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.

Visions
Stevie Wonder Lyrics

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People hand in hand
Have I lived to see the milk and honey land?
Where hate's a dream and love forever stands
Or is this a vision in my mind?

The law was never passed
But somehow all men feel they're truly free at last.
Have we really gone this far through space and time

Or is this a vision in my mind?

I'm not one who make believes
I know that leaves are green
They only turn to brown when autumn comes around
I know just what I say
Today's not yesterday
And all things have an ending

But what I'd like to know
Is could a place like this exist so beautiful
Or do we have to find our wings and fly away
To the vision in our mind?

I'm not one who make believes
I know that leaves are green
They only change to brown when autumn comes around
I know just what I say
Today's not yesterday
And all things have an ending

But what I'd like to know
Is could a place like this exist so beautiful

Or do we have to take our wings and fly away
To the visions in our minds?

Overall Meaning

Stevie Wonder's song "Visions" is a poignant and thought-provoking exploration of hope and possibility. The lyrics suggest that the world we live in may not be the best of all possible worlds, that there is something missing, something better that we could aspire to. Wonder asks whether this better world is real, something we could actually achieve, or whether it is just a vision in our minds.

In the first verse, he speaks of a land where hate is only a dream and love reigns supreme; a place he calls the milk and honey land. It's a place where people walk hand in hand, the embodiment of unity and togetherness. At the same time, there is a sense of doubt - Wonder is unsure whether this is a real place or just an imaginary one.

In the second verse, he speaks of a reality where all people feel free, regardless of whether any laws have been passed. He wonders whether we have truly come so far as a society, whether the dream of freedom for all has been realized, or whether it is just a vision in our minds.

Throughout the song, Wonder's voice is calm and measured, underlining the seriousness of his message. He asks us to consider the possibility of a better world, to ask ourselves whether it is possible, and to work towards making it a reality.

Line by Line Meaning

People hand in hand
The sight of people joining hands.

Have I lived to see the milk and honey land?
Wondering if he has finally lived to see a world of abundance and great pleasure.

Where hate's a dream and love forever stands
A world where hatred is non-existent and love always endures.

Or is this a vision in my mind?
Uncertainty if it's just an idea in his head.

The law was never passed
Highlighting the absence of a particular law or policy.

But somehow all men feel they're truly free at last.
Although a law does not exist, everyone feels they have achieved real freedom.

Have we really gone this far through space and time
Contemplating on how far humanity has come.

Or is this a vision in my mind?
Questioning if the progress is real or just a perception.

I'm not one who make believes
Asserting that he's not someone who pretends.

I know that leaves are green
Affirming his knowledge that leaves possess green color.

They only turn to brown when autumn comes around
Explaining why leaves turn brown during autumn season.

I know just what I say
Emphasizing his exactness in his words.

Today's not yesterday
Highlighting that today and yesterday are two different days.

And all things have an ending
Teaching that everything will eventually come to an end.

But what I'd like to know
Expressing interest and curiosity over something.

Is could a place like this exist so beautiful
Wondering if a magnificent world such as the one he's imagined could really exist.

Or do we have to find our wings and fly away
Pondering on whether we need to actively seek out ways to reach the ideal world.

To the vision in our mind?
Referring back to the idea that the world he's imagining may only exist in his thoughts.

But what I'd like to know
Again, expressing wonder and interest in something.

Is could a place like this exist so beautiful
Reiterating the question if such a breathtaking place could really exist.

Or do we have to take our wings and fly away
Wondering if it takes an escape or drastic measures for us to reach such a world.

To the visions in our minds?
Reminding us once more that the ideal world may only exist in our imagination.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Stevie Wonder

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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