Heard the Stevie Wonder song this morning driving to work. Of course the FOR THE CITY got my attention at first but soon remembered what a great song by Stevie back in 1973 Started thinking somehow we could use the melody and craft a FOR THE CITY song, especially utilizing Sampson and our basketball program.
Living for the City
Stevie Wonder
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… 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 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… 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
(Repeat several times)
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, stop giving just enough for the city!!!
La, la, la, la, la, la,
Da ba da da da da da da
Da da da da da da
Da da da da da da da da da
(Repeat to end)
I found this about the song…
What did Stevie Wonder mean by " just enough for the city "?
Stevie talks about the people who are not being able to enjoy life and do the things they want, not being able to be who they are, they´re just surviving, being part of the system, and their role is to be exploited to maintain that system and the status quo. Living, but not really. Just enough for the city.