Song Analysis:
Stevie Wonder is said to be one of the most inventive musical figures of the 20th century. Born a child prodigy, Stevie Wonder is a talented multi-instrumentalist being able to play, the piano, organ, harmonica, and drums. Winning over twenty Grammy awards throughout his life, Stevie Wonder has been able to change the art and history of music. Born blind was not a setback for Stevie, instead it kept him pushing forward and allowed him to release his first single at the age of twelve years old. Stevie Wonder has worked throughout his life to help redefine the music genres of R&B and classical. “You are the Sunshine of my Life” by Stevie Wonder includes various poetic devices which demonstrates the talent in Stevie as a song writer.
Throughout Stevie Wonder’s career he has written and sung many songs, one of the more popular is, “You are the Sunshine of my Life”. Although the song is rather short in length, Stevie Wonder adds the use of hyperbole to express the emotions he is feeling towards his lover. While talking about his love he sings about the length of time having loved someone, “Though I’ve loved you for a million years”. Exaggerating the length of time shows that love can last forever, and as time goes on the love for this woman intensifies. Thinking about leaving this woman gives Stevie the feeling that he would die, “I’d find myself drowning in my own tears”, a person cannot literally drown in their own tears, but Stevie Wonder incorporates hyperbole to tell how strong his feeling of sadness would be if this woman were to leave him. Stevie Wonder uses hyperbole mostly to illustrate how true his love for this person is. Exaggerating his emotions gives the feeling that words cannot and will not be able to express how strong his love is for this one person.
As a songwriter and singer, Stevie Wonder uses multiple poetic devices in his lyrics to enhance the strength of his songs. “You are the Sunshine of my Life” involves mostly the use of hyperbole in order to express his feelings about his lover to the reader. As one of the first African-American singers/songwriters Stevie Wonder evolved the art of music. Stevie Wonder surpassed many artists and was given the chance to record over thirty top hit songs, and was given the opportunity to be inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame.