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.
Same Old Story
Stevie Wonder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mankind nature's door
A life known by a few
And those who knew that shared
Their knowledge fewer cared
About what plants could do
For most felt it was mad to conceive
That plants thought, felt, and moved quite like we
Would take science itself by a surprise, so
On we go
To where, who knows?
To a place where there's still non-believers
What will it take
For Heaven's sake
For those who find what's real too hard to believe in?
It's that same old story again
Born of slaves who died
Too soon to realize
The need his life would be
Selflessly, he gave
His wisdom to a way
Where first no minds would see
He said if farm land was to be rich
We must plant crops to replenish it
But it took him persuasion and tests
To convince them Carver's way was best, so
On we go
To where, who knows?
To a place where there's still non-believers
What will it take
For Heaven's sake
For those who find what's real too hard to believe in?
It's that same old story again, ooh
The song Same Old Story is a tribute to two men who were ahead of their time and faced opposition from the majority for their ideas. The first verse is about Jagadish Chandra Bose, a Bengali scientist who made significant contributions to the study of radio waves and plant physiology. The lyrics suggest that Bose's work on instruments that showed that plants have emotions and sensations was dismissed by many as madness, but his discoveries paved the way for new discoveries in science. The second verse is about George Washington Carver, an African American botanist and inventor who developed techniques to improve soil quality and advocated for sustainable agriculture. His innovations faced resistance and skepticism from farmers, who were reluctant to adopt his methods at first.
The chorus laments the fact that even though these men made important contributions, there are still people who refuse to believe in their ideas. It suggests that progress is slow and that even when people are presented with evidence, some may still resist. The phrase "It's that same old story again" suggests that this cycle of resistance and gradual acceptance of new ideas is a recurring theme throughout history.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was written and produced by Stevie Wonder, who played most of the instruments on the track. The lyrics were co-written with Stephanie Andrews, who was an executive assistant at Stevie Wonder's management company. Another interesting fact is that the song was released in 1979 as a B-side to Stevie Wonder's hit single "Send One Your Love". It received little attention at the time, but has since become a fan favorite.
Line by Line Meaning
Born to open for
Born with a purpose to discover and reveal something new
Mankind nature's door
The connection between humans and nature can be explored
A life known by a few
Only a few people have the knowledge and understanding of this purpose
And those who knew that shared
The ones who understood the purpose were willing to share it
Their knowledge fewer cared
But only a minority of people were interested in that knowledge
About what plants could do
The significance of the role of plants in the ecosystem
For most felt it was mad to conceive
The idea that plants had consciousness was considered absurd
That plants thought, felt, and moved quite like we
The possibility that plants had a similar level of consciousness as humans
But with instruments Bose would devise
The use of technology to measure and understand plant behavior
Would take science itself by a surprise, so
The discovery of plants' consciousness would shock the scientific community
On we go
We continue our journey
To where, who knows?
We don't know what the future holds
To a place where there's still non-believers
Even today, some people refuse to accept certain scientific discoveries
What will it take
What is necessary
For Heaven's sake
For the sake of progress and betterment
For those who find what's real too hard to believe in?
For those who are skeptical despite convincing evidence
It's that same old story again
It's the recurring pattern of skepticism towards new discoveries
Born of slaves who died
George Washington Carver was born into slavery
Too soon to realize
He wasn't aware of his potential at a young age
The need his life would be
The huge impact he would have on agriculture and science
Selflessly, he gave
He devoted his life to sharing his knowledge and discoveries
His wisdom to a way
His expertise in crop rotation and soil conservation
Where first no minds would see
His ideas were initially dismissed by many
He said if farm land was to be rich
His philosophy on the importance of soil quality
We must plant crops to replenish it
The idea of crop rotation to preserve and enhance the soil's nutrients
But it took him persuasion and tests
He had to employ various methods to convince people of the merits of his ideas
To convince them Carver's way was best, so
His hard work and dedication eventually paid off in convincing people of his innovations
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Stevie Wonder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Weirdo
LYRICS
Born to open for
Mankind nature's door
A life known by a few
And those who knew that shared
Their knowledge fewer cared
About what plants could do
For most felt it was mad to conceive
That plants thought, felt, and moved quite like we
But with instruments bose would devise
Would take science itself by a surprise, so
On we go to where who knows
To a place where there's still non-believers
What will it take for heaven sakes
For those who find what's real too hard to believe in
It's that same old story again.
Born of slaves who died
Too soon to realize
The need his life would be
Selflessy he gave
His wisdom to a way
Where first no minds would see
He said if farm land was to be rich
We must plant crops to replenish it
But it took him persuasion and tests
To convince them canver's way was best, so
On we go to where who knows
To a place where there's still non-believers
What will it take for heaven sakes
For those who find what's real too hard to believe in
It's that same old story again.
MakYah Pujee
Born to open for
Mankind nature's door
A life known by a few
And those who knew that shared
Their knowledge fewer cared
About what plants could do
For most felt it was mad to conceive
That plants thought, felt, and moved quite like we
But with instruments bose would devise
Would take science itself by a surprise, so
On we go to where who knows
To a place where there's still non-believers
What will it take for heaven sakes
For those who find what's real too hard to believe in
It's that same old story again.
Born of slaves who died
Too soon to realize
The need his life would be
Selflessy he gave
His wisdom to a way
Where first no minds would see
He said if farm land was to be rich
We must plant crops to replenish it
But it took him persuasion and tests
To convince them canver's way was best, so
On we go to where who knows
To a place where there's still non-believers
What will it take for heaven sakes
For those who find what's real too hard to believe in
It's that same old story again.
Ms.Billie1234
"Born to open for
Mankind Nature's Door
A life known by a few
And those who knew that shared
Their knowledge fewer cared
About what plants could do
For most felt it was mad to conceive
That plants thought, felt & moved quite like we
But with instruments, Bose would devise
Would take science itself by surprise, so...
On we go to where, who knows
To a place where there's still non-believers
What will it take for heaven sakes
For those who find what's real too hard
to believe in
It's that same old story again
Born of slaves who died
Too soon to realize
The need his life would be
Selflessly he gave
his wisdom to away
Where first no minds would see
He said if farmland was to be rich
We must plant crops to replenish it
But it took him persuasion & tests
To convince them Carver's way was best, so...
On we go to where, who knows
To a place where there's still non-believers
What will it take for heaven sakes
For those who find what's real too hard
to believe in
It's that same old story....again"
Gonza
What is the meaning of the frase.?.with instrument bose would devise.would take science itself by surprise
Erika Ann Marie Randolph
“Bose is considered the father of Bengali science fiction, and also invented the crescograph, a device for measuring the growth of plants.”
poplifemars58
One of the most melodic songs I've ever heard. I'm a huge fan of Stevie Wonder's music. I recently rediscovered this album, specifically this song, and realized how many memories it brought back. It's been 40 years, and it still impacts me now, as it did as a 13 year old kid.
Erika Ann Marie Randolph
Deff a gem!
Ramaz Khatiashvili
This album is so special for me. I was 15 years old when I first heard Stevie's music. It was the song called 'I just called to say I love you'. Then, a little later, my friend told me he had a 2-disc LP at home. I went to his place and listened to this album. After that, It had become the only musical album I listened to for quite a long time.
Thank you, Stevie, for the impact you had on my life.
Erika Ann Marie Randolph
Yes !!!! We love you Stevie
Jonathan Slyker
Amen, brother
Francisco Neto
My story was very similar, but I was 20. A friend brought it over and the moment I heard the first song I fell in love. Amazing album.
Nicholas Yarembinsky
Easily his best album IMO when I was young I bought this album like everyone else who had bought songs in the key of life when it came out but while everyone I had known said it sucked I fell in love with how different it was compared to the other records of his and as time went on I soon realized how much more I liked it then song in the key of life.
Weirdo
LYRICS
Born to open for
Mankind nature's door
A life known by a few
And those who knew that shared
Their knowledge fewer cared
About what plants could do
For most felt it was mad to conceive
That plants thought, felt, and moved quite like we
But with instruments bose would devise
Would take science itself by a surprise, so
On we go to where who knows
To a place where there's still non-believers
What will it take for heaven sakes
For those who find what's real too hard to believe in
It's that same old story again.
Born of slaves who died
Too soon to realize
The need his life would be
Selflessy he gave
His wisdom to a way
Where first no minds would see
He said if farm land was to be rich
We must plant crops to replenish it
But it took him persuasion and tests
To convince them canver's way was best, so
On we go to where who knows
To a place where there's still non-believers
What will it take for heaven sakes
For those who find what's real too hard to believe in
It's that same old story again.