Overjoyed (Stevie Wonder song)

Date

"Overjoyed" is a song written and performed by American R&B singer Stevie Wonder for the Tamla (Motown) label. It appears on his 1985 album In Square Circle. The single reached No.

"Overjoyed" is a song written and performed by American R&B singer Stevie Wonder for the Tamla (Motown) label. It appears on his 1985 album In Square Circle. The single reached No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in April 1986 and stayed in the Top 40 for six weeks. It also became a No. 1 hit on the adult contemporary chart, marking the eighth and final No. 1 of Wonder's career on that chart. Another version of the single included an instrumental version on the B-side.

The song was originally written for the 1979 album Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants" but was not included on that album. It was later re-recorded for In Square Circle. The liner notes for the song list sounds such as crickets, nightingale calls, bird sounds, ocean waves, pebbles in a pond, a stone being dropped, and crushing leaves under the category "environmental percussion." The song was first performed live on May 7, 1983, during an episode of Saturday Night Live, where Wonder was both the host and musical guest.

Billboard described the song as using "unusual audio effects" to present Wonder's typical wordplay in a new way.

Personnel

  • Stevie Wonder – lead singer, background singer, acoustic piano, natural sounds (including: crickets, birds, ocean waves, pebbles in a pond, a stone falling, and leaves being crushed), Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer
  • Earl Klugh – guitar
  • Paul Riser – arranged the string parts

Cover versions

  • Bassist Stanley Clarke recorded a version of the song for his 1986 album, Hideaway.
  • Diana Ross recorded a version of the song for her 1994 Christmas album, A Very Special Season.
  • Mary J. Blige recorded a version of the song in the late 1990s. Stevie Wonder produced and arranged the recording. The version first appeared in a 1999 Air Jordan XV commercial. Blige later performed it during the 2000 NBA All-Star Game halftime show in February 2000 and at The BET 20th Anniversary Celebration in May 2000. The song was first released in 2000 on a Japan-exclusive compilation, Ballads, and later included on the 2003 Stevie Wonder tribute album, Conception: An Interpretation of Stevie Wonder's Songs.
  • Singer Jane Monheit included a version of the song on her 2007 album, Surrender.
  • Guitarist Grover Washington Jr. included the song on his 1994 album, All My Tomorrows.
  • Bassist Victor Wooten included an instrumental version of the song on his 1996 album, A Show of Hands.
  • R&B group Profyle recorded a version of the song for their 1999 debut album, Whispers in the Dark.
  • Guitarist Blake Aaron recorded a version of the song for his 2002 album, With Every Touch.
  • Belgian-French singer Viktor Lazlo recorded the song for her 2002 album, Amour(s).
  • In 2009, jazz artist Esperanza Spalding performed a version of the song at the White House during an event celebrating Stevie Wonder's music.
  • Progressive metal guitarist Drewsif Stalin recorded a version of the song for his 2011 EP, Excursion.
  • A version of the song by British pop group Steps appears on their 2012 festive-themed album, Light Up the World.
  • Between 2011 and 2014, Canadian singer Celine Dion performed a version of the song during select dates of her Las Vegas residency, Celine, as a virtual duet with Stevie Wonder. A new duet version of the song, featuring both Dion and Wonder, was included on Dion’s 2013 studio album, Loved Me Back to Life. This version was produced by Tricky Stewart. Jon Maranica of the New York Times described the cover as "the most decadent move on the album (Loved Me Back to Life)." Stephen Erlewine of AllMusic noted that Dion’s performance showed "a subtle but palpable R&B undercurrent" and highlighted the duet tracks, including this song.
  • Bassist Nathan East recorded a version of the song in 2014 on his self-titled album, Nathan East, with Stevie Wonder playing the harmonica.
  • Evan McKeel performed a version of the song during the second night of live shows for The Voice (USA) season 9, which aired on November 10, 2015.
  • Singer Victory Boyd released an album titled It’s A New Dawn in November 2017, which includes a version of the song.
  • In 2019, musician Ben Platt performed a version of the song at his one-night-only concert at Radio City Music Hall.
  • In 2022, pianist Vijay Iyer recorded a version of the song with musicians Tyshawn Sorey and Linda May Han Oh for the album Compassion, which was released in 2024.
  • In November 2025, Spanish singer Claudia Arenas performed a version of the song during the television talent show Operación Triunfo 2025.

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