Living for the city

"Living for the city" is a song written and produced by the multitalented musician Stevie Wonder. The song was released in 1973 and it is about racism and poverty, which many people are still suffering from. The song was and still is appreciated by many people and Wonder wants people to wake up and understand the importance of these issues. The song specifically apprizes a boy growing up in Mississippi. His parents work hard and encourage him to do well in school, despite the living conditions that are surrounding them. His family is poor and they don't have enough money and they have to deal with racism and injustice. But his parents are encouraging him to stay strong and work hard to get out of this dreadful situation. This was a typical living condition in the 1970s and unfortunately a lot of people in today’s society are still living under these circumstances.

The song starts off by Wonder describing how the boy's parents work hard; hours on end to get through the hard days but barley make enough money for food. Poverty is a big issue here and it has become a way of life. Many people say that poverty is a natural phenomenon while others argues that people cause poverty. It is hard to tell what actually causes poverty because it depends on where you are born and what the society you belong to is doing to prevent poverty. It is a difference between countries in the west like United Kingdom and USA and countries like India and countries in Africa.

As the song continues, it states that the song is about black people. The lines " His sister's black but she is sho' nuff pretty, Her skirt is short but Lord her legs are sturdy" implies that black people not only have beautiful appearances but also are strong and will not be taken for fools. ".. her legs are sturdy" means that she is tough, which is compared to the way black people are treated but they will stay strong even though they have to deal with racism everyday. It then continues on about how families live far away from their children's school and they have to get up early to walk to school. This is very common amongst less privileged people; they live in ghettos and suburbs far away from the city because they are put there. The society doesn't have a better solution for them because they don't give the poor people a chance to thrive.

Wonder continues to sing that the boy is smart and has more common sense than other people. So why can't he get a paying job? Is he incompetent you ask yourself? The reason the black boy is losing patience is because he is not able to get a job. He has been waiting for a good job where he can prosper and show his true talent but is not given the chance because the color of his skin decides whether he gets the job or not. You can hear how Wonder's voice is almost shouting and his inner rage has been building up throughout the song.

The song continues on with the lyrics "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" The smart black boy hopes for a better life in New York City. He fights for equal rights by making his voice heard, by being a "good" citizen and votes. Soon he loses the battle against injustice, his patience is long gone and you can understand by reading the lyrics that he is homeless, maybe a criminal and perhaps addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. The line "He's almost dead from breathing on air pollution" can have two meanings. It either means that he is suffocating from the life he was meant for, feeling that whatever he does is not good enough whether he lives in southern, rough Mississippi or in modern New York City. He dealt with many hardships in Mississippi but he had his family and friends who cared about him there. In New York City, on the other hand, he chooses a destructive path. It can also mean that there is a large difference between these cities. New York has tall buildings and the population is much larger there than in Mississippi. There is a lot more going on in New York; the traffic is crowded while Mississippi is a small town with not much drive and motion.

These considerations are interesting because when you read the lyrics of this song you can feel the rage from Wonder's voice. He wants people to open their eyes and acknowledge the injustice that is happening right in front of them. He wants them to do something about these situations. He wants change in people's behavior and he wants them to do something about the racism and poverty because people should not be living under these conditions. If the people do not fight against racism, then the world will be a horrible place to live in. He hopes that through this song people will understand the significance of racism and poverty and by acknowledging these issues people would have a fair chance in life.

Another line that is significant is the line “Living just enough for the city”, which is at the end of each verse. This sentence has a meaning of how the Mississippi born boy and his family is making the "right" choices by working and doing their best for the city to survive but they do not get anything in return. They are still poor and try hard everyday. The city is taking away their happiness; it is demanding everything from them. Wonder puts this line after each word to point out that if you give everything you got to survive then you should get something back. People are truly going through this everyday. They work everyday, trying to survive and give everything for their governments and cities and they still get nothing back. It is either because they have the "wrong" skin color or are poor.

This is a way for Stevie Wonder to make people understand the importance of poverty and racism. He wrote this song for the people that are suffering from poverty and racism and he hopes that by singing such a meaningful song, people will be better informed and open their eyes. He believes that the song can bring people together. He does not understand how the color of the skin can decide a person’s future. He says with other words that you should not judge a book by its cover. Open the book and read it and then decide if you like or not. The song is about life and what people, especially black people, are going through everyday.