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.
Stay Gold
Stevie Wonder Lyrics
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One breath away and there you will be
So young and carefree
Again you will see
That place in time...so gold
Steal away into that way back when
You thought that all would last forever
But like the weather
Stay gold
But can it be
When we can see
So vividly
A memory
And yes you say
So must the day
Too, fade away
And leave a ray of sun
So gold
Life is but a twinkling of an eye
Yet filled with sorrow and compassion
though not imagined
All things that happen
Will age too old
Though gold
"Stay Gold" is a song by Stevie Wonder that originally appeared in the film "The Outsiders". The lyrics speak of nostalgia and the desire to hold onto a moment in time that was full of innocence and beauty. The first verse speaks of a moment long ago that can be seized upon, and how time seems to stand still in that memory. The second verse acknowledges that time moves on and things change, but the memory of that golden moment remains. The chorus urges us to "Stay gold," even though we know that everything must ultimately fade away.
The lyrics encourage us to hold onto the beauty of life, even in the midst of its sorrows and challenges. The song's title is a reference to the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost, which speaks of the impermanence of all things. The poem suggests that even though beauty and happiness may be fleeting, they are still worth cherishing.
"Stay Gold" has become a beloved song in popular culture, inspiring multiple covers and references in other media. It is a testament to Stevie Wonder's writing and musical talents that this song has resonated so deeply with so many people.
Line by Line Meaning
Seize upon that moment long ago
Take advantage of that time that passed a long time ago.
One breath away and there you will be
The moment is really close, and you just have to take a deep breath.
So young and carefree
You were young and didn't have many worries back then.
Again you will see
You will get to relive that moment again in your mind.
That place in time... so gold
That moment was really special and valuable to you.
Steal away into that way back when
Go back in your mind to that moment when you were carefree.
You thought that all would last forever
At that time, you thought that moment would never end.
But like the weather
Just like the weather, things come and go.
Nothing can ever... and be in time
That moment can never be relived exactly as it was.
Stay gold
Hold onto that special moment and treasure it forever.
But can it be
However, is it really possible?
When we can see
Now that we can remember and see that moment in our minds.
So vividly
It's so clear, like it just happened yesterday.
A memory
It's just a memory now, but still so precious.
And yes you say
Even though you know it's just a memory.
So must the day
That moment, just like every other day, will come to an end.
Too, fade away
It will slowly fade away into the past.
And leave a ray of sun
But it will leave a bright memory that will always shine through.
So gold
That memory will always stay valuable - just like gold.
Life is but a twinkling of an eye
Life can be really short - it can pass in the blink of an eye.
Yet filled with sorrow and compassion
But it can also be filled with both good and bad experiences.
Though not imagined
Even if you didn't imagine those experiences happening.
All things that happen
Everything that happens to you in life.
Will age too old
All those experiences will eventually become distant memories and will get old with time.
Though gold
But the good ones will always remain valuable - just like gold.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Carmine Coppola, Stevie Wonder
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!