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.
If You Really Love Me
Stevie Wonder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And if you really love me, won't you tell me?
And if you really love me, won't you tell me?
Then I won't have to be
Playing around
You call my name
Ooh, so sweet
When your mood is clear
You quickly change your ways
Then you say I'm untrue
What am I supposed to do
Be a fool who sits alone waiting for you
And if you really love me, won't you tell me?
And if you really love me, won't you tell me?
And if you really love me, won't you tell me? (Yeah)
Then I won't have to be
Playing around
I see the light of your smile
Calling me all the while
You are saying baby
It's time to go
First the feeling's alright
Then it's gone from sight
So I'm taking out this time to say
And if you really love me, won't you tell me?
And if you really love me, won't you tell me?
And if you really love me, won't you tell me? Baby, tell me
Then I won't have to be
Playing around
Playing around
Hey, yeah
Goofing around, no
Oh, baby
Playing around, no
Let me know how you feel, baby
Hey, oh, baby
Playing around, no
The lyrics to Stevie Wonder's song "If You Really Love Me" are a plea for honesty and transparency in a relationship. The repeated phrase, "If you really love me, won't you tell me?" is a direct address to the person in the relationship, asking them to speak honestly about their feelings. The singer is tired of playing games and being accused of being untrue. They want the other person to be clear about their own feelings and intentions so that they don't have to resort to "playing around." The lines "You quickly change your ways/ Then you say I'm untrue/ What am I supposed to do/ Be a fool who sits alone waiting for you" reveal the singer's frustration with their partner's inconsistency and doublespeak.
In the second verse, the singer acknowledges the other person's ability to draw them in with a smile and a sweet tone, but they are also aware of how easily that mood can change. They are tired of being left in the dark about the other person's true intentions and feelings, and they are using the song as a way of asking for clarity. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the idea that the singer is desperate for their partner to be upfront with them.
Overall, the song is a plea for honesty and transparency in a relationship. The singer is tired of playing games and being left in the dark about their partner's true feelings. They are asking for a direct and honest conversation about the state of the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
And if you really love me, won't you tell me?
Singer is asking the person if they truly love him/her, and requests them to express their love.
And if you really love me, won't you tell me?
Singer repeats his request and emphasizes the need for the person to convey their love.
And if you really love me, won't you tell me?
Singer repeats the request for the third time, suggesting his eagerness to hear the person express their love.
Then I won't have to be
Playing around
The singer implies that he/she is playing around only because he/she is uncertain of the other person's feelings. If they express their love, then he/she will be able to commit entirely.
You call my name
Ooh, so sweet
To make your kiss incomplete
The person calls the singer's name but does not complete their kiss, indicating their lack of interest and desire.
When your mood is clear
You quickly change your ways
Then you say I'm untrue
What am I supposed to do
The person changes their behavior and accuses the singer, leaving them confused about how to proceed.
Be a fool who sits alone waiting for you
The person expects the singer to wait for them, making them feel foolish and alone.
I see the light of your smile
Calling me all the while
You are saying baby
It's time to go
The person appears happy, but it is temporary and does not reflect their true feelings. They suggest it's time to leave.
First the feeling's alright
Then it's gone from sight
The initial feeling of affection quickly dissipates.
So I'm taking out this time to say
The singer takes this moment to express their desire for the person to communicate their love.
Hey, yeah
Goofing around, no
Oh, baby
Playing around, no
The singer asserts that they are not goofing or playing around anymore, and yearns for honesty and commitment from the person.
Let me know how you feel, baby
Hey, oh, baby
Playing around, no
The singer pleads with the person to express their true feelings and to stop playing games.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Syreeta Wright, Stevie Wonder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@matthopkins2024
The amount of joyful energy in this song is amazing.
@dennismclaurin1487
AMAZING,INDEED!!!!
@garvinwilson5728
Yes it is❤
@billcarey5560
@@dennismclaurin1487😢😊😊😢😊😢😢😢😊😊😊😢😊😊😊😢😢😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😢😢😊😊😊😊😊😢😊😊😊
@spareplanet
Exactly! I was just thinking about that. How is it that Stevie infuses so much joyful energy into his songs, so much more than other artists, even tho he would very understandably be down and depressed due to not having sight.
@rubedogg6969
The trumpet player is kicking some serious ass!
@ToOpen6seven
You ain't never lied!! LOL
@mrmc1022
Ruben Delgadillo.
@c.mitchell4983
Yasssssssss! Killing it!
@liljack2xjl634
On meeeeeee