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.
How Will I Know
Stevie Wonder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is the answer in her smile?
Or in the words that you first hear her say
Is it in the nick of time?
First impression in your mind
Do you know it all in just one day?
How will I know she loves me?
It's hard for true love to find you, find you
So easy to feel you're there
How will I know she loves me?
I know all things in time
Well, I have no problem waiting, waiting
For true love forever mine
Is the answer in her glance?
The first time you're holding hands
Or in the moment that feels oh so right
Is it in her tenderness?
Or the magic of his kiss
Or in the sweet love you make through the night
How will I know she loves me?
How will I know she cares?
It hard for true love to find you, find you
So easy to feel you're there
How will I know she loves me?
I know all things in time
Well I have no problem waiting, just waiting
For true love one of a kind
For true love forever mine
The lyrics of Stevie Wonder's song "How Will I Know" explore the uncertainty and doubt that come with falling in love. The singer asks a series of questions about how to recognize true love - is it in a person's eyes, smile, or words? In a first impression or a certain moment? In tenderness or physical intimacy? The singer acknowledges that it can be hard to find true love and that it takes time, but he's willing to wait for the real thing.
The lyrics suggest that love is not always easy to recognize or understand. It's not a simple matter of finding the right person or having an instant connection - there are many factors to consider and it may take time to know for sure. The chorus repeats the question "how will I know she loves me?" as if there is no easy answer. Love is a complicated emotion that can be difficult to put into words, and the song reflects this.
Overall, the lyrics of "How Will I Know" convey a sense of both excitement and uncertainty about falling in love. It's a universal experience that most people can relate to, and the song captures the complexity of those emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Is the answer in his eyes?
Looking into someone's eyes to see their true intentions - is it possible?
Is the answer in her smile?
Can a smile reveal a person's true feelings?
Or in the words that you first hear her say
First impressions matter - can they truly reveal what's in a person's heart?
Is it in the nick of time?
Sometimes, true love comes to us in unexpected moments - is it fate, or coincidence?
First impression in your mind
The power of first impressions, both positive and negative
Do you know it all in just one day?
Can love at first sight be real, or is it simply infatuation?
How will I know she loves me?
The search for true love and the quest to know whether it's real or not
How will I know she cares?
Wanting to know whether the one you love truly cares about you
It's hard for true love to find you, find you
The difficulty of finding true love in a world filled with distractions and complications
So easy to feel you're there
The feeling of being close to someone, even if they're not quite right for you
I know all things in time
Patience is key when it comes to love - waiting for the right one to come along
Well I have no problem waiting, just waiting
The willingness to wait for true love, no matter how long it takes
For true love one of a kind
The hope of finding a love that is unique and special, unlike any other
For true love forever mine
Once true love is found, wanting it to last forever
Contributed by Benjamin M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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!