"A boy is born, in hard time Mississippi..."

[YoungDemCA]

"Surrounded by four walls that ain't so pretty
His parents give him love and affection
To keep him strong moving in the right direction
Living just enough, just enough for the city...ee ha!

His father works some days for fourteen hours
And you can bet he barely makes a dollar
His mother goes to scrub the floor for many
And you'd best believe she hardly gets a penny
Living just enough, just enough for the city...yeah

His sister's black but she is sho 'nuff pretty
Her skirt is short but Lord her legs are sturdy
To walk to school she's got to get up early
Her clothes are old but never are they dirty
Living just enough, just enough for the city...um hum

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...
Living just enough...
For the city...ooh,ooh

His hair is long, his feet are hard and gritty
He spends his life walking the streets of New York City
He's almost dead from breathing in air pollution
He tried to vote but to him there's no solution
Living just enough, just enough for the city...yeah, yeah, yeah!

I hope you hear inside my voice of sorrow
And that it motivates you to make a better tomorrow
This place is cruel no where could be much colder
If we don't change the world will soon be over
Living just enough, just enough for the city!!!!"

-Stevie Wonder, "Living for the City."

This song was written, recorded, and released over four decades ago. Still incredibly relevant, IMHO.

[JustAnotherGen]

1. I was listening to a Stevie Wonder CD in the car this morning

The next track -

You haven't done nothing . . .

VERY relevant today and huge part of why I'm so anti Washington D.C. insiders.

We are amazed but not amused
By all the things you say that you'll do
Though much concerned but not involved
With decisions that are made by you

But we are sick and tired of hearing your song
Tellin' how you are gonna change right from wrong
'Cause if you really want to hear our views
"You haven't done nothin'"



It's not too cool to be ridiculed
But you brought this upon yourself
The world is tired of pacifiers
We want the truth and nothin' else, yeah

And we are sick and tired of hearing your song
Tellin' how you are gonna change right from wrong
'Cause if you really want to hear our views
"You haven't done nothin'"

Jackson 5 join along with me say
Doo, doo, wop, doo, doo, wop
Doo, doo, wop, doo, doo, wop
Doo, doo, wop, doo, doo, wop


We would not care to wake up to the nightmare
That's becoming real life
But when mislead who knows a person's mind
Can turn as cold as ice

Why do you keep on making us hear your song
Tellin' us how you are changing right from wrong
'Cause if you really want to hear our views
"You haven't done nothin'"

Jackson 5 sing along again say
Doo, doo, wop, doo, doo, wop
Doo, doo, wop, doo, doo, wop, sing it baby
Doo, doo, wop, doo, doo, wop
Doo, doo, wop, sing it loud for your people say
Doo, doo, wop

Doo, doo, wop, stand up be counted, say
Doo, doo, wop, doo, doo, wop
Doo, doo, wop, doo, doo, wop

Songwriters
WONDER, STEVIE

Read more: Stevie Wonder - You Haven't Done Nothin' Lyrics | MetroLyrics

[Wilms]

3. Have a listen to the vocals on this live version...

[qwlauren35]

9. When Obama was running in 2008

I put together a bunch of songs that I thought were relevant. This was one of them. Along with the Isley Brothers' Fight the Power and Marvin Gaye's What's Goin' On.

[RufusTFirefly]

2. Not only still incredibly relevant, but also hauntingly beautiful

If I remember correctly, Stevie played most if not all of the instruments on that track.

One of my favorite all-time albums.

Even so, whenever friends and I have visited NYC, it hasn't stopped one of us from saying "New York. Just like I pictured it. Skyscrapers and everything!"

[YoungDemCA]

5. Stevie can see more clearly than most people

Not bad for a man who has been blind since birth.

A genius of an artist if there ever was one.

[RufusTFirefly]

6. So true. And I totally agree! n/t

[Omaha Steve]

4. I remember that song so well

K&R!

OS

[1StrongBlackMan]

7. I thought about this song just the other day, while reading a DU OP on austerity ...

it wasn't what the OP was saying so much as the picture that depicted the impoverished result.

His sister's black but she is sho 'nuff pretty
Her skirt is short but Lord her legs are sturdy
To walk to school she's got to get up early
Her clothes are old but never are they dirty
Living just enough, just enough for the city...um hum

The picture had a pair of girls who were filthy ... clothes and skin. Of the really poor folks I have known, few were dirty, despite wearing thread bare clothes.

[qwlauren35]

8. Gawd, I hate that song.

Every once in a while I hear it, and when it gets to the point about that poor kid who got stuck holding drugs and arrested, I just want to scream, cry and scream again.

[Number23]

10. Bump!