♫ I Just Called To Say ‘I Love You’ ♫ (Redux)

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

I owe Clive a song … no, this is not it, and in fact Clive will not likely like this song.  But, tonight I am sad and I am a bit depressed and Clive told me that I should play something that I like, presumably to cheer me.  And so, I was going to play “Ebony and Ivory”, but I just played it back in May, so this is my choice for tonight.  I hope it will bring a smile …

Stevie Wonder wrote, produced, and performed this one.  For a man who has been blind since birth, his talents constantly amaze me.  This song, I Just Called To Say I Love You, has topped a record on 19 charts, and remains his best-selling single to date.

There was a dispute among Wonder, his former writing partner Lee Garrett, and Lloyd Chiate as to who actually wrote the song. Chiate claimed in a lawsuit that he and Garrett wrote the song years before its 1984 release; however, a jury ultimately sided with Wonder.  In his testimony, Wonder said …

“I had the melody and the lyric that I had for the chorus, and I imagined in my mind when hearing the chords that The Beatles were singing with me. And that idea and feeling is what inspired me to use the vocoder, when I heard about the vocoder. And I always imagined myself and The Beatles singing that. It was in 1980 I believe, or ’81 when John Lennon was killed, that I knew that the dream would never be fulfilled.”

When the song won the Academy Award in 1984, Wonder said in his speech, “I would like to accept this award in the name of Nelson Mandela.” The next day, the South African government banned his music, as Mandela was considered an enemy of the state, imprisoned since 1962. This drew a lot of attention to Mandela and his fight against apartheid in that country; later in 1985, a collective of musicians called Artists United Against Apartheid released the song Sun City, taking a stand against entertainers who performed at the popular resort in South Africa. Wonder, energized by the ban, spoke out in interviews and included the song “It’s Wrong (Apartheid)” on his next album, In Square Circle.

The movement culminated in the 1988 Free Nelson Mandela Concert at Wembley Stadium in London, where Sting, Peter Gabriel, Whitney Houston and a host of other stars performed on his behalf. Wonder opened his set with I Just Called To Say I Love You.

I could watch and listen to this guy all night … he has something special …

I Just Called To Say I Love You

Stevie Wonder

No New Year’s Day to celebrate
No chocolate covered candy hearts to give away
No first of spring
No song to sing
In fact here’s just another ordinary day

No April rain
No flowers bloom
No wedding Saturday within the month of June
But what it is, is something true
Made up of these three words that I must say to you

I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart

No summer’s high
No warm July
No harvest moon to light one tender August night
No autumn breeze
No falling leaves
Not even time for birds to fly to southern skies

No Libra sun
No Halloween
No giving thanks to all the Christmas joy you bring
But what it is, though old so new
To fill your heart like no three words could ever do

I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care, I do
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart

I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care, I do
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart, of my heart,
of my heart

I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care, I do
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart, of my heart,
baby of my heart

Writer/s: STEVIE WONDER
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

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33 thoughts on “♫ I Just Called To Say ‘I Love You’ ♫ (Redux)”

  1. I am not a fan of Stevie Wonder. File it under ‘Just How It Is’, That said he is one of those folk of whom it can be said ‘Yeah. Not My Scene, But It Has To Be Said. The ‘Cat’ (remember that term Jill) Has Something’.
    This was one which kinda snoke up on me and would not go away. The words, the melody and the image of someone just doing that. Ahh, it’s a sort of perfect.
    Good selection, and thanks for the interesting back story.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Pingback: ♫ Superstition ♫ | Filosofa's Word

  3. I enjoy everything you present but there is IMO to much emphasis on lyrics. I have resigned myself that it is unlikely to meet Camille Saint-Saëns here, and that is OK. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • I agree that sometimes there is too much emphasis on the lyrics. Having been nearly deaf for most of my life, I rarely understand the lyrics, so initially I like, or don’t like, a song for its sound, irrespective of the lyrics. Others, however, will judge it based on the lyrics … we’re all different. As re Camille Saint-Saëns … well, no, not likely, but … you just never know! 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  4. I just love Stevie Wonder. I don’t mind anything if it’s Stevie Wonder, and this song lifts my spirits, too. I do like several of his others more than this, but I have no beef with this one. It’s way better than “Philadephia Freedom,” and I love Elton! lol

    Liked by 2 people

      • It depends. I’m one of those people who annoyingly don’t have actual favorites, because it would exclude other favorites, if that makes sense. I love Superstition, but I also love I Just Called… . I also love Just Enough for the City, though. You see where this is going… 😄

        Liked by 1 person

        • That makes perfect sense to me, for I’m the same! If asked for my favourites by a specific artist, my response will usually include 5 or 6 ‘absolute favourites’ and some other ‘lesser favourites, but still favourites’. 🤣 Yep, I see where it’s going …

          Liked by 1 person

  5. You know I love me some Stevie, Jill, but I have to agree with the other comments dissing this song. He just has SO MANY songs that are far superior. But if it brings you out of your depression, what we think simply doesn’t matter. Hope it does the trick.

    Liked by 3 people

  8. As much as I respect Stevie Wonder as an accomplished musician, this song is his weakest. By far. At least of the handful I know of. Boring unspectacular melody without any interesting hooklines. Slow, no tempo or rythm changes, no cool arrangement. All in all too harmless and not engaging.
    This song is a plonker!

    Liked by 3 people

  10. I am a big Stevie Wonder fan, but sadly this is one of my (very) least favourite Stevie songs. (Not as bad as Ebony and Ivory though.) It is overly sentimental, and sounds like something that Lionel Ritchie would have released. Sorry! 🙂
    Best wishes, Pete.

    Liked by 3 people

    • It seems that you are not alone! Larry, Clive, and a few others said the same. And you don’t like “Ebony and Ivory” either? 😱 And you don’t like Lionel Richie at all? 😲 No need to say ‘sorry’ … the world would be boring if we all liked the same music!!!

      Liked by 3 people

  11. Jill, thank you so much for the Nelson Mandela backstory. There are times when a musician or actor can make a simple, public stance that can make difference. Too many stars today are so fearful of saying something. That is opportunity lost. Colin Kaepernick is still paying a price as are the Dixie Chicks, who had to change their name. Part of the reason is endorsements and the other is politicians looking for wedge issues to divide and sell. Keith

    Liked by 4 people

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