THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

152-Stevie Wonder-I Wish.

1976-Number 5 single.

Best Bit-At 3.01.The voice that says ‘You nasty boy’ is Stevie Wonder’s sister Renee Hardaway.

Although Stevie Wonder (see also best songs 920-843-834-682-570-503-366-205 and 65) was a superstar in the 1960’s with many critically acclaimed songs in his portfolio, it is for his work in the 1970’s that he is held in the highest regard, with many music critics citing his five studio Albums issued between ‘Music of My Mind’ from 1972, through to ‘Songs in the Key of Life’ in 1976, as his crowning achievements.

‘I Wish’ was one of two singles released from Stevie Wonder’s 18th studio Album ‘Songs in the Key of Life’ from 1976 that reached Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, the other was this songs follow up ‘Sir Duke.’ By the end of 1975 Stevie Wonder was seriously considering quitting the music industry and emigrating to Ghana to work with disabled children. Motown records talked him out of it by offering him a $37 million deal, (approximately $200 million in 2022) and full artistic control over his next seven Albums, which at that time was the biggest recording contract in history. The first release under the new deal was the double Album ‘Songs in the Key of Life,’ which came with a bonus four-song EP, which Wonder obsessed over, becoming a perfectionist, revisiting each track until he was satisfied, and taking around two years to record. The Album would go on to be Stevie Wonder’s best seller with sales in excess of 5 million copies.

‘I Wish’ is the first track on side 2 of ‘Songs in the Key of Life,’ and was written and produced by Stevie Wonder. In the song Stevie reminisces about his childhood growing up in the 1950’s, and early 1960’s. Despite living in poverty, he looks fondly back on those days, and wishes that they would come back once more. It was a time when his only worry was, ‘For Christmas what would be my toy.’ Because Stevie Wonder has been a recording artist since the age of 11, it is easy to be fooled in to thinking that he is a lot older than he actually is, he had his first Billboard Number 1 with ‘Fingertips-Part 1’ in 1963 at the age of 13.

Stevie Wonder has recollected on how the music for ‘I Wish’ came to him,’The day I wrote it was a Saturday, the day of a Motown picnic in the summer of ’76. God, I remember that because I was having this really bad toothache. It was ridiculous…I had such a good time at the picnic that I went to Crystal Recording Studio right afterwards and the vibe came right to my mind, running at the picnic, the contests, we all participated. It was a lot of fun, and from that came the ‘I Wish’ vibe.’ Stevie Wonder has said that lyrically he originally wanted to address broader topics by incorporating ‘A lot of cosmic type stuff, spiritual stuff, but I couldn’t do that ’cause the music was too much fun. The words didn’t have the fun of the track, and I couldn’t come up with anything stronger than the chorus, ‘I wish those days [claps] would [claps] come back once more.’ Thank goodness we didn’t change that.’

‘Brother says he’s tellin’ ’bout you playin’ doctor with that girl. Just don’t tell, I’ll give you anything you want in this whole wide world. Mama gives you money for Sunday school, you trade yours for candy after church is through. Smokin’ cigarettes and writing something nasty on the wall (you nasty boy.’)