Album: Innervisions (1973)

Charted: 15 8

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• A boy is born in hard time Mississippi
  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
  
  His father works some days for fourteen hours
  And you can bet he barely makes a dollar
  His mother goes to scrub the floors 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
  
  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
  
  Just enough for the city
  Living for the city
  Just enough for the city
  Enough for the city
  Just enough for the city
  Living for the city
  Just enough for the city
  Enough for the city
  Just enough for the city
  Living for
  Just enough for the city
  Living for the city
  Just enough for the city
  Just enough for the city
  For the city
  Just enough for the city
  For the city
  Just enough for the city
  For the city
  Just enough for the city
  For the city Writer/s: Stevie Wonder
  Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 14

• Jpe from Toronto, OntarioI heard this song first when it was released in 1974. It was on the B side of a 45 my parents bought me when I was 7. I think the A side was "You Are the Sunshine of My Life". I played "Living..." over and over again repeatedly . The song always stuck in me, and 50 years later, I play it for my students when examining social justice (minus the dialogue for obvious reasons). They generally love the vibe and the meaning, and it hits them as they can link it to today's issues....which really haven't changed have they?
• Markia from KyLiving for the city reminded me of my mother's time in this space. I love and miss you, mom.
• Scott Groesser from Flushing , MiOne of my favorite songs of all time really brings back lots of memories at the time you could here all genres of music on the same station. It gives me chills hearing the emotion in his voice at the end.
• AnonymousI think we owe Mr. Wonder a 47 year long apology and thank you.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyFebruary 12th 1974 was the opening night of the Bottom Line in Greenwich Village in New York City...
  Featured artists were Stevie Wonder, Johnny Winter, and Dr. John...
  At the time Mr. Wonder's "Living For The City" was at #16 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; thirty seven days earlier on January 6th it peaked at #8 {for 2 weeks} and it spent 17 weeks on the chart...
  And on December 23rd, 1973 it had reached #1 {for 2 weeks} on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart, it was his 9th of twenty #1 records on the R&B Singles chart...
• Circe801 from Rock Hill, ScOne interesting thing about the lyrics to this song is that in no place I have ever been able to find do they contain the lines in between the 'outro' "living for the city" lines. One can CLEARLY hear Stevie saying, in one, "for the f--king crowded city" - which is unedited in every version, and played on every station that plays this song.
• Tony from San DiegoQuite simply a masterpiece.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 6th, 1974, "Living For The City" by Stevie Wonder peaked at #8 (for 2 weeks) on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it had entered the chart on November 4th, 1973 and spent 17 weeks on the Top 100...
  And on December 23rd, 1973 it reached #1 (for 2 weeks) on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
  Was track three of side one on his sixteenth studio album, 'Innervisions', the album peaked at #1 (for 2 weeks) on Billboard's Top R&B Albums chart...
  Two other tracks from the album also made the Top 100; "Higher Ground" (#4) and "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" (#16)...
  Mr. Wonder, born Stevland Hardaway Judkins, will celebrate his 64th birthday in four months on May 13th.
• Joan from Columbia, ScThis is my favorite Stevie song due to the imagery. Stevie would have known of this happening to others, but never specifically to himself, yet he sings as though it's his autobiography. My mother had never heard the bridge with the judge and prison guard until I was playing my CD. I always thought it sounded like Stevie as the prison guard's voice.
• Gerard from Ronkonkoma, NyGreat tune Great lyrics-the more things change the more they stay the same!
• Brad from Barry, TxI recently heard this great song on Sirius Radio's 70s station. They actually bleeped out the "Get into that cell, n!##er" line! They have unedited, uncensored channels featured Howard Stern's show and comedy, but bleep out this? Pretty ridiculous!
• Ron from Los Angeles, CaOne of the 10 best songs of not only the 70's but of just about any decade!
• Guy from Woodinville, WaSuch a great commentary from Little Stevie! This really had an effect on a white boy in high school. Love the little drama in the middle. Was disappointed when th iTunes download was a short version that didn't include it. Recorded it off my old album instead.
• Tanya from La Verne, CaHow can one not be moved by this song?

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