Living for the City
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “Living for the City” | |||||
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| Single by Stevie Wonder from the album Innervisions |
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| B-side | "Visions" | ||||
| Released | November, 1973 | ||||
| Format | 7" 45 RPM | ||||
| Genre | Soul | ||||
| Length | 7:21 (full-length version)
3:12 (single edit) |
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| Label | Tamla | ||||
| Writer(s) | Stevie Wonder | ||||
| Producer | Stevie Wonder | ||||
| Stevie Wonder singles chronology | |||||
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"Living for the City" is a 1973 hit single by Stevie Wonder for the Tamla (Motown) label, from his Innervisions album. Reaching #8 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and #1 on the R&B chart, the record is driven by a slow bass synth groove (provided by the enormous TONTO modular synthesiser) that manages to exude a certain amount of tension, an appropriate soundscape for the angry social commentary of the song. Rolling Stone ranked the song #104 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
[edit] The song
The song begins with Wonder describing the life of a boy born in "hard time Mississippi". His family is poor, but his parents work hard and encourage him, in spite of the dreadful conditions they live in, which include lack of food and money, and racism. As the track progresses, the tension and anger build in Wonder's voice, matching the growing frustrations of the subjects in the song.
A spoken interlude midway through the song has the young boy, now a young man, arriving in New York City for a new beginning. He is tricked into transporting drugs, arrested and sentenced to 10 years in jail. The tension in Wonder's voice boils over at this point into an angry growl, but then subsides again as he ends the song on a positive note. In commercial radio airplay, the spoken dialog is usually edited out, possibly because the word "nigger" is used as he is thrown into a jail cell. Also, the last two verses, following this scenario, is omitted as well. The song ends, during the wordless instrumental break, leaving the listener, hanging, on which note is the song going to end on.
The spoken interlude can be seen as an electro-acoustic experiment, exploring the composer's main sensory input. Stevie Wonder's growling voice reveals the inner rage that has been building throughout the song. "Living for the City" still holds a substantial edge in social commentary.
[edit] Covers
- Ray Charles recorded the song in 1975, with the whole 6 verses, included, for the interlude, Charles states his being in poverty, before he sings the last 2 verses of the song. Wonder was appreciative of Charles' version.
- In 1982, British heavy metal band Gillan covered this song on their album Magic.
- Danny Bowes and Luke Morley of rock band Thunder (band) covered the song on their second Bowes and Morley project album Mo's Barbeque
- Jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis released an instrumental version of "Living for the City" on his 1974 record Sun Goddess.
- A medley of "Living for the City" and The O'Jays' "For the Love of Money" was recorded by Troop, LeVert, and Queen Latifah. The medley was featured prominently in Mario Van Peebles' 1991 film New Jack City.
- The song was performed by Jonny Lang as a tribute to Wonder during the 2004 Songwriter's Hall of Fame award ceremony. A different live version appears on Lang's 2003 album Long Time Coming.
- The song was performed by Melissa O'Neil during the top 9 week dedicated to Stevie on Canadian Idol's third season and by Taylor Hicks during the top 12 and finals of the fifth season of American Idol.
- The song was covered by The Dirtbombs on their album Ultraglide in Black.
- The song was released as a picture disk single by vocalist Ian Gillan.
- Comedian Richard Pryor referred to this song in Biblical terms on one cut from his album "Is it something I said?"
- The song was also covered by Ike and Tina Turner.
- Alicia Keys performed it as part of a medley during Live Earth on July 7, 2007.
- Covered by Brooklyn native Noel Pointer, jazz violinist, on his debut album Phantazia, released in 1977.
- More recently by Michael McDonald who had sung it in the past during concerts.
