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.

Ruby
Stevie Wonder Lyrics

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They say, Ruby you're like a dream
Not always what you seem
And though my heart may break when I awake
Let it be so
I only know, Ruby, it's you

They say, Ruby you're like a song
You don't know right from wrong

And in your eyes I see heart aches for me
But from the start, who stole my heart?
Ruby, it's you
I hear your voice and I must come to you
I have no choice what else can I do?

They say, Ruby you're like a flame
Into my life you came

And though I should beware
Still I don't care you thrill me so

Overall Meaning

In Stevie Wonder's song "Ruby", the singer is addressing a person named Ruby, who is described in three different ways in each verse. In the first verse, Ruby is compared to a dream, not always what she seems. The singer seems to be hesitant yet helpless as he acknowledges that his heart may break when he wakes up but accepts it because he only knows that Ruby is the one for him.

In the second verse, Ruby is compared to a song, not able to differentiate right from wrong. The line "But from the start, who stole my heart? Ruby, it's you" conveys how the singer fell in love with her despite her flaws. The singer acknowledges his dependence on Ruby, saying he has no choice but to come to her, and he hears her voice and must respond to it.

In the third and final verse, Ruby is described as a flame that entered the singer's life, and despite his awareness of the dangers of getting too close, he chooses to continue pursuing her regardless. The constant repetition of "Ruby it's you" throughout the song emphasizes the singer's obsession with her and his inability to resist her allure.

Overall, "Ruby" explores the theme of love and obsession, as the singer is consumed with the object of his affection despite her flaws and potentially negative consequences.

Line by Line Meaning

They say, Ruby you're like a dream
People describe you, Ruby, as something unreal, elusive, and fantastical

Not always what you seem
But Ruby, they warn me that you're not transparent or straightforward, that there's more to you than meets the eye

And though my heart may break when I awake
Even if I wake up to the reality of what you truly are, it would hurt me deeply

Let it be so
I accept the risk, the possibility of heartbreak caused by my illusions and fantasies

I only know, Ruby, it's you
Despite everything, my heart belongs to you, Ruby

They say, Ruby you're like a song
Others compare you to a melody that's pleasant to the ears but lacking a moral compass

You don't know right from wrong
It's said that you're unable to distinguish between what's ethical and immoral

And in your eyes I see heart aches for me
I can detect that behind the attractive facade, you harbor deep-seated pain and longing for my affection

But from the start, who stole my heart?
As confusing as your identity might be, there's no question that you captured my heart the moment I encountered you

Ruby, it's you
I keep reminding myself that it's you, Ruby, that I'm enchanted with, and rationalization can't change that fact

I hear your voice and I must come to you
Hearing your voice, Ruby, triggers a compulsion in me to be close to you, regardless of the uncertainty and ambiguity surrounding you

I have no choice what else can I do?
I'm helpless and powerless against the emotional grip you have on me, and I'm left with no recourse but to follow where you lead

They say, Ruby you're like a flame
It's rumored that you're an intense, fiery force that can both attract and destroy

Into my life you came
You, Ruby, entered my life uninvited and unexpectedly, like a force of nature

And though I should beware
I'm aware that I should be cautious before getting too deep into our bond

Still I don't care you thrill me so
But I find myself unable to resist your charms and fascinated by the high-risk, high-reward dynamic we have

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HEINZ ROEMHELD, MITCHELL PARISH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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