Estimated reading time: 1 min 30 sec
I hope you all had a lovely weekend! And for those of you who have today off in honor of Juneteenth, continue enjoying some time for rest!
Today’s Music Monday song is one I first heard on a cover album from Boyz II Men. It wasn’t until many years later that I finally heard the original by the one and only Stevie Wonder.
“Ribbon in the Sky” was first released on the 1982 album, Stevie Wonder’s Original Musiquarium I. Apparently it was really quite popular when it first came out, but I personally had never heard it (until I bought that Boyz II Men cover album CD at BookOff).
When a lot of people think of Stevie Wonder–my younger self included–they think of his distinctive singing voice. Now, when I think of him, I think of his skill as a songwriter. So many of his compositions have unexpected chord progressions, or surprising melodic contours, that he somehow weaves into something that makes sense. It’s fascinating to sit down with some of his songs and examine the tools he breaks out to create his unique sound.
“Ribbon in the Sky” is one of those songs that caught me off-guard when I really listened to it closely. I sightread this song in an anthology book I have of Stevie’s songs and continually found myself surprised and tripping over my own fingers while reading through it (including multiple modulations!). I’ve always been taken with the melodic line when he sings the title of the song in the chorus–somehow it’s always struck me as a delightfully unusual line.
I don’t think I saw this at the time, but Stevie Wonder played a version of this song for Whitney Houston’s funeral, with revised lyrics celebrating her voice as a gift from heaven.
Hope you enjoy “Ribbon in the Sky,” and remember to go outside at some point today to actually enjoy the sky.
Riffs on the Reg 