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.
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
Stevie Wonder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's why I'll always be around
You are the apple of my eye
Forever you'll stay in my heart
I feel like this is the beginning
Though I've loved you for a million years
And if I thought our love was ending
You are the sunshine of my life, yeah
That's why I'll always stay around, mmm, mmm, yeah, yeah
You are the apple of my eye
Forever you'll stay in my heart
You must have known that I was lonely
Because you came to my rescue
And I know that this must be heaven
How could so much love be inside of you?
Whoa, whoa
You are the sunshine of my life, yeah
That's why I'll always stay around, mmm (baby)
You are the apple of my eye
Forever you'll stay in my heart, yeah
You are the sunshine of my life, baby
That's why I'll always stay around
The song "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" by Stevie Wonder is a heartfelt declaration of love, appreciation, and devotion to a significant other. It is a classic love song that captures the emotions of the singer towards the person he loves. The opening lines of the song, “You are the sunshine of my life / That's why I'll always be around,” conveys the idea that the person he is singing to brings light and warmth to his life.
The song goes on to acknowledge the long-standing love he has had for this person, with the line “Though I've loved you for a million years.” The idea of love and devotion is further reinforced by the line “And if I thought our love was ending / I'd find myself drowning in my own tears, whoa, oh, oh.”
The chorus of the song, “You are the sunshine of my life, yeah / That's why I'll always stay around,” repeats the idea that the person he loves is a constant source of warmth and happiness in his life. The line, “You must have known that I was lonely / Because you came to my rescue,” is a testament to the idea of soulmates, where two people are destined to be together and complete each other.
Overall, the song expresses a feeling of deep love and gratitude towards that special someone who makes everything in life brighter and better.
Line by Line Meaning
You are the sunshine of my life
You are the person who brings light and happiness into my life
That's why I'll always be around
I will always be there for you because you make my life better
You are the apple of my eye
You are the most precious and beloved person to me
Forever you'll stay in my heart
You will always hold a special place in my heart and I will love you forever
I feel like this is the beginning
Our love feels new and fresh every day, despite having loved you for a long time
Though I've loved you for a million years
I have loved you for a very long time, even though it feels like it could have been forever
And if I thought our love was ending
If our love was in danger of coming to an end
I'd find myself drowning in my own tears, whoa, oh, oh
The thought of losing you would bring me to despair and sadness
You must have known that I was lonely
It seems like you came into my life at the perfect moment when I was feeling isolated and alone
Because you came to my rescue
You helped me when I needed it the most and saved me from my loneliness
And I know that this must be heaven
Being with you feels like I am experiencing pure bliss and paradise
How could so much love be inside of you?
I am amazed at how much love and positivity you bring into my life
You are the sunshine of my life, yeah
You are the reason for my happiness and joy
That's why I'll always stay around, mmm (baby)
I will stick around because being with you feels like home
You are the apple of my eye
You are the most important and cherished person in my life
Forever you'll stay in my heart, yeah
I will always hold you dear in my heart and our love will never fade
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Stevie Wonder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nomuum
I don't even know why this is not the most known and diffunded version of the song. It's much better with horns!
Felipe Hernandez-Pedroza
Yeah, right. I totally agree. The other version, which I just finished listening to, sounds kind of dull compared to this one.
Andrew Hurst
Nomuum I just got the 45 record with the horns, and I agree :)