Stevland Hardaway Morris (né Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally a… Read Full Bio ↴Stevland Hardaway Morris (né Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, soul, gospel, funk, and jazz. A virtual one-man band, Wonder's use of synthesizers and other electronic musical instruments during the 1970s reshaped the conventions of R&B. He also helped drive such genres into the album era, crafting his LPs as cohesive and consistent, in addition to socially conscious statements with complex compositions. Blind since shortly after his birth, Wonder was a child prodigy who signed with Motown's Tamla label at the age of 11, where he was given the professional name Little Stevie Wonder.

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.

Galaxy Paradise
Stevie Wonder Lyrics

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You are so unpredictable
When I am not
You are so irresistible
That I can't stop
You say my name
And I start walking on heaven

What flying saucer did you come here on?

What extraterrestrial planet are you from?
You're much more than life
You're from galaxy paradise

What flying saucer did you come here on?
What will they say when they find that you're gone?
Say you'll stay in life
Queen from galaxy paradise

You are so unforgettable
And I will not
Our love's far more than sensual
And twice as hot
You touch my hand
And I know that we'll love forever

What flying saucer did you come here on?
What extraterrestrial planet are you from?
You're much more than life
You're from galaxy paradise

What flying saucer did you come here on?
What will they say when they find that you're gone?

Say you'll stay in life
Queen from galaxy paradise

Overall Meaning

In "Galaxy Paradise" by Stevie Wonder, the singer is expressing his admiration for his lover's mysterious and otherworldly nature. They are unpredictable, irresistible, and unforgettable, and simply saying the singer's name sends them soaring to heavenly heights. Wonder uses vivid imagery of flying saucers and extraterrestrial planets to capture the idea that the lover is not quite of this world, and that their love is transcendent and goes beyond the physical realm.

The repeated question of "What flying saucers did you come here on? What extraterrestrial planet are you from?" creates a sense of wonder and awe, as the singer is trying to comprehend the otherworldly nature of his lover. The phrase "galaxy paradise" further emphasizes this idea of a celestial space where their love resides. The singer is fully enamored, and while they may not understand their lover completely, they know that their love is forever.

Overall, "Galaxy Paradise" is a romantic and imaginative love song that explores the idea of love transcending the physical and entering into a cosmic realm.

Line by Line Meaning

You are so unpredictable
You have the ability to surprise me and keep me guessing.

When I am not
Even when I'm not expecting anything different from you.

You are so irresistible
I am unable to resist your charms.

That I can't stop
I can't help but be drawn to you.

You say my name
Just hearing you say my name is enough to make me happy.

And I start walking on heaven
I feel like I'm walking on a cloud or in a state of pure bliss when I hear you speak my name.

What flying saucers did you come here on
I'm amazed by how otherworldly and incredible you seem to me.

What extraterrestrial planet are you from
I can't imagine where you came from or how you came to be so amazing.

You're much more than life
You are beyond just the normal experiences and expectations of life.

You're from galaxy paradise
You seem to come from a heavenly, perfect place that is beyond anything I've ever known.

What will they say when they find that you're gone
The rest of the world will be devastated if you ever leave.