISTORY
60 YEARS AGO TODAY (May 21, 1963): A week after his 13th birthday, Stevie Wonder released his single "Fingertips."
It was taken from his live album "Recorded Live: The 12-Year Old Genius," which was also released on this day.
For the 1st time in Stevie’s career, “Fingertips” went to #1 on both the US Billboard R&B and pop singles charts. The album “Recorded Live: The 12-Year Old Genius” went to #1 on the pop album charts.
(The concert was recorded at the Regal Theater in Chicago, IL.)
[05/21/2023]