Pastime Paradise
Stevie Wonder
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They've been spending most their lives Living in a pastime paradise They've been spending most their lives Living in a pastime paradise They've been wasting most their time Glorifying days long gone behind They've been wasting most their days In remembrance of ignorance oldest praise Tell me who of them will come to be How many of them are you and me Dissipation Race relations Consolation Segregation Dispensation Isolation Exploitation Mutilation Mutations Miscreation Confirmation, to the evils of the world They've been spending most their lives Living in a future paradise They've been spending most their lives Living in a future paradise They've been looking in their minds For the day that sorrows gone from time They keep telling of the day When the savior of love will come to stay Tell me who of them will come to be How many of them are you and me Proclamation Of race relations Consolation Integration Verification Of revelations Acclamation World salvation Vibrations Stimulation Confirmation, to the peace of the world They've been spending most their lives Living in a pastime paradise They've been spending most their lives Living in a pastime paradise They've been spending most their lives Living in a future paradise They've been spending most their lives Living in a future paradise We've been spending too much of our lives Living in a pastime paradise Let's start living our lives Living for the future paradise Praise to our lives Living for the future paradise Shame to anyone's lives Living in the pastime paradise
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
Written by: Stevie Wonder
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Album Release"Pastime Paradise" is a song from Stevie Wonder's 1976 album "Songs in the Key of Life".
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Award Winning AlbumThe album "Songs in the Key of Life" won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1977.
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Not a SingleInterestingly, "Pastime Paradise" wasn't released as a single from the album, but it still became one of the most recognized and covered tracks from the LP.
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Message behind the SongThe song provides social commentary about the inefficiency of living in the past or future, and promotes love and understanding amongst different cultures.
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Musical CompositionThe song is known for its avant-garde jazz fusion style and was one of the first songs to use a synthesizer (the Yamaha GX-1) to sound a full orchestra.
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Coolio's SampleThe song was famously sampled by rapper Coolio in his 1995 Grammy-winning song "Gangsta's Paradise".
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Legal ControversyThis led to a lawsuit given Coolio sampled it without proper authorization, but that was resolved amicably, with Stevie Wonder receiving a songwriting credit on "Gangsta’s Paradise".
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Other CoversBesides Coolio, the song has been covered by artists like Ray Barretto, Mary J. Blige, and Sunlightsquare.
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Notable PerformancesStevie Wonder performed "Pastime Paradise" live for the first time at the 2006 tour "A Wonder Summer's Night".
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Cultural ImpactThe song has been called an early example of the socially conscious themes and innovative musical styles that would become standard for Wonder's most reputable work.
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Citation
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