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.
blame it on the rain
Stevie Wonder Lyrics
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How can I go on?
It seems, dear, love has gone away
Where is my spirit?
I'm nowhere near it
Oh, yes, my love has gone astray
The sun that didn't shine
I'll blame it on the wind and the trees
I'll blame it on the time that never was enough
I'll blame it on the tide and the sea
But my heart blames it on me
Who poured the love out?
What made this bitter doubt?
Is peace not here for me to see?
Wish I could tell you
What I am feeling
But words won't come for me to speak
Oh, but I'll blame it on the sun
That didn't fill the sky
I'll blame it on the birds and the trees
I'll blame it on the day that ended once too soon
I'll blame it on the nights that could not be
But my heart blames it on me
Yeah, yeah, yeah, ooh
Your heart blames it on you this time
"Blame It On The Sun" is a heart-wrenching ballad of a person who lost their love and their spirit along with it. The lyrics express the desperation and helplessness of the singer, who cannot understand why their love has gone away. They are lost and searching for answers, trying to find someone to blame for their pain. They blame everything and everyone around them, from the sun, the wind, the trees, the time, the tide, and the sea, but deep down they know that the true culprit is their own heart.
The song's chorus repeats the line "But my heart blames it on me," emphasizing the singer's struggle to take responsibility for their own emotions and actions. They feel guilty for not being able to hold on to their love, for not being able to communicate their feelings, and for letting their doubts and fears get in the way. The final line, "Your heart blames it on you this time," is a powerful realization that in the end, we are the ones in control of our own happiness and that we must learn from our mistakes and take ownership of our choices.
Line by Line Meaning
Where has my love gone?
I am wondering where my love has gone and it is causing me great distress.
How can I go on?
I am struggling to cope with the absence of my love.
It seems, dear, love has gone away
It appears that my love has left me and I am feeling lost without it.
Where is my spirit?
I cannot seem to find my inner strength or motivation.
I'm nowhere near it
In fact, I feel quite far from my usual optimistic and energetic self.
Oh, yes, my love has gone astray
I believe that my love has gone off-course, and I don't know how to get it back.
But I'll blame it on the sun
Instead of taking responsibility for what's happened, I will find something else to blame for my misfortune.
The sun that didn't shine
I will blame the absence of sunlight for my lack of happiness and success.
I'll blame it on the wind and the trees
I will also hold the natural elements accountable for my situation.
I'll blame it on the time that never was enough
I will allocate blame to the fact that I had insufficient time to make things right.
I'll blame it on the tide and the sea
I will even fault the ocean's movements for contributing to my troubles.
But my heart blames it on me
Even though I am trying to redirect blame, deep down I know I am accountable for my own actions and emotions.
Who poured the love out?
I am questioning where all the love I had went, and why it's not in my life anymore.
What made this bitter doubt?
I am feeling a sense of uncertainty and distrust that is causing me pain.
Is peace not here for me to see?
I am wondering if I will ever find inner peace and contentment again.
Wish I could tell you
I wish I could express my true feelings to another person and feel understood.
What I am feeling
I am experiencing complex and difficult emotions that are hard to articulate.
But words won't come for me to speak
Despite wanting to communicate, I am struggling to find the right words and phrases to express myself.
That didn't fill the sky
Once again, I point to the sky as a symbol of what is lacking in my life.
I'll blame it on the birds and the trees
This time, I am using nature's living creatures as a scapegoat for my troubles.
I'll blame it on the day that ended once too soon
I am unhappy with how things turned out and wish I had more time to make things right.
I'll blame it on the nights that could not be
I am also unwilling to take sole responsibility for the difficult nights I have had.
But my heart blames it on me
Despite my efforts to blame external factors, I know that I am ultimately responsible for my own emotions and actions.
Your heart blames it on you this time
In the end, nobody else can bear the weight of responsibility for your own heart and its feelings.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Syreeta Wright, 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!