Living For The City
Stevie Wonder Lyrics

A boy is born in hard time Mississippi
The song describes a young boy who's born into a society with limited resources and opportunities, with many people around him struggling to make ends meet.

Surrounded by four walls that ain't so pretty
The boy is living in a cramped, probably poorly maintained living space, and the four walls around him are hardly conducive to a happy and healthy upbringing.

His parents give him love and affection
Despite their struggles, the boy's parents are doing their best to provide him with the emotional support he needs to succeed in life.

To keep him strong moving in the right direction
This line suggests that the boy's parents are determined to keep him focused on achieving his goals instead of succumbing to the temptations and distractions of their harsh environment.

Living just enough, just enough for the city
This repeated line is a way of saying that the boy's family is surviving amidst a city environment that provides very limited resources in terms of basic necessities like food, shelter, and money.

His father works some days for fourteen hours
The boy's father is working extremely long hours for very little pay, trying to earn enough money to support the family.

And you can bet he barely makes a dollar
Despite his long hours, the boy's father is probably barely scraping by because he is paid very little for his hard work.

His mother goes to scrub the floors for many
The boy's mother works long hours as a cleaner, probably for very low wages, in order to support the family.

And you'd best believe she hardly gets a penny
This line reinforces the idea that the boy's mother is working extremely hard for very little income, barely enough to pay for basic necessities like food and shelter.

Mm, her brother's smart he's got more sense than many
Despite the challenges around him, the boy's brother is intelligent, and can probably see through the obstacles and prejudices that lie in his path.

His patience's long but soon he won't have any
This line suggests that the boy's brother has been trying to stay hopeful and patient, but is slowly losing hope in finding any kind of work or prosperity in his city.

To find a job is like a haystack needle
This line underscores the challenges that people in this city face in finding work or opportunities to advance their lives; the job market is almost nonexistent.

'Cause where he lives they don't use colored people
This line suggests that the boy's brother is facing racism and discrimination in his search for work, making it even more difficult to find employment or hope for a better future.

Living for the city, yeah
This repeated line drives home the theme of the song: that people in the city are simply trying to survive amidst a society that provides them with just enough to get by.

Every body clap your hand, it's going down
This line breaks the narrative of the song to almost create an interactive moment with (and between) the listeners.

If we don't change the world will soon be over
This line carries a warning: if we don't change the way we treat people in the city - and around in general - then the entire world will suffer the consequences of our shortsightedness.

Living just enough, stop giving just enough for the city
This final, repeating line is a call-to-action that is the song's titular, most powerful point. We need to do better than barely scrape by if we're going to create a just society that serves all people.