Stevie Wonder, “Living For The City” | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 84^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2022), we recollect and reflect on “Living For The City” by Stevie Wonder. 

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome – we don’t discriminate ‘round here! In the 84^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2022), we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “Living For The City”, performed by 🎙 Stevie Wonder. 

Theme & Lyrics ✍

“A boy is born in hard time Mississippi / Surrounded by four walls that ain’t so pretty.” Just process those lyrics that 🎙 Stevie Wonder sang on his top-10 hit, 🎵 “Living For The City”.  A gem from his 1973 album,  💿 Innervisions, which won the 🏆 Grammy for Album of the Year, Wonder gets serious about black socioeconomic issues, racism, racial inequality, and racial inequity.  That’s not what you expect out of a pop hit.  Clearly, Wonder had a bigger message in mind, as this man is “Living just enough, just enough for the city.” The first verse, just scratches the surface, as the second speaks to the hard work this man’s family endures, still falling short of what they need to survive: “His father works some days for fourteen hours / And you can bet he barely makes a dollar.”

The cycle continues on this incredibly soulful joint, where undoubtedly many folks likely focus on the music and the ‘happy go lucky’ chorus: “Da da da, da da da da…” Verse three depicts the man’s sister, describing her unbecoming clothes, but perseverance through adversity.  The fourth verse returns the focus to the man who first appears, highlighting his intelligence, yet the lack of jobs that fit his intellect due to racism (“To find a job is like a haystack needle / ‘Cause where he lives they don’t use colored people”). Ultimately, the man leaves “hard time Mississippi” for better opportunities in New York City.  Unfortunately, it’s ‘more of the same’ regarding racial issues, a skit depicts the man’s downfall as he’s arrested after accepting money to run drugs across the street… The final two verses speak of the aftermath of his incarceration – a lack of hope (verse five) and the need for change in a broken world (verse six). Wonder says it best: “If we don’t change, the world will soon be over / Living just enough, stop giving just enough for the city.”

Final Thoughts 💭 

Five words: Stevie Wonder is a genius.  🎵 “Living For The City” is one of his very best songs, PERIOD.  No, it isn’t one of his 10 no. 1 hits, but it’s no less worthy of accolades.  Honestly, the messaging and narrative solidify its greatness and elite status in a deep catalog.  The awesomeness of the music itself doesn’t hurt the cause either!

🎙 Stevie Wonder • 💿 Innervisions • 🏷 Motown • 🗓 1973

Stevie Wonder, “Living For The City”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 84 (2022) [📷: Brent Faulkner, Gerhard G., JL G via Pixabay,  Karl Hörnfeldt via Unsplash, Motown, The Musical Hype]