Top 100 Soul/R&B Songs
#82: Stevie Wonder 'Rocket Love'
Stevie
Wonder, it seems, has always had a penchant for describing worlds that neither
he nor any of us, ever truly have the opportunity to witness. His Journey Into The Secret Life of Plants
personified the life of flora in a way that had not been done since classical
composers had attempted to centuries before, while his journey into outer space
on a rocket "half a mile from heaven" was a bittersweet tale of rejection.
"Rocket Love" was a little gem tucked into the album that made political
messages ("Happy Birthday" honoring Dr. Martin Luther King and "Master Blaster
(Jammin')" honoring Bob Marley) sound bouncy and fun. The melancholy within
"Rocket Love" is ever so palpable from the first line "I longed for you since I
was born." A remake by Madlib as his alter ego(s) Yesterday's New Quintet was one of the best
interpretations of this track since its creation. Hopefully, Stevie found it
worth his while since being given a star and dropped back into this cold, cold
world with the rest of us who have adored him before and since.Stevie Wonder: "Rocket Love"
Tags: audio, madlib, stevie wonder, yesterday's new quintet
Comments
I'm ashamed to admit that I call myself a Stevie Wonder fan and have NEVER heard this song before I listened to it on this blog a few days ago. Now I'm hooked; went & bought the song off ITunes and everything....
Miss Milya | April 28, 2008 9:40 PM | Permalink82? This is as high as it gets? Boy, yall are tough!
El | April 25, 2008 9:16 AM | PermalinkThis song is timeless. I love it! I remember when I was singing it one day with my roommate at the time, and it came to this part, "half a mile from heaven." For some unknown reason, I had always heard and would sing, "half a mile from Abilene you dropped me back down into this cold cold world." My roommate looked at me and busted out laughing like a lunatic for a straight five minutes! I was young, and had not quite gotten the gist of the song then, and didn't realize he was singing about outer space, so him being let out in Abilene didn't seem so strange to me.
AntBee | April 25, 2008 7:48 AM | PermalinkThere isn't a day when I'm not amazed and baffled by Stevie's talent. Pure. Genius.
Butta | April 25, 2008 1:20 AM | PermalinkMmm...this song just feels so good. He was probably THE hardest artist to choose just one or two of your favorite songs. I mean this is the 8th wonder of the world we're talking about.
Spinna, if you're listening, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE bring the Wonder-full party back to DC.
Vivrant Thang | April 25, 2008 12:48 AM | PermalinkWell, with potentially Lately, You Haven't Done Nothin', As, I Wish, Joy Inside My Tears, Summer Soft, Ordinary Pain, etc, you don't want too much Stevie in the top 50.
Lovell | April 25, 2008 12:28 AM | PermalinkThis song doesn't even crack the top 50?!?! Not so sure about that...
BTW - Love the new site format.
Coltrane Jenkins | April 24, 2008 11:11 PM | PermalinkPersonally this should have been in the top 10 but it's still a timeless love song none the less. Classic!
Louis RICH | April 24, 2008 11:03 PM | Permalink