![]() Songs in the Key of Life (1976) [ larger cover art ] |
Lookin' back on when I was a little nappy headed boy
Then my only worry was for Christmas what would be my toy
Even though we sometimes would not get a thing
We were happy with the joy the day would bring
Sneaking out the back door to hang out with those hoodlum friends of mine
Greeted at the back door with, "Boy, thought I told you not to go outside!"
Tryin' your best to bring the water to your eyes
Thinkin' it might stop her from woopin' your behind
I wish those days could come back once more
Why did those days e-ver have to go?
I wish those days could, come back once more
Why did those days e-ver have to go?
'Cause I love them so
Brother says he's tellin' 'bout you playin' doctor with that girl
Just don't tell, an' I'll give you anythin' 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, writing something nasty on the wall (''You nasty boy!'')
Teacher sends you to the principal's office down the hall
You grow up and learn that kinda thing ain't right
But while you were doin' it it sure felt outta sight
I wish those days could come back once more
Why did those days e-ver have to go?
I wish those days could, come back once more
Why did those days e-ver have to go?
| pwestlake | Posted: May 28, 2013 - 19:35 quite definitely the funkiest bassline in the history of sound |
| Lazarus (Bethany) | Posted: May 28, 2013 - 19:34 Everybody in my churches loves this song... |
| BBoyes (Salt Lake City Utah) | Posted: Jan 31, 2013 - 20:59 This has to be one of the 100 top rock albums of all time. |
| drewd | Posted: Dec 22, 2012 - 20:41 winni wrote: Immer noch ein phantastischer Song!! Echt Knaller yeah :)) Hey Winni, I think I agree with your opinion. Fantastic song. |
| freddyfender (Colorado Springs....deep inside the belly of the Evangelical beast) | Posted: Nov 21, 2012 - 11:33 The original King of Funk! |
| dwlangham (Nowhere to be found) | Posted: Nov 14, 2012 - 13:04 Some things do get better with age, my appreciation of this song being among those things. |
| johnjconn (chicago land) | Posted: Sep 28, 2012 - 08:17 brookap wrote: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() My new rating system: the Banana Split Scale ten out of ten dancing bananas agree, Stevie's the MAN! (they're almost synched to the beat. close enough to make me smile anyway.) ![]() |
| kingart (Brooklyn NY) | Posted: Sep 19, 2012 - 14:33 ![]() |
| winni (windeck near cologne) | Posted: Jul 27, 2012 - 09:55 Immer noch ein phantastischer Song!! Echt Knaller yeah :)) |
| avatar71 (Oakland, CA) | Posted: Jul 27, 2012 - 09:52 Stevie is a deity but I always felt this album was too polished and overrated. |
| kingart (Brooklyn NY) | Posted: Jul 27, 2012 - 09:49 shellbella wrote: ![]() ![]() It looks like shellbella has it covered. |
| shellbella (so california) | Posted: Jul 18, 2012 - 16:01 ![]() ![]() |
| Dahlia_Gumbo (San Francisco) | Posted: Jul 18, 2012 - 16:00 |
| ottovonb | Posted: Jul 18, 2012 - 15:59 Rated a 10 only because there's no 11. |
| jen3005545 (Fort Worth, TX) | Posted: Apr 23, 2012 - 09:05 Woop!! |
| Sandra_Jacobsen | Posted: Apr 07, 2012 - 12:19 Yes 10/10 bananas for Stevie. |
| Sandra_Jacobsen | Posted: Apr 07, 2012 - 12:18 brookap wrote: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() My new rating system: the Banana Split Scale ten out of ten dancing bananas agree, Stevie's the MAN! (they're almost synched to the beat. close enough to make me smile anyway.) Love the banana scale. Go Stevie go 10 bananas from me. |
| brookap (due south of Paradise) | Posted: Mar 22, 2012 - 16:08 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() My new rating system: the Banana Split Scale ten out of ten dancing bananas agree, Stevie's the MAN! (they're almost synched to the beat. close enough to make me smile anyway.) |
| BKardon (Louisville, CO) | Posted: Feb 19, 2012 - 22:42 The pinnacle of pinnacles. |
| lemmoth (NYC) | Posted: Jan 10, 2012 - 09:14 Sloggydog wrote: And this is why I don't bemoan the odd song I find unpleasant on RP too much - cause its followed up by gold like this Two great songs in a row. |
| Sloggydog (UK) | Posted: Jan 10, 2012 - 09:13 And this is why I don't bemoan the odd song I find unpleasant on RP too much - cause its followed up by gold like this |
| Snoopy2 (A Snoopy Sanctuary) | Posted: Dec 18, 2011 - 11:32 shellbella wrote: This song makes me jump for joy!! ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ME TOO! |
| Snoopy2 (A Snoopy Sanctuary) | Posted: Dec 18, 2011 - 11:30 michaelgmitchell wrote: ![]() YOU ARE SO RIGHT!! |
| Snoopy2 (A Snoopy Sanctuary) | Posted: Dec 18, 2011 - 11:29 DADOO DADOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO |
| michaelgmitchell (Ontario, Canada) | Posted: Dec 18, 2011 - 11:29 ![]() |
| Snoopy2 (A Snoopy Sanctuary) | Posted: Dec 18, 2011 - 11:28 GO STEVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| michaelgmitchell (Ontario, Canada) | Posted: Dec 09, 2011 - 13:54 Genius, Stevie. I wish a LOT of those days could come back once more. Just once. |
| shellbella (so california) | Posted: Dec 09, 2011 - 13:51 This song makes me jump for joy!! ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
| shellbella (so california) | Posted: Dec 02, 2011 - 14:16 This makes me HAPPY!!!! ![]() |
| Bocephus (Boulder, CO) | Posted: Nov 16, 2011 - 18:15 I have to think it was 2 different people that did this song and those sappy duets with McCartney. |
| NuggetNectar | Posted: Nov 16, 2011 - 18:14 I can't believe he stole this song from Will Smith |
| handyrae (Zero Point Field) | Posted: Oct 07, 2011 - 09:28 Chair dancing! |
| cosmiclint (Vancouver BC) | Posted: Oct 07, 2011 - 09:26 I will never tire of hearing this song! |
| Xstar (Florence, Kentucky) | Posted: Sep 14, 2011 - 15:33 What a great year too! ![]() |
| Dahlia_Gumbo (San Francisco) | Posted: Aug 29, 2011 - 20:42 Super. Dooper. |
| kingart (Brooklyn NY) | Posted: Aug 05, 2011 - 14:12 Stevie's lyrics and phrasing are amazing. This cut has gotten stale after a zillion listens but as it's off a superfine album I rate it high. I remember dancing all night long at college parties to some of the cuts. Can't get better memories than that and as it's an album so positive and upbeat I can't help but beam on hearing on it. |
| frank-peter (Siegen / Germany) | Posted: Aug 05, 2011 - 14:03 mike_chouinard wrote: Awwwwww, yaaaaaaah. Truly!!! |
| mike_chouinard | Posted: Aug 05, 2011 - 14:01 Awwwwww, yaaaaaaah. |
| Bat (Austin) | Posted: Jul 29, 2011 - 11:20 Has anyone seen or heard anything about his tour? The first one in a long time that I'm aware of. I'd be interesting to see what the play list is. He's one of the headliners one night at the Austin City Limits festival this fall. |
| BalesBub (Boston) | Posted: Jul 29, 2011 - 11:12 I can't hear this song without thinking of Happy Feet. |
| unclehud (300 feet above the planet) | Posted: Jul 13, 2011 - 22:00 "You nasty boy!" I wish those days could come back once more. |
| WonderLizard (2,755.46 mi. due east of Paradise) | Posted: Jun 03, 2011 - 13:50 cc_rider wrote: Stevie Wonder rocks, and I love horns as a rule. This is right up there with his very best. Wow. Close listening is its own reward. The horn arrangement on this is amazing—and too funky by half. Whoooo! |
| LPCity (Salt Lake City, Utah) | Posted: May 27, 2011 - 09:57 hschlossberg wrote: This was a good — no — a great song the first 100 or two times I heard it. Now it is just stale. But I'll bet there are a half-dozen other songs on this album that we're not all so sick and tired of and that are just as worthy. Sometimes.... Maybe.... Nah! Good music is always welcome to my ears and hearing this on a sunny Friday morning right before the holiday weekend makes this just about perfect. |
| hschlossberg (Los Angeles) | Posted: May 11, 2011 - 15:20 This was a good — no — a great song the first 100 or two times I heard it. Now it is just stale. But I'll bet there are a half-dozen other songs on this album that we're not all so sick and tired of and that are just as worthy. |
| apd (Toronto, On) | Posted: May 11, 2011 - 15:18 You nasty boy! |
| ThePoose | Posted: Apr 01, 2011 - 08:32 Steveland, we are not worthy. |
| cc_rider (Austin Texas. Y'all.) | Posted: Apr 01, 2011 - 08:31 beelzebubba wrote: Holy effen crap, Stevie rocks, this album rocks, and I don't even like horns as a rule. Stevie Wonder rocks, and I love horns as a rule. This is right up there with his very best. Wow. |
| Dave_Mack (Saratoga, CA) | Posted: Apr 01, 2011 - 08:30 jessfine wrote: The horns! The horns! Heh. One of my favorite all-time songs. Loved playing it in the Stanford Band too. Tenor saxes (me) and mellophones (!) have a cool dance for it. |
| beelzebubba (Where the hell is Walldrug, South Dakota?) | Posted: Jan 21, 2011 - 13:23 Holy effen crap, Stevie rocks, this album rocks, and I don't even like horns as a rule. |
| Painted_Turtle (Land of Laughing Waters) | Posted: Jan 05, 2011 - 21:55 just gets ya movin'....you go Stevie....listen to them horns! |






