HEY WORLD, WTF?
Love’s In Need Of Love Today
by Stevie Wonder
CONTENTS
- INTRO: Love’s In Need Of Love
- PLAYLIST: Two and three versions on YouTube and Spotify
- POEM: Don’t Hesitate by Mary Oliver: A short inspiring piece that underlines Stevie Wonder’s sentiment. It’s about grabbing joy and noticing when love begins
- LYRICS
(Kris Klaasen photo)
LOVE’S IN NEED OF LOVE
That’s what Stevie Wonder first sang in the 70s. He’s still right.
I’m grieving these days. Grieving for our distressed earth and the creatures on it. I know I’m not alone.
The latest wave of woes – pandemic, war and climate disasters – aren’t the root of this distress. They’re its consequence. Human nature and the flawed decisions we make have delivered a fragmented and polarized planet. It continues to wobble – precariously – on its axis.
Love’s in need of love
My soundtrack for these thoughts is a one-song earworm by brilliant 70s musician Stevie Wonder – Love’s In Need of Love Today. It’s the opening track of his 1976 masterpiece Songs in the Key of Life. The idea that love itself is in need of love is novel. More than a reminder, it asks that we consider the essence of this hard-to-define emotion and its power.
There’s probably no topic that consumes us more than love – in our thoughts, conversation, art, literature, theatre and popular culture. Wonder’s sentiment is the first I’ve come across that urges us to love love. And that doing so will help us heal the hate and divisions that plague us.
“The concept I had in mind was that for love to be effective, it has to be fed,” he told Marc Myers, author of Anatomy of a Song. “Love by itself is hollow.”
The song
Wonder dominated popular music in the 70s and with Songs In The Key of Life he was at his peak. Love’s In Need Of Love Today opened the album as a kind of sermon. Not a compelling lyricist, Wonder’s superb musicianship allows listeners to revel in the sheer beauty of his soulful passion and sincerity. His poignant plaint is balanced by the assured and convincing vocals:
Love’s, love’s in need of love (Love’s in need of love)
Did you ever think that love would be in need of love today (Today)
Don’t delay (Don’t delay)
Send yours in right away (Right away)
Ooh, hate’s hate (Hate’s goin’ round)
Bring it down a little (Breaking)
Love is very peaceful
So bring it down a little (Stop it, please)
Poem: Don’t Hesitate
This inspiring piece by poet Mary Oliver underlines Wonder’s plea. It acknowledges human shortcomings while speaking to the importance of grabbing joy, noticing when love begins and what to do when it does.
by Mary Oliver
If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give into it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is a way of fighting back, that sometimes
something better happens than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the
case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.
The lyrics
Good morn’ or evening friends
Here’s your friendly announcer
I have serious news to pass on
To everybody
What I’m about to say
Could mean the world’s disaster
Could change your joy and laughter
To tears and pain
It’s that love’s in need of love today
Don’t delay, send yours in right away
Hate’s goin’ ’round, breakin’ many hearts
Stop it, please, before it’s gone too far
The force of evil plans
To make you its possession
And it will if we let it
Destroy everybody
We all must take
Precautionary measures
If love and peace you treasure
Then you’ll hear me when I say
Oh that, love’s in need of a love today (Love’s in need of love today)
Don’t delay (Don’t delay)
Send yours in right away (Right away)
Hate’s goin’ ’round (Hate’s goin’ round)
Breakin’ many hearts (Breaking hearts)
Stop it, please (Stop it, please)
Before it’s gone too far (Gone too far)
People, you know that
Love’s in need of love today (Love’s in need of love today)
Don’t, don’t delay (Don’t delay)
Send yours in right away (Right away)
You know that hate’s, hate’s goin’ ’round (Hate’s goin’ around)
Breakin’ many hearts (Breaking hearts)
Stop, stop it, please (Stop it, please)
Before it’s gone too far that (Gone too far)
It’s up to you ’cause love’s in need of love today (Love’s in need of love today)
Don’t delay (Don’t delay)
Send yours in right away (Right away)
You know that hate’s, hate’s goin’ round (Hate’s goin’ round)
Breaking, hate’s tried to break my heart many times (Breaking hearts)
Don’t, you’ve got to stop it, please (Stop it, please)
Before, before, before (Gone too far)
Love’s in need of love today (Love’s in need of love today)
Don’t delay (Don’t delay)
Send yours in right away (Right away)
You know that hate’s goin’ around, hate’s goin’ round (Hate’s goin’ round)
Hate’s goin’ round and it tried, breaking up many hearts (Breaking hearts)
You’ve got to, I’ve got to, they’ve got to, we’ve got to, they’ve got to, we’ve got to (Stop it, please)
Stop it before it’s gone too far (Gone too far)
Love’s, love’s in need of love (Love’s in need of love)
Did you ever think that love would be in need of love today (Today)
Don’t delay (Don’t delay)
Send yours in right away (Right away)
Ooh, hate’s hate (Hate’s goin’ round)
Bring it down a little (Breaking)
Love is very peaceful
So bring it down a little (Stop it, please)
(Gone too far)
(Love’s in need of love today)
(Don’t delay)
(Right away, away)
(Love’s in need of love today)
(Don’t delay)
(Right away, away)
(Hate’s going round)
(Breaking hearts)
Well, please stop it (Stop it, please)
L-o-v-e, love (Gone too far, too far)
L-o-v-e, love (Love’s in need of love today)
(Don’t delay)
(Right away)
Just give the world love
Songwriters: Morris Stevland, Wonder Stevie. For non-commercial use only.
Know love. Share it.
03 July 2022
