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.
Someday at Christmas
Stevie Wonder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Playing with bombs like kids play with toys
One warm December our hearts will see
A world where men are free
Someday at Christmas there'll be no wars
When we have learned what Christmas is for
When we have found what life's really worth
Someday all our dreams will come to be
Someday in a world where men are free
Maybe not in time for you and me
But someday at Christmastime
Someday at Christmas we'll see a land
With no hungry children, no empty hand
One happy morning people will share
A world where people care
Someday at Christmas there'll be no tears
When all men are equal and none have fears
One shinin' moment, one prayer away
From our world today
Someday all our dreams will come to be
Someday in a world where people are free
Maybe not in time for you and me
But someday at Christmastime
Someday at Christmas man will not fail
Hate will be gone and love will prevail
Someday a new world that we can start
With hope in every heart
Someday all our dreams will come to be
Someday in a world where people are free
Maybe not in time for you and me
But someday at Christmastime
Someday at Christmastime
In the song Someday at Christmas by Stevie Wonder, the artist paints a beautiful picture of his hopes for the future, particularly during the Christmas season. Wonder’s lyrics speak to his desire for a world free of war and conflict, where men are not boys playing with bombs but rather, are aware of the power and importance of love and compassion. He dreams of a world without hunger, where no one goes without basic necessities like food and shelter. In this world of his making, even tears shed in sorrow would be gone, and everyone would be equal and filled with hope.
The song brings up the weighty issue of war and speaks to the joyous celebration of Christmas as a time of hope for something better. The song’s message is universal, and its premise is to instill in listeners an optimistic hope that someday soon, we will see a world transformed by love, empathy, and respect for all human beings. The call to action is clear, that people can come together to create a new world with hope in every heart if they look beyond themselves to the benefit of all humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
Someday at Christmas men won't be boys
In the future, at Christmas time, women and men will be equal and respected adults rather than being treated like naive children.
Playing with bombs like kids play with toys
At Christmas time, there will be no more wars, and people will not treat the risk of mass destruction like a game.
One warm December our hearts will see
There will come a time when our hearts will experience a warm and loving December.
A world where men are free
This world will be free from oppression and inequality where every human being has the freedom to live without discrimination, bias, and prejudice.
Someday at Christmas there'll be no wars
In the future, people will understand the truest meaning of Christmas, and there will be no need for wars.
When we have learned what Christmas is for
Once people understand that Christmas is a time for love, kindness, and compassion, they will not start wars, and they will be able to live in harmony with each other.
When we have found what life's really worth
When everyone realizes the importance of life, the value of every living being, and how much it's worth to enjoy life peacefully, there will be no more wars.
There'll be peace on earth
When everyone can live peacefully, with no discrimination and separation, not only at Christmas time but also throughout the year, we will experience peace on earth.
Someday all our dreams will come to be
People's hopes and aspirations will come true in a world where all individuals are respected and valued.
Someday in a world where men are free
In the future, people will inhabit a world where no discriminations or any form of suppression exists, and every individual has rights to live happily.
Maybe not in time for you and me
It is possible that the future's Utopia will come to fruition after our lifetime.
But someday at Christmastime
Stevie Wonder believes that Christmas is the ideal season for everyone to be jolly, loving and caring for one another leading to a peaceful world.
Someday at Christmas we'll see a land
In the future, people will see a world where every child has a home and a family, and no one will suffer from poverty and starvation.
With no hungry children, no empty hand
In this world, there will be no one who will go to bed hungry, and everyone will have access to adequate resources to survive.
One happy morning people will share
Everyone will wake up to see the happiness and build communities where people share their love and resources without selfishness or greed.
A world where people care
In this new world, people will spare their time and resources to care for others and spread the spirit of giving and sharing with all.
Someday at Christmas there'll be no tears
In the future, people will not suffer pain, and there will be no reason to cry due to the lack of pain and injustice.
When all men are equal and none have fears
When everyone's basic human rights are respected and upheld, without any biases or fears, people can live without fear and fear-mongering.
One shinin' moment, one prayer away
The future is just one bright moment and one prayer away. It requires everyone's contribution to build a world where there is no war, hate, poverty or discrimination.
From our world today
The present world is full of strife, war, and disadvantages. The future world needs to have all these things eliminated.
Someday at Christmas man will not fail
In the future, human beings will not repeatedly fail to respect one another's rights or act with hypocrisy.
Hate will be gone and love will prevail
Hate is the opposite of love, and there will come a time, as promised by Stevie Wonder, where love will overcome hate.
Someday a new world that we can start
The future is full of possibilities and wonder; people can start anew in a world where all barriers and prejudices have been eradicated.
With hope in every heart
In this world, everyone believes in the possibility of peace, unity and equality leading to everlasting hope.
Someday all our dreams will come to be
People's dreams of living life peacefully and without established borders, hate or war can come true over time.
Someday in a world where people are free
People live freely together in a world devoid of any discrimination or suppression against their beliefs and values.
Maybe not in time for you and me
We may not be able to experience this paradise in our lifetime, but we can still work hard to make it possible for future generations.
But someday at Christmastime
However, Stevie Wonder and many other people strongly believe that someday at Christmas, we can bring in joy, harmony and a peaceful coexistence for all communities.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bryan Wells, Ronald Miller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cheryl Rowland Hall
on Isn't She Lovely
Dedicated to my lovely daughter, Amy Kathleen Rawson, the lovely child who helped mom to grow up!