Musician Stevie Wonder, whose records have sold 100 million copies, announced a new tour and said he’ll begin releasing singles from among the “40 to 50” songs he’s written recently for a new album to be called “Through the Eyes of Wonder.” Wonder said in an interview that many of his new songs were inspired by news of the world, not surprising for someone whose biggest hit, the double album “Songs in the Key of Life” (1976) still stands as a flawless record of its era–capturing the feelings, the funk, the frustration and the grooves of mid-70s America as well as any other work of art from that time. The new tour will be built around the “Songs in the Key of Life” album and include new songs. Wonder will visit 11 cities.
Unfortunately, some of those 1976 frustrations remain little changed. The blind Wonder said he thought James Knowles, the mayor of Ferguson, Missouri, seemed willfully ignorant about racial problems in his town when he said there was “no racial divide” there. Wonder believes the mayor needs to open his eyes. Or Knowles could just use his ears and revisit Stevie Wonder’s powerful hit Living For the City. The lyrics paint the picture perfectly. Just a few below:
Her brother’s smart, he’s got more sense than many
His patience’s long but soon he won’t have any
To find a job is like a haystack needle
‘Cause where he lives they don’t use colored people
Living just enough, just enough for the city
