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.
Joy
Stevie Wonder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And your love is making it better
I can feel it in my bones
Ooh each time we're alone
I live in ecstasy
And my soul refuses sleep
'Cause joy, joy, joy takes over me
Through thick and thin I'll stand
Loving you always
Yes I need you mama
To keep the heartache away
I know the sun's gon' shine
And as long as you're mine
It's joy, joy, joy, joy I feel inside
Oh yeah
Your love's potion
Gives me the notion
To shout out loud
Ooh baby baby baby babe
Like a spinning top
I can't stop
Ooh loving you
You know Stevie loves you
I need you baby, oh yeah
You know my love is sure to live
Ain't goin' nowhere
And I do believe girl
You were meant for me
'Cause I live in ecstasy
And my soul refuses sleep
'Cause joy, joy takes over me
Oh baby joy
Joy, joy, joy, joy
Joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy
The way you love me joy, baby
Takes over me
Oh the way you love me
The way you need me
Baby please don't leave me
I get joy
In the song Joy, by Stevie Wonder, the lyrics convey a sense of pure happiness and contentment in a romantic relationship. The chorus emphasizes the joy that the singer feels when they are with their partner. The way the joy takes over them is evident in the lyrics, "And my soul refuses sleep, 'cause joy, joy, joy takes over me." The verse goes on to say that the singer's love is "sweeter than ever" and "making it better." The love they share is so strong that it brings them to a state of ecstasy, and they cannot imagine living without it. Even in hard times, the singer assures their partner that their love will endure and that they will always stand by their side.
Interestingly, this song was not originally meant for Stevie Wonder to sing. It was written by Duke Pearson, and the original version was performed by the Jazz Crusaders. However, Stevie Wonder heard the song on the radio and loved it so much that he decided to make his own version of it.
Another notable fact about the song is that it was released as part of Stevie Wonder's album, Music of My Mind, in 1972. At that time, he was only 22 years old. The album marked a significant turning point in his career, as it was the first album he produced entirely on his own.
Line by Line Meaning
You can bet you're sweeter than ever
The singer is expressing his deep admiration for the addressee
And your love is making it better
The love of the addressee is making life better for the singer
I can feel it in my bones
The singer can feel the love of the addressee deeply and intensely
Ooh each time we're alone
The times when the artist is alone with the addressee are particularly special
I live in ecstasy
The love of the addressee is so intense that the artist is constantly feeling ecstatic
And my soul refuses sleep
The singer is so consumed by the love of the addressee that he cannot sleep
'Cause joy, joy, joy takes over me
The overwhelming feeling of joy that the singer experiences is all-encompassing
Through thick and thin I'll stand
The artist is committed to standing by the addressee through all challenges
Loving you always
The artist will always love the addressee
Yes I need you mama
The artist expresses his need for the addressee
To keep the heartache away
The singer sees the addressee as his source of comfort, who keeps him from experiencing heartache
I know the sun's gon' shine
The artist is confident that things will get better
And as long as you're mine
The singer expresses his possessiveness towards the addressee
It's joy, joy, joy, joy I feel inside
The addressee's love brings immense joy to the singer
Your love's potion
The addressee's love is compared to a magical potion
Gives me the notion
The artist feels inspired by the addressee's love
To shout out loud
The artist wants to express his love loudly
Ooh baby baby baby babe
The singer affectionately addresses the addressee
Like a spinning top
The singer's love for the addressee is compared to a spinning top that cannot stop
I can't stop
The artist cannot stop loving the addressee
Ooh loving you
The artist expresses his love for the addressee
You know Stevie loves you
The artist addresses the addressee, referring to himself in the third person
I need you baby, oh yeah
The singer expresses his need for the addressee
You know my love is sure to live
The artist is confident in the longevity of his love for the addressee
Ain't goin' nowhere
The singer's love for the addressee is not going anywhere
And I do believe girl
The singer expresses his belief that the addressee was meant for him
'Cause I live in ecstasy
The singer's love for the addressee is intense and he feels ecstatic
And my soul refuses sleep
The artist is so consumed by the love of the addressee that he cannot sleep
'Cause joy, joy takes over me
The artist is overwhelmed by joy that the addressee brings
Oh baby joy
The singer addresses the addressee, emphasizing the joy that they bring
Joy, joy, joy, joy
The feeling of joy is repeated to emphasize its all-encompassing nature
Joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy
The repetition of joy emphasizes the depth of the feeling
The way you love me joy, baby
The addressee's way of loving the artist brings joy
Takes over me
The feeling of joy consumes the artist
Oh the way you love me
The way the addressee loves the singer is emphasized
The way you need me
The artist's importance to the addressee is emphasized
Baby please don't leave me
The singer expresses his fear of losing the addressee's love
I get joy
The singer expresses that he feels joy because of the addressee's love
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Barney Duke Browner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@enchantedoven4630
One of the most beautiful songs ever. Really no words can describe it.
@mikeallred371
I was 14 when this album came out and I'm still loving it @ almost age 61..... this song is a masterpiece
@Mimi4826
Easily one of his most underrated songs
@TheKurtX
From a musical point of view, it is a masterpiece. A blend of styles, melodic, chordal arranging genius. Soulful, yet not pandering to a particular style in approach. It stopped me in my track decades later after loving the album all those years ago, I come back to it and find this gem is still ahead of its time.
@kaparjunksorsjegyeket2656
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@morpheuswick4790
I'm truly at a loss for words as to how your comment doesn't have a ridiculous amount of likes because for lack of a better words you summarize it to perfection! ๐ช๐พ ๐ช๐พ
@lankapk
I heard this song for the first time today. Itโs spellbinding, tender, touching, soulful and sensual at the same time. Wow. Every track on this masterpiece is nothing short of genius.
@rudyvradio
How he's not in the "GOAT" conversations one will never know๐คท๐พโโ๏ธ
@darlenehondl4174
He is the best man and I love that he made this song very good to listen to he nice to. Listen to
@magihypnotisthannibalbey1755
@Rudy V , you do know that Stevie Wonder was considered the First King of Pop?! Do research by pulling old Jet Magazines, Right On magazines in the early to mid 70โs ! ๐โก๏ธ๐๐พ