Stevie Wonder “I Believe When I Fall in Love” released on Talking Book

I Believe When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever Stevie Wonder

Writer(s): Stevie Wonder, Yvonne Wright (see lyrics here) Released: October 28, 1972 (album cut on Talking Book) First Charted: -- Peak: 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 2.9 video, -- streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Talking Book was the fifteenth studio album for Stevie Wonder – an astonishing feat given that he was only 22 years old at the time of its release! He signed with Motown at the age of 11 and had his first chart-topping song with “Fingertips” in 1963 when he was only thirteen years old. In those early years with Motown, his music was heavily controlled by the label’s assembly-line approach to making music, but when he turned 21 he asserted himself and took great control over his music. His first effort, Music of My Mind, was a modest success but Talking Book, released that same year, generated two of Wonder’s most beloved songs. “Superstition” and “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” were both released as singles and topped the Billboard Hot 100. However, the album also featured the non-single cut “I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever).” The song starts out slow and features bleak lyrics such as “shattered dreams, worthless years / Here am I encased inside a hollow shell” but by the end Wonder is “exultant, having found the love of his life.” SF There is speculation he might be singing about Yvonne Wright, with whom he wrote the song. However, he was married to Syreeta Wright (no relation) at the time. SF The song gained attention in 2000 when featured in the movie High Fidelity starring John Cusack, specifically in a scene where he makes a mixtape for his girlfriend. Twenty years later, when High Fidelity was rebooted as a Hulu series starring Zoe Kravitz, the song was featured yet again in the episode “The Other Side of the Rock.” The song has been covered by multiple artists including Tina Arena, Peter Frampton, Art Garfunkel, Macy Gray, Josh Groban, John Mayer, Sergio Mendes, Michael McDonald, Mike + the Mechanics, George Michael, Father John Misty, and Terry Sylvester. In 1994, the British female vocal duo released the song as “I Believe,” reaching #77 on the UK charts. Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Stevie Wonder SH Second Hand Songs SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 6/15/2023.