‘You Haven’t Done Nothin’’: Stevie Wonder’s 50-Year-Old Anthem Echoes into High-Stakes Election

(November 2, 2024). See if you can bump to this.  

Fifty years ago today (Nov. 2, 1974), Stevie Wonder’s fiery single “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” bumped its way to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (while having also done so on the soul chart). It was a scathing rebuke of then-recent president Richard Nixon, who had been impeached and then resigned from office that August amid the Watergate scandal and was pardoned (by successor Gerald Ford) days later for his role in the controversy.

Wonder, a musical prodigy-turned-powerhouse still signed to Motown Records at the time, channeled his social frustrations and those of a nation into his art, delivering one of the most politically charged tunes of his career.  “Nothin’” was the first single released from his critically acclaimed ‘74 album Fulfillingness’ First Finale.  There would only be two (the more laid back “Boogie On Reggae Woman,” the nearly-as-successful followup, peaked at No. 3 pop/ No. 1 soul that winter).

The fact that “Nothin’” was such a big hit could be attributable to several factors, not the least of which was the political subject matter.  Americans were weary from poverty, inflation, long gas lines, an unpopular war in Vietnam, and government corruption.  But there was more to the song than political angst. It was Stevie at his musical best!

There was that intro of cascading synths that kicked it off.  Then Wonder’s featured instrument of choice — the Clavinet — further cemented the musical genius’s mid-‘70s relevancy (not that it was ever in doubt) and made the song that much funkier.  That kick drum-driven dance beat made it one of the best songs to do that hip-breaking dance “The Bump” to (the late Joe Tex famously warned us of its dangers two years later).  Complex chord changes, especially while segueing from the verses to the chorus, gave it a unique melodic signature.  Wonder’s then-label mates — the Jackson Five — contributed those famous “doo doo wops,” softening the song’s political blow just enough for Top 40 consumption.

But, despite its bop status and undeniable crossover appeal, the musical mastermind’s message still cut through sharply, encapsulating the anger and exhaustion many weary Americans felt towards those in power.

Wonder was only 24 then, prime age for counterculturalism.  He was newly freed from the previous artistic constraints of his Motown employer and standing at the peak of his creative powers during his celebrated “classic album period.”  It was a time when LPs like Innervisions, Talking Book, and later Songs in the Key of Life joined Fulfillingness’ in redefining ‘70s pop and soul music.  Stevie’s talent for mixing biting social commentary with irresistible grooves gave songs like “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” an edginess and relevance that still echo today.

But the Stevie Wonder of 2024 is a different man.  Now 74, Wonder has traded his earlier cynicism for a quieter, more reflective tone in his activism. This August, he took the stage at the Democratic National Convention, standing alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, the party’s presidential nominee.

Around the same time, he released a new single, “Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart?” — a contemplative ballad calling for unity and understanding. Wonder’s lyrics, though still politically rooted, now seek healing over reproach.  Lines like “Can we fix our nation’s broken heart? / Are we brave enough to try?” showcase a gentler approach, yearning — perhaps naively — for common ground rather than confrontation.

The contrast between “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” and “Our Nation’s Broken Heart” underscores how much both Wonder and the world around him have evolved.  In 1974, he was direct, unabashed, and impatient.  He saw injustice and called it out, demanding change from the political establishment with lyrics like, “We are sick and tired of hearing your song, telling us how you’ll change right from wrong.”  It was unfiltered, angry, and fearless. Today, his voice — though still strong — carries the weight of decades of experience, a shift from righteous indignation to a plea for compassion.

Now, exactly 50 years after the Nixon-bashing anthem topped the charts, it’s surreal to consider that the U.S. could be on the brink of putting BACK INTO the White House another president who, like Nixon, was impeached — twice — and who has faced even more legal challenges, including 34 felony convictions for improperly using campaign funds as hush money to cover up a sex scandal.

That’s an irony that isn’t lost on those who recall Wonder’s original messages in “Nothin’.”  Back then, he railed against a second-term president whose early departure hadn’t yet occurred when the Motown superstar laid down the tracks that would become his fourth of ten No. 1 pop hits.  Today, it’s a former president and GOP candidate who’s seeking a return to the White House that gets Wonder’s ire. 

Of course, “Our Nation’s Broken Heart,” released by Republic Records in August, didn’t climb the charts, and that’s no shock for an artist whose chart-topping years are far behind him.  Wonder’s last significant Billboard hits came in the 20th century, and his chart career stretches back a staggering 61 years!!!

“You Haven’t Done Nothin’” came just twelve years into that career and reflected Wonder’s continuing maturity at a time when events around him demanded no less from any artist with a conscience.  It also came during an era when his music both dominated radio and shaped cultural consciousness (see “Superstition,” “Big Brother,” “Higher Ground,” and “Livin’ for the City” from his prior two albums alone).

Reflecting on “Nothin’” and Stevie’s more recent song, one can see both the continuity and the evolution in Wonder’s approach to advocacy.  Fifty years ago, he demanded accountability at a time when much of the country agreed on who needed it.  Today, he appeals for unity in a nation that wrestles with division and disillusionment.  His messages — then and now — remind us of music’s power to hold a mirror to society, whether through biting critiques or heartfelt calls for harmony, and see ourselves and our political leaders for who and what we and they are.

In dethroning Billy Preston’s “Nothing from Nothing” on that long ago November 2 chart (and preceding Bachman Turner Overdrive’s “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” at No. 1 by two weeks), it may have seemed like there was a whole lot of Seinfeld-ish “Nothing” dominating pop radio in autumn 1974. Stevie’s “Nothin’” was anything but that.

Yes, it was a soulful dance tune with a pop melody and Motown’s resident boy band providing the backing hook, but it was heftier in message than anything else on the radio that fall.  And it was a testament to the enormous power of Wonder’s music and messages alike.

As we near the end of another high-stakes presidential election, Wonder’s enduring legacy encourages folks to keep striving for a world that lives up to his vision of hope and justice… and, oh yes, accountability.

It may seem idealistic, but it’s either that or we can remain “amazed but not amused.”

DJRob

DJRob (he/him) is a freelance music blogger from the East Coast who covers R&B, hip-hop, disco, pop, rock and country genres – plus lots of music news and current stuff!  You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @djrobblog and on Meta’s Threads.

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