Stevie Wonder & Paul McCartney - Ebony & Ivory (1982) Duets Of The 80s DayOne Reacts

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[@trinaq]

Yes, one of my favourite duets of all time. Stevie and Paul should have recorded more songs together.

[@shellilawler1334]

I prefer their duo song "What's That You're Doing?"

[@DizJake]

I've loved this song since the 80s.

[@DizJake]

This song was all about the message.

[@clutch236]

The song wasn't a Banger, but the "message" was. The song was "ok". I've heard ("Bad") songs before, and this ain't one of them! This is an "ok" song, with a GRAND message, that's always at least "pleasant" to listen to. ✊🏾

[@craigmarkowski7156]

Love your honesty ! So many people that do reactions can be quite phony at times !

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

😂 It’s a hustle. I’m not knocking it. I actually root for most of them and their monetization goals. ✌🏽

[@childofeternity]

I appreciate your honesty. My feeling about the song is pretty similar... it's okayish, but not mad about it.

[@jofoster1596]

Listening to this all the years later, it does sound a bit twee lol It was a big no.1 hit in the UK back then

[@graemeturner2536]

Your honesty is what keeps me coming back. Please dont change Angela

[@debjorgo]

I love the SNL parody with Eddie Murphy as Stevie and Joe Piscopo as Frank Sinatra. "I am black, and you are white". "You're as blind as a bat and I have sight".

[@debjorgo]

Eddie was on Jimmy Kimmel a couple of weeks ago. Jimmy said he heard Ebony and Ivory the other day and couldn't help but think of the sketch. Eddie said, "Every time you hear this amazing song, you think of that sketch?" He then said he can't hear Wagner's Ride of the Valkyrie without thinking of Kill the Wabbit!

[@richardvincelette9741]

Love your reaction! It was spot on. With those two legends, I expected more as well

[@garytom1935]

Awesome video, good dance song, MTV days 🤘👏😎👍🎥📸🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@Really658]

Thank you for your honesty I like each artist individually.

[@paulwalker9421]

The Message from this song by two icons is the point . Is this song a banger no but the message is the point they were making. to the public the world. Thanks Angela

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

I appreciate the intentions, genuine or not, by the song’s producers. Sadly, 41 yrs later we’re _NOT_ “living together in perfect harmony”; the pandemic has reminded us of that very fact. That was the problem with “Ebony & Ivory”: it didn’t speak truthfully about race relations. Had we had *REAL* conversations with each other in 1982, we’d be better off today as a society.

[@ManubibiWalsh]

The song IS a banger though, what are you talking about?

[@ManubibiWalsh]

@@gabrielmcdonnell8699the song does say though that the black and white keys live together in harmony, “why don’t we”? Which is to say, the song DOES acknowledge the disparity in privilege and in how these relations work. It’s a call to live together as equals. That’s literally what the whole song is about.

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

@@ManubibiWalsh As equals? I don’t get that impression. I was 10 when the song came out and although one of the singers was black, I always felt “Ebony And Ivory” was composed for white ppl. In general, the song isn’t regarded with any affection by the black community.

[@strathman7501]

@@gabrielmcdonnell8699 "composed for white people" Well, if so, maybe the composer (McCartney) felt a) that white people were more in need of hearing the message and/or b) that it was white people he had a right to talk at?

[@themajicman745]

Don't forget to react to Teddy Pendergrass and Stephanie Mills singing "Feel the Fire" and Aretha Franklin and George Benson singing "Love All the Hurt Away" and Dennis Edwards and Siedah Garrett singing "Don't Look Any Further" and Ashford and Simpson singing "Solid as a Rock"

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

Angela reacted to “Solid” already: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXbPk5p4ormendEfeature=shared

[@user-fu4xm4hs3j]

Great duet between two great artistes, I really like this one with pointed lyrics-Colin Ward

[@denpea-mm8zr]

Agree with you 100%. Very refreshing to see a young reactor give their honest opinion. Too many over react with enthusiasm for mediocre music. I'm a huge Paul and Stevie fan, but this song is like nails on a chalkboard to me. Was a massive radio hit back in '82 however. My opinion is that most duets blow. The only good ones that come to mind are from 60s Motown. "Ain't no Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell is pure magic.

[@chrisalldis3375]

I agree, but even the Beatles sang some crap songs, even Elvis butchered My Way & Bridge over troubled water.

[@dougallen8305]

Three Dog Night did a song "Black and White". Great message. "That's What Friends Are For" good too.

[@johnchrysostomon6284]

Stevie Wonder put this song on his compilations of greatest songs

[@tedcole9936]

Interesting, Angela. As always, appreciate your honest take. If I have one word for it, it would be “over-production”. This happened a lot to artists who had been great in the 60s and 70s. There was a lot of focus in the 80s on making a broadly acceptable commercial sound, and IMHO this degraded the things that we really love in music - spontaneity, the sense of live presence, creative risk-taking. I felt the same in the 80s, often, as you feel now. I was hoping for something more, these two great artists should have been able to build something that was MORE than the sum of their parts, instead, we just got a sense of ‘lowest common denominator’ , a mediocrity that was disappointing in a way that’s difficult to define. Excellent reaction, thanks!

[@karenthomas4849]

Angela, and Rob Squad are the only music reactors I listen to mainly. I appreciate Angela's honesty. Some just pretend to please

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

LCD. 100%. “Ebony & Ivory” was about as meaningful as a Hallmark card.

[@joebloggs396]

Compared to chart music now this isn't overproduced at all. Of course there can be criticisms of the style which was towards that MOR sound that arose from US music starting in the 70s even. But I wouldn't say it totally defines the 80s at all which was great at times in some places for chart songs. The US however did suffer a downturn overall.

[@craigkennett6226]

What shit are you smoking? Its a great song

[@craigkennett6226]

@@karenthomas4849 When did Rob Squad ever criticize a song? Never, they even pretended to like Ringo Starr's songs haha but I prefer them over this girl because they're so positive. Honesty or not she's too hard to please which possibly accounts for the 4,700 views after 4 months with Rob Squad getting upwards of 500,000 views with many of their reactions

[@dahoss5405]

The song peaked at #1 on 16 different charts around the globe. It was ranked #2 on six other worldwide charts. It was ranked #4 on the 'Year-End' chart for 1982 on the US Billboard Hot 100. And is ranked #76 All-Time on the US Billboard Hot 100.

[@darinwaynec]

It spent 7 weeks at #1 on the Billboard charts and is the second most successful song that Paul McCartney ever wrote, second only to 'Hey Jude' by the Beatles. I kinda see where you're going with this, and I think you and I are on the same wavelength here; I'm not quite getting all the hate for this song on this thread, and a whoooole bunch of people, especially when it was released, would agree with us.

[@RandomDude19868]

There's a very funny Saturday Night Live parody of this song with Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo.

[@MzBettyK]

Perhaps you couldn’t relate to the simplicity of healing efforts toward racial injustice during the time this song was released. This song was such a beautiful statement that the world needed, especially then, and still today. If you, like I did, had graduated from an all black school, ridden in the back of buses, had to drink from colored water fountains and use colored restrooms sat on the black side of the Children’s Clinic at the hospital… maybe you would be able to understand the sincerity of the song. It didn’t need to shout it out. It made the statement clear softly and tenderly. I’m disappointed that our young people think it was so long ago that they aren’t touched by the severity of suffering we had to overcome. It is apparent in police brutality and in other ways today. This was about to phenomenally talented icons bridging the gap across the ocean to let the world see it was possible to come together in harmony. This song made a difference in a very good way.

[@ChirumboloFilm]

Wow! The nostalgia was strong with this one, especially since Angela pretty much said exactly what I felt when this song came out. Great reaction, and not just because I agree with you, but that’s pretty good too.

[@FuturologyTheMusical]

Love them both. Both are musical geniuses. The message is good, the song is the corniest thing either had ever done.

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

CORNY AF. 🤮

[@Novaximus]

I like the song. It's a 3 out of 5 for me. I like the chorus but it was a little too sesame street on the in between bits. I also feel like they harmonized better at the end but not so much earlier on. I've got to say though this era is probably my favorite when it comes to Pauls Music. I really like his tone and style with him and MJ. I really liked his soft rock with the Wings. Harrison had some really awesome singles as well. I think this song needed more of a bump to it though. It did get a fair amount of radio time in its hay day. I feel like the times when I'd here this song playing would be like at the mall or in a doctor's office waiting room.

[@curiousman1672]

Can't listen to this without thinking of the Sinatra/Wonder parody of E&I, on SNL (back when it was funny).

[@JK-zo1pd]

It’s the message that the song put out

[@kurtadams3021]

The LEGENDARY Iconic Mr Stevie Wonder aka 8th Wonder of the world 🌎

[@MarkMcLT]

I like the song ok, but I really appreciate you saying what you think. Too many reactors seem afraid to ever be anything other than effusive over songs people ask them to listen to. Keep it up!

[@maha77]

I appreciate so much you're honesty because when the song came out I never really liked it, and after all these decades i think it's just okay

[@starman2337]

I agree. Just so-so from such big stars.

[@thomastimlin1724]

Stevie covered a couple of Beatles songs way back in the day, including a great version of We Can Work It Out. The Beatles and Motown artists had a special kind of relationship, they admired each other and both did each other's song songs. The Beatles did it early on...Motown would do album versions of Beatle songs. Obviously Stevie and Paul were good buddies. and still l are. Yes the song is kind of silly, but Stevie was in on it with Paul up to his neck...lol. My cousin went to the Michigan School for the Blind in Lansing MI with Stevie, and I never knew that until later!😂

[@psiclone23]

When MTV first came out it was all about rock bands and it was noticed that there were only white bands - so this song was created and put into rotation on MTV.

[@Richardtv1968]

They recorded the video without coming together! Copy and paste. Paul was filmed in London, Stevie in the USA

[@shellilawler1334]

Your face during this! 😂 Try their duo "What's That You're Doing?" It's much more upbeat.

[@UncleQue]

Great message. A huge hit. I liked it then. It hasn’t aged well musically. The message is great though.

[@chrisoakley5830]

This was a big hit when first released, but it never had any staying power. I don't think I've ever heard it on the radio after it fell off the charts.

[@quixote6942]

Paul recorded his bits (music AND video) in England and Stevie did his in Los Angeles.

[@tempsim9192]

If only they could have been side by side.

[@LoveOldMusic808]

The song is really cheese today, but Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder came from a very different time. 1964 the Beatles refused to play a concert with a segregated audience. They played to the first non-segregated audience in Jacksonville, Fla. This song means something different to them than it means to people today.

[@scotteustice6230]

Although I disagree with you about Gran Funk Railroad, I completely agree with you reaction to this. Love Paul McCartney, love Stevie Wonder, but really a lackluster song. Good job!

[@billparrish4385]

For what it's worth, as someone who was a twenty-something when this was on MTV, I do agree with you. As a song, it was so-so, not bad, but not as good as two legends could be. It was overproduced, in a noisy, brassy, poppy, unpleasant-sounding kind of way. It's like they took a simple musical theme that had possibilities, and the beginning at least of a hook, and fashioned it from plastic for mass consumption. On a message level, it was kind of syrupy-preachy, like a narrative in a politically-aware Saturday morning kids cartoon might come across (like Captain Planet was for environmentalism, in this same era when Saturday mornings were must-see TV cartoon watching for kids). I kinda-sorta liked it back in the day, but hearing it again now, it unfortunately didn't age well. So, no blame or shame for your reaction. It was definitely of its time -- _if_ then....

[@horacerobinson7149]

😊😊😊

[@soupsyz-themusicaladventur1649]

Stevie Wonder joins Wings. The song had its purpose at the time and it worked, but it was kind of like, hey, let's do a song together and make a statement. The statement is great and necessary and is relevant now as ever, but as a song, it is not a particularly strong song, even though it features two great, and very strong artists.

[@BBBYpsi]

You should check out Gerphil Flores from her channel "Somewhere in Time" from the movie Somewhere in time. It is a live recording. She has the voice of a angel & was David Fosters Golden buzzer on Asia's got talent in I believe 2014

[@davids2096]

I read some of the other comments, and your other subs are very perseptive and articulate themselves very well! I like the message of this song, but the song itself does not float my ⛵🚢 boat! Toodles🎉😂❤😅people! I'd like to recomment Another Star from Songs In The Key Of Life by Stevie Wonder & Another Day by Paul Mc Cartney! Bye!

[@MarceloSilva-bg8jh]

O love you Angela ❤

[@justice4all772]

Shaq O'Neal said he was in an elevator when Stevie wonder entered and said hi to him w/o Shaq speaking a word .(not really blind ? )

[@Jagangela]

Angela when this song came out we were still living under constant Nuclear War threat with the Soviets and racial issues were more prominent then compared to now.

[@ptournas]

No need to be sorry! We all all have differences in tastes and have those times when we're just not crazy about something that it seems to us that everyone else is crazy about. But I think a lot of people share your opinion of this one anyway. Many love the concept of the song and the artists, but feel like they didn’t quite nail it with the song. I'm in that camp.😊

[@hodgesmuzick70]

Angela if it's legends you want to hear doing a great song together listen to Weakness by Stevie Wonder and Dionne Warwick.

[@namesameasu]

This song was a huge hit, but it's definitely a product of its time, It's not quite on the level of a Martin Luther King speech. "I Have a Piano. Despite some keys being black and some white, it will make beautiful music at the table of brotherhood sitting side by side. Lovely tones will ring throughout the rooftops despite there being good and bad in everyone. We shall come to live together in harmony as both ebony and ivory."

[@solofly5793]

It was a positive song with words to live by just not worthy of their abilities

[@richardjacobs7632]

Go back and listen later from a different perspective. I understand it was recorded separately!

[@allendixon7700]

😮😮 I like I like going downtown to the railroa ride station.Sitting downtown at the railroad station Brewer BR AWARI.Understand sheboy S HR PL.AY they do that song?O?M a one talk that's brewer , brewer and ship

[@leonwhitted5662]

Your reaction to this song is not a surprise. This is what happens when you review music from an era that you know very little about. You have great opinions about music that you review and you know quite a bit about music and the elements that go into making music. However, there are songs that do not fit into the standard categories of music. This is one of those songs that is both a message song and has more of a meaning behind it. It's about black and white living together in unity just as the keyboard 🎹 of a piano were both Ebony and Ivory live together in perfect harmony together. Paul and Stevie performed this song this way to make you look at yourself and each other to work and live together. It's not a superstar collaboration like most people would expect from them. It's plain and simple.

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

With the utmost respect, I disagree. “Ebony & Ivory” was a _CALCULATED_ endeavor from the outset. Who knows if the producers’ intentions were genuine or not but they clearly set out to make a statement with this duet. Unfortunately, there weren’t any naysayers in the room when it came to all the components of the song and its video. If there was, the outlier would’ve put the kibosh on the sappy lyrics and music as well as the buffoonish video.

[@leonwhitted5662]

@@gabrielmcdonnell8699 There was nothing wrong with the video or song and it was not a calculated risk. Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney are artists who come from different styles of music and they knew that they had to find a song that was suited for the type of music that they perform. This is the problem that many artists face when coming together and working on a song. This is a message song to unite people and it cannot be hard rock and roll or bouncy beat soul music. It's understandable that most people don't like message songs cause they are sappy or preach too much.

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

@@leonwhitted5662 We agree to disagree. Based on your post, they didn’t write “Ebony and Ivory” for everybody. it couldn’t be hard rock or soulful which in other words means _they watered it down_ And that’s why some ppl rolled their eyes.

[@leonwhitted5662]

@@gabrielmcdonnell8699 We agree to disagree is correct. Nothing can be written for everyone because everyone is in a different place in life, so it had to be written to convey a message to those who would listen to it which is what most people did. How their taste in music goes is totally a different thing all together. That's why message songs are always like that.

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

@@leonwhitted5662 Did most ppl listen to the message?? I don’t think they did bc 40 yrs later, the racial divide is alarmingly increasing. Perhaps if we had REAL conversations about race back in 1982 we wouldn’t be back at square one.

[@johnchrysostomon6284]

This gets panned a lot but the message is great, albeit simple

[@bradsense7431]

Yes, that is still bad after all these years. People are making comments trying to elevate it because of the message. Doesn’t matter the message is if it is delivered wrapped in crap. There are songs out even before this one that carried a similar message but were actually enjoyable to hear/experience while also reflecting on the message. For instance try Gladys Night and The Pips 1969 song Friendship Train. Studio version is preferred. It is a funky, groovy recording with great arrangement, instrumentation and of course the wonderful vocals of Gladys Night.

[@omaramador4669]

Nobody see the message? Or because are too white or too black and doesn’t want to be side by side or MIX TOGETHER ‼️‼️. When this song came out was a blast 💥. Was the time of many many duets (78-82). The song and the video ( well explicit)tried to erase the racial differences. Many people caught up all the meanings and many many people didn’t care in both races. For me was the spark ⚡️ to cross the border between the races. What a JOURNEY ‼️‼️. The today’s young people didn’t take the whole picture, that’s happened more than 40 years ago when EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@dougallen8305]

The song is about THE message. Sad you missed that. Explains much about our sad society anymore.

[@paulknight9998]

Well, the song was written by Paul McCartney. Were you maybe expecting the song to be more in the style of Stevie Wonder?

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

I didn’t know that PM wrote the song but now that I do makes it worse. Not a Beatles head but weren’t they known for their songwriting? I guess I should give PM a pass bc it was a new decade, he was trying to assimilate to the current musical landscape. Unfortunately, he missed the mark with these sappy, rose-colored glasses lyrics.

[@MichaelTScott-wb4di]

Their other MUCH better duet ("What's That You're Doing?"), for some reason, doesn't get any recognition: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4aWfqWrjrCAm7s

[@leemcintyre9490]

Yes! Your Honesty is Refreshing! I Love the Message they are Putting forth here! But it's like , Ok. We Both have Other projects to do! Let's Pound out this Song, and this HOKEY Video, and have Done with it! 😮

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

In a nutshell. 👏🏾

[@WalkerOne]

This song is a sign of the times it was released. It hard for people today to put that in context. This was the biggest song when i was in 7th grade. Good times was still on TV along with all in the family. They were still using the N word on broadcast television.

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

Fact checked: both “Good Times” and “All In The Family” aired their final episodes in 1979. “Ebony & Ivory” was released 3 yrs later.

[@WalkerOne]

@gabrielmcdonnell8699 How is this a fact check? Those shows are still on reruns today. It was a sign of those times when they were still using the N word on TV.

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

@@WalkerOne I was born in ‘71 so I remember 80’s prime time TV vividly. What shows were using the N word? “Facts of Life”? “Magnum PI”? “Different Strokes”? “Family Ties”? “TJ Hooker”?

[@daveborder7751]

The McCartney solo version with the guy dancing in prison video is better, they weren't actually together in this video-they were spliced together & it was a pretty good job with the technology they had back then. The song is very simplistic, overproduced & repetitive-it was one of my favourites as a 5/6 year old kid being a big fan of both, but as an adult over 40 years later it isn't as good. This will sound like a classic when you get round to doing the absurd Frog Chorus McCartney put out 2 years later though.

[@ivanramirez8828]

i know this is a good song and all, but cant listen to it without hearing eddie murphy

[@Abri412]

I agree with you 100%. Two great artists collaborating on a song which is cheesy beyond belief. There's an attempt at a good message, but it didn't work, even on kids. It made both seem worse IMO.

[@garyarnett1220]

Anything with vocals from Stevie is worth a listen. Paul learned from this one what NOT to do. His 2 songs with MJ that followed were better. The song Stevie wrote for them is MUCH better. Try "What's That you're Doing?"

[@rolfjohnson830]

Lots of duets sound good on paper but fail when recorded. Voices have to complement each other, song has to be well written and produced to make it work.

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

💯

[@quicktastic]

The message of the song is uplifting and well-intentioned, but I never liked the song that much either. Seemed a little contrived and both artists have much better songs. I mean you take Stevie Wonder's Innervisions album that deals with a number of social issues and the music is top notch. This song is a jingle in a commercial compared to anything on that album. McCartney is famous for writing incredible songs and also has a sweet tooth for some near bubblegum songs as well. That part of him irritated John Lennon to no end. Hence, Silly Love Songs came out. :) Thank you for being honest Angela.

[@billwieland8497]

Two things: 1.) We like what we like. You didn't like this song, oh well. MAYBE if you listen to it more it will 'grow on you' like things sometimes do. It might, it might not. Either way ... oh well. 2.) I can't read lips, so, when you talk during the song I have no idea what you're saying. I wish you could 'translate' that into a caption so that I can read what you're saying.

[@SEANBANOG4]

kitch

[@trainboy440]

Back in 1982 this was a big hit and you may have liked it back then but with all the crap music of today to compare it to a lot of people don't like the 80's music ..........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@mrod7692]

I'm sad.

[@samestuffdifferentday5712]

Paul McCartney probably wrote the song 🤪

[@thomastreece6773]

Not a good song. And it was on the radio all the time!! Your impression was right on, Angela! 🌹

[@samestuffdifferentday5712]

We all know it’s not realistic though. Let’s keep it real.

[@psongman9536]

We could tell by your face, you weren't happy with it, sounded fine to me, what were you expecting, though it was kind of hokey in some ways, yes, thought the harmonies were wonderful!

[@lamusiclover2264]

I have to agree with you. This song and the lyrics are so far below both of their abilities. This song to me was written for Kindergarten children. The message is great, but it it written at a child's level, which isn't bad if you play it as a learning tool for children, but for me as an adult, it's kind of written with lyrics geared for children.

[@relevantbrother8964]

That's the problem with some 80s music.. The syth driven sound can age and come across as cheesy. To be fair, it wasn't received overly well back then, maybe a lukewarm reception..

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

I was 10 when “Ebony & Ivory” came out and it was just as sappy (nauseating, too) then as it is now. I don’t care how well-intentioned it is, the song is still _BAD_ (esp for ppl of this caliber). Angela, I’m really glad you saw “Ebony & Ivory” for the musical misstep that it was!! 💯

[@justmoose6534]

Music in the 80s was ruined by MTV. It was all about getting people to watch the video. The song really wasn't as important as the video. Get Paul Mccartney and Stevie Wonder in a video and people watched. That's probably why a lot of these 80s collaborations are disappointing for you. Music hasn't really ever been the same since MTV came along.

[@TobyBaker-hz3rw]

Before the woke generation of separate.

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

😂

[@stephenthorpe3591]

A lot of reactors, mostly white males, seem to hate this song. As a song, it is fine. It seems to be the preachy politics that rubs people up the wrong way, as if it hits a raw nerve, which might actually be the intention! For context, in the 1960s, the Beatles once refused to play a concert in the American South, because the audience would be segregated. I see this song as about that, in general terms. The analogy of a piano keyboard to black and white people living together in harmony is simple but fine. I think that if you find yourself reacting badly to this song, you really have to take a look at yourself and ask why? The song is fine. Not the best song in the whole world, but fine. The message is a good and wholesome one. There just seems to be something that touches a raw nerve with some people, particularly in America. It is almost as if some people can't cope with hearing the truth.

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

I appreciate the song’s good intentions but it rubbed me the wrong way even back in 1982 bc it was so _UNREALISTIC_ . In 1982, I was a 10 yr old Afro-Filipino kid living in a white suburb. No crosses were burned but I did encounter the usual overt/covert comments eg “I’m talking about the ghetto black ppl, not you” or “is your dad a doctor?” (asked bc they wondered how a minority fam could afford to live in the neighborhood). I know I’m not alone in seeing how tone deaf “Ebony & Ivory” was then and now.

[@stephenthorpe3591]

@@gabrielmcdonnell8699 Goodness me, you are only 2 years younger than I am! You look so young! Anyway, I guess I was correct in that you didn't like the song because it sort of touched a raw nerve for you (="rubbed you up the wrong way"). It is ironic that you criticize this song for being "unrealistic", when very few, if any, songs about anything are realistic! The song is just promoting racial harmony and it even explicitly acknowledges the difficulties "Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony, side by side on my piano keyboard, oh Lord WHY CAN'T WE?" At any rate, whatever you think of the message, the song itself is fine in terms of catchiness and harmonies/melody.

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

@@stephenthorpe3591 Yes, the song promoting racial harmony in a superficial way. Mantras are not going to solve our racial issues but there are still naive idealists who think they will EVEN after everything that’s happened since George Floyd. Btw, that photo is of kids from my mama’s province in the Philippines. 🇵🇭

[@stephenthorpe3591]

@@gabrielmcdonnell8699 Fair enough, though I doubt that Paul or Stevie thought that they were going to solve racism with that song. It wasn't a charity single, so they were trying to make money from this song, like any other. Who knows why they even bothered? However, my point is that you can criticize the effectiveness of the message without trashing the song. At least it has a message, unlike many big hits of today, like Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You", which is a great song, but meaningless fun. Btw, I don't know what photo you are referring to.

[@stlmopoet]

The message was good, but the song is pretty bland. But a lot better than I could do.

[@greybushgames1]

Don’t feel bad the song is terrible

[@chrisoakley5830]

The best thing about this song was when Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscabo did a comedy skit about it as Frank Sinatra and Stevie Wonder, it was hilarious.

[@colinluckens9591]

You might like the song better if you understood what it was talking about....this is what gives the song its magic ❤

[@billgatt7816]

It's never been my favorite I respect it but noooo

[@tommythompson9565]

Your expectations are too high. This is a good song. Nothing spectacular, of course.

[@mattpotter8725]

Not the greatest song of all time, it was a bit of a durge and I think that the video was just cringe worthy, but I love the message and we should all be able to live together in harmony whatever race, color, or religion. If a song with this message was today it would be called woke by all those right wing idiots on social media, there were problems back then, there was discrimination, but a lot of people wanted to change that, whereas now I'm not so sure, some people just want to incite trouble for their own political ends, we're going backwards not forwards.

[@ej62133]

Your comment is a perfect example. Good on you for making it about politics instead of common sense 👍

[@mattpotter8725]

@@ej62133 So you don't want to live in a world where everyone just gets on with each other, but treats each other based on the color or their skin? Your common sense sucks if that's the case.

[@ej62133]

@mattpotter8725 I'm not the one who got political. That's all you, man. Common sense says we should look past a person's skin color and judge them by their character. Hell, I've already judged you by your character, Mr. Let's make a political post on a music reaction 🤷‍♂️

[@ej62133]

@mattpotter8725 BTW, the "woke" crowd says colorblindness is bad

[@davidhapka5410]

Sorry, but I've always hated this song....hokey corny lame crapola....two icons like Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder could have done better.

[@ademas]

It don't think it aged well at all, and it really didn't showcase Stevie's vocal talents.

[@johnboydTx]

😂 P.C. Woke the first generation 🤢🤷 Enjoy your adventures in Music 🎶✌️

[@whome1629]

Sorry you were born too late😂. There're songs i don't like either.

[@tomrockwood851]

What is going on? Are you we trying to find the worst songs of all time? lol These duets by Michael and Paul or whomever in the 80s, quite frankly sucked. They were instant parody for anybody who heard them. Thank god grunge came along to squash this over-produced BS.

[@randyparmley5009]

You dont like any thing .

[@gabrielmcdonnell8699]

Not true. And you know it. ✌🏽

[@DavidSingerSongwtr]

Not my favorite song either.