Living for the City

E64979

"Living for the City" is a socially conscious 1973 soul song by Stevie Wonder that powerfully depicts systemic racism and urban struggle through vivid storytelling and innovative production.


Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf single
song
album Innervisions
artist Stevie Wonder
award Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
surface form: Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male
awardYear 1974
chartPerformance U.S. Billboard Hot 100
surface form: US Billboard Hot 100 top 10

US R&B chart number one
composer Stevie Wonder
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
criticalReception widely acclaimed
genre R&B
funk
soul
hasMusicVideo no original 1973 promotional video
hasPart spoken word interlude
street sound effects
includedInAlbum Innervisions
language English
listedIn Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
lyricalFocus Black American experience
migration from South to city
lyricist Stevie Wonder
narrativeForm story song
notableFor innovative production
socially conscious lyrics
use of environmental sound design
partOf Stevie Wonder discography
performer Stevie Wonder
producer Stevie Wonder
recordLabel Motown
Tamla
releaseDate 1973-11
releaseYear 1973
tempo medium
theme police brutality
poverty
social injustice
systemic racism
urban struggle
timePeriodDepicted early 1970s United States
usesInstrument bass
drums
electric piano
synthesizer
vocalStyle soulful lead vocal
writer Stevie Wonder

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Innervisions hasTrack Living for the City
Stevland Hardaway Judkins notableSong Living for the City
Stevie Wonder notableWork Living for the City