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.
The Woman In Red
Stevie Wonder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or are my eyes playing tricks on me
'Cause what I see don't make no sense
Looking so good, standing over that vent
Earth Venus in broad daylight
The Goddess of Love is in my sight
Gotta catch a hold of myself
'Cause if I don't I'll have nothing left
Imagine you're sitting at ring side
And I'm standing on the inside
And approaching is Miss Matador
I'm on the charge for
The woman in red
The woman in red
Like fine wine, she's going straight to my head
The woman in red (the woman in red)
The woman in red (see the woman in red)
I'll settle for nothing less than her instead
M-M-Miss, please pardon me
Now listen to me, I can hardly speak
I haven't been this much confused
Since daddy caught me trying on his shoes
Now, I'm too old to be acting like this
But there's something about her I just can't resist
My heart is beating like a big bass drum
And my mind is saying that girl's the one
Imagine you're sitting at ring side
And I'm standing on the inside
And approaching is Miss Matador
I'm on the charge for
The woman in red (the woman in red)
The woman in red (see the woman in red, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa)
Like fine wine, she's going straight to my head
The woman in red (the woman in red)
The woman in red (see the woman in red)
I'll settle for nothing less than her instead
The woman in red (the woman in red)
The woman in red (see the woman in red, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa)
Like fine wine, she's going to my head
The woman in red (the woman in red)
The woman in red (see the woman in red)
I'll settle for nothing less than her instead
Pretty little woman in red (pretty lady)
Pretty little woman in red (ooh)
Pretty little woman
Pretty little wo-
Pretty little
Pretty little woman in red (you're taking me out)
The woman in red
See the woman in red, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa (pretty lady)
The woman in red
See the woman in red
The woman in red (the woman in red)
The woman in red (see the woman in red, whoa, whoa,whoa, whoa, whoa)
Like fine wine, she's going straight to my head
The woman in red (the woman in red)
The woman in red (see the woman in red)
I'll settle for nothing less than her instead
The woman in red (the woman in red)
The woman in red (see the woman in red, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa)
Like fine wine, she's going straight to my head
The woman in red (the woman in red)
The woman in red (see the woman in red)
I'll settle for nothing less than her instead
Red
Woman in red
Like fine wine, she's going straight to my head
Woman in red
Woman in red
I'll settle for nothing, I'll settle for nothing
Settle for nothing less than her instead
Woman in red
Like fine wine, she's going straight to my head
Woman in red
That little woman in red
I'll settle for nothing less than her instead
The lyrics to The Woman In Red by Stevie Wonder describe a man's infatuation with a woman he sees standing over a vent, looking beautiful and alluring. He can't believe his eyes, and feels like he needs to catch hold of himself before he becomes too overwhelmed by her presence. He likens her to the Goddess of Love, and imagines himself as a matador charging towards her. He is so taken by her that he can hardly speak, and is reminded of a time when he was caught wearing his father's shoes as a child. Despite feeling too old to be acting like this, he cannot resist her and feels like his heart is beating like a big bass drum. The song repeats the chorus several times, highlighting the man's determination to settle for nothing less than the woman in red.
The song has a catchy melody and upbeat rhythm, which makes it perfect for dancing. However, the lyrics reveal a deeper meaning about the power of attraction and desire. The man in the song is drawn to the woman in red like a moth to a flame, and cannot resist her charms. The repeated refrain emphasizes his resolve to have her, despite any obstacles in his way. The woman in red represents a fantasy, an ideal that the man cannot resist, and is willing to pursue no matter what the consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Am I seeing what I think I see
I'm not quite sure if what I'm seeing is real
Or are my eyes playing tricks on me
My eyes might be deceiving me
'Cause what I see don't make no sense
It's hard to believe what I'm seeing because it doesn't make logical sense
Looking so good, standing over that vent
She looks amazing while standing over that vent
Earth Venus in broad daylight
She looks like the mythical goddess Venus who is associated with love and beauty
The Goddess of Love is in my sight
I see her as a goddess of love and beauty
Gotta catch a hold of myself
I need to regain my composure and calm down
'Cause if I don't I'll have nothing left
If I don't calm down, I'll lose control
Imagine you're sitting at ring side
Picture yourself watching a boxing match
And I'm standing on the inside
I'm the boxer standing in the ring
And approaching is Miss Matador
A woman is walking towards me like a bullfighter
I'm on the charge for
I'm going after her aggressively
The woman in red
Referring to the woman he's interested in who is wearing red
Like fine wine, she's going straight to my head
She's having a strong effect on him, just like a good wine
I'll settle for nothing less than her instead
He won't be satisfied with anyone else
M-M-Miss, please pardon me
He's having difficulty speaking to her because she's so attractive
Now listen to me, I can hardly speak
He's having trouble getting his words out due to his attraction to her
I haven't been this much confused
He's never felt so unsure of himself before
Since daddy caught me trying on his shoes
This is the last time he can remember feeling this confused as a child trying on his father's shoes
Now, I'm too old to be acting like this
He feels self-conscious about his attraction to her due to his age
But there's something about her I just can't resist
He can't help being attracted to her
My heart is beating like a big bass drum
He's very excited and nervous about the situation
And my mind is saying that girl's the one
He feels strongly that she is the one he wants
Pretty little woman in red (pretty lady)
Describing the woman he's interested in who is wearing red
That little woman in red
Referring to the same woman as before who is wearing red
Red
Referring to the color of her clothing
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: 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!