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 Haven't Done Nothin'
Stevie Wonder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By all the things you say that you'll do
Though much concerned but not involved
With decisions that are made by you
But we are sick and tired of hearing your song
Telling how you are gonna change right from wrong
'Cause if you really want to hear our views
It's not too cool to be ridiculed
But you brought this upon yourself
The world is tired of pacifiers
We want the truth and nothing else, yeah
And we are sick and tired of hearing your song
Telling how you are gonna change right from wrong
'Cause if you really want to hear our views
You haven't done nothing
Jackson 5 join along with me say doo doo wop
Hey hey hey, doo doo wop
Wow wow wow, doo doo wop
Hm hm hm, doo doo wop
Co co co, doo doo wop
Bum bum bum, doo doo wop
We would not care to wake up to the nightmare
That's becoming real life
But when mislead, who knows a person's mind
Can turn as cold as ice un hum
Why do you keep on making us hear your song
Telling us how you are changing right from wrong
'Cause if you really want to hear our views
You haven't done nothing
Yeah, na, na, nothing
Jackson 5 sing along again say doo doo wop
Hey hey hey, doo doo wop
Oh, doo doo wop
Bum bum bum, doo doo wop
Sing it, baby, doo doo wop
Bum bum bum, doo doo wop
Bum bum bum, doo doo wop
Hm-mm, sing it loud now, for your people, sing doo doo wop
Bum bum bum, doo doo wop, better come and say doo doo wop
Co co co, doo doo wop
Oh, doo doo wop
Bum bum bum, doo doo wop
Doo doo wop
Doo doo wop
Doo doo wop
Doo doo wop
Doo doo wop
The lyrics of Stevie Wonder's "You Haven't Done Nothin'" are a powerful commentary on hypocrisy and false promises made by politicians, leaders, and authority figures. The song addresses individuals who talk about making positive changes but never take any real action towards achieving them. The opening lines, "We are amazed but not amused, by all the things you say that you'll do" convey a sense of frustration and disappointment with the empty promises being made. The song condemns the individuals who use pacifying rhetoric to appease the public without actually following through with action.
The second verse, "It's not too cool to be ridiculed, but you brought this upon yourself. The world is tired of pacifiers, we want the truth and nothing else, yeah" highlights the fact that the public is not satisfied with just words and empty gestures. The phrase "pacifiers" represents those who speak of social change but have actually done nothing to bring it about. The song's chorus, "Cause if you really want to hear our views, you haven't done nothing" reiterates the fact that true change occurs through action, not empty words.
The final verse of the song grapples with the idea that a lack of action can cause the public to become disillusioned and even apathetic towards genuine efforts. The line "But when mislead, who knows a person's mind can turn as cold as ice un hum" conveys the idea that promises that are never kept can lead to frustration, anger, and, eventually, a sense of loss to better the situation. The song is a call to action, urging those who wish to make changes to stop talking and start implementing real solutions.
Line by Line Meaning
We are amazed but not amused
We are surprised by your words, but not entertained by them
By all the things you say that you'll do
We hear you making promises, but doubt you'll follow through
Though much concerned but not involved
We care about the outcomes, but don't have a say in the decisions
With decisions that are made by you
You are responsible for the choices that affect us
But we are sick and tired of hearing your song
We're fed up with your repetitive rhetoric
Telling how you are gonna change right from wrong
Saying you'll make things better, but never actually doing so
'Cause if you really want to hear our views
If you genuinely seek our opinions
You haven't done nothing
You haven't actually accomplished anything
It's not too cool to be ridiculed
It's not desirable to be mocked
But you brought this upon yourself
However, you provoked this response
The world is tired of pacifiers
People don't want to be deceived
We want the truth and nothing else, yeah
We demand nothing but honesty
We would not care to wake up to the nightmare
We would rather not face the reality of the situation
That's becoming real life
As the situation becomes more apparent
But when mislead, who knows a person's mind
It's hard to predict someone's actions when they have been misled
Can turn as cold as ice un hum
They can become cruel and uncaring
Jackson 5 join along with me say doo doo wop
Let's sing together, Jackson 5, doo doo wop
Why do you keep on making us hear your song
Why do you continue to repeat yourself?
'Cause if you really want to hear our views
If you genuinely want to know our opinions
You haven't done nothing
You have yet to take action
Yeah, na, na, nothing
Yeah, nothing at all
Jackson 5 sing along again say doo doo wop
Jackson 5, let's sing together once more, doo doo wop
Sing it, baby, doo doo wop
Sing it with passion, doo doo wop
Sing it loud now, for your people, sing doo doo wop
Sing loudly for your community, doo doo wop
Better come and say doo doo wop
You should join us in singing, doo doo wop
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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!