President Nixon was a particular American leader that Wonder did not trust. In some cases, Wonder criticized the political leaders of America. Although most of Wonder’s words are inspiring, some of his lyrics were not always politically supportive.
Wonder supported Martin Luther King's beliefs of an integrated world so much that he helped persuade President Reagan to make Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday (Egan). Wonder strongly supports the idea of a peaceful, unified America. In “Pastime Paradise”, Wonder expresses his support of African American rights through the line “Proclamation of Race Relations”. Whether directly or indirectly stated, Wonder tends to place his political views in his lyrics. Wonder even went as far as being an activist against oppression when he was arrested along with a group of anti-apartheid demonstrators outside of the South African Embassy (AP). Wonder may not just be one of the biggest R&B musicians ever, but he is also very politically conscientious. Through his credibility of being a pop icon, Wonder hoped that people would hear his song and want to end any racial inequalities still present in America. He uses words such as “consolation”, “integration”, and “confirmation” to paint a picture of a world in which all people can live together in unity. In the second half of the song, Wonder describes a future paradise in which there is no such thing as inequality between different races. It is apparent in the second half of the song that Wonders dreams of the integration of man. Through a combination of protest, song, and support of fellow blacks, Wonder demonstrates his support for equality in America. Many African Americans have been trying to earn equality ever since slavery was abolished.
Another interpretation of Wonder’s song is that he is alluding to African Americans wanting to be back in Africa with their ancestors. When Wonder references those “living in a pastime paradise”, he is possibly alluding to how Americans are so fixated with the past. Wonder best demonstrates his concerns with racial inequality by using powerful words such as “segregation”, “race relations”, “mutations”, and “miscreation”. He does this by giving the song a gloomy, depressing style. But in “Pastime Paradise”, Wonder strongly reveals his concerns with how African Americans are treated. In his music, Wonder usually plays songs with his signature style of being weirdly mellow, and forcibly upbeat (Mazmanian). Wonder’s lifetime experiences with race relations directly influenced his word choice in “Pastime Paradise”. In America in 1976, most blacks were not treated equally. When Wonder released his 1976 hit song “Pastime Paradise”, America had only been integrated for 22 years. Even if I give a song that deals with a negative subject, it's only constructive criticism to encourage our minds to look and go in a positive direction” (Trescott). I do express certain feelings about certain things. Throughout his career, Wonder has created many songs in which he addresses certain subjects in order to bring change. Since his start in the music industry, Wonder has won 25 Grammy Awards (Africa News), was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 (Puterbaugh) and has been recently awarded the Library of Congress' Gershwin Prize for Popular Song by President Obama (Africa News). The blind Stevie Wonder has been known by America as an R&B icon since his early 1963 release of “12-Year-Old Genius”. Stevie Wonder was born on May 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Michigan (Marquis Who's Who LLC. Coolio’s description of struggles between gangs was still similar in theme, but very different in meaning. Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise” reflection on discrimination between races was greatly altered by Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise.
The song also alludes to their dream of one day living in peace. Coolio's “Gangsta’s Paradise” represents the hard-lived lives of gangsters in inner cities.
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The song also describes the hope for a future world free from discrimination. Stevie Wonder's “Pastime Paradise” reflects on the racial inequalities that America has struggled with for decades. Through the difference in the context of each writer’s life, these two interpretations of the same song are very different in meaning.īoth songs identify the struggle of life as being directly related to the evils of the world such as money and power. Both Coolio’s and Wonder’s songs gloomily display their views on society. Both Stevie Wonder and Coolio musically interpret their societies’ idea of paradise. Depending on the time and location of the speaker, their ideal lifestyle may be a reality, or simply a dream of one. What one person may deem a paradise may well be a slum for others. One person's utopian world may not always be the same as their neighbor’s.
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