You Haven’t Done Nothin’ — Stevie Wonder

#365Songs: January 8

Among the many challenges associated with the #365Songs project is this one: accepting the baton from one’s predecessor.

One wants a smooth segue, of course, and to maintain fidelity to the spirit of the overall enterprise.

At the same time, one wants to wax one’s letter to posterity with a bespoke seal of sorts.

And so, here I am, baton in hand, wondering how to follow up an article that quotes Proust, Dillard, Thoreau, Aciman, and Chödrön, and concludes on the following:

For now at least until I forget again and get drawn back into the chaos, I’m committed to taking that extra deep breath, to noticing a flower I’ve never seen before, to listening for sounds that remind me that few things are more important than peace.

Is it just me, or has the opening act upstaged the headliner before they’ve even taken the stage?

Fortunately, I have history on my side today. Not only is January 8 the birthday of both Elvis Presley and David Bowie, but it’s also the day that Stax Records simultaneously released two of the greatest songs ever: Otis Redding’s Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay and Sam and Dave’s I Thank You.

And yet, despite all of that mojo, I’m ultimately headed in a different direction.

January 8, 1973, was the day the Watergate trial began. And the following year, on a date that would prove to be a mere two days before Nixon’s resignation, Stevie Wonder released You Haven’t Done Nothin’, which was, by every account, a direct — and scathing — message to the disgraced one himself.

The song is, of course, hopelessly funky, and most of us probably remember the song for its melody, that clavichord groove, and those inescapably catchy doo da wops.

But it must be acknowledged that the lyrics are, in fact, brilliant, with the opening couplet setting the bar high, right from the start:

We are amazed but not amused
By all the things you say that you’ll do

And if this is not the most soulful call to hold a politician accountable, then I don’t know what is:

It’s not too cool to be ridiculed
But you brought this upon yourself
The world is trying to pacify
We want the truth and nothing else

Richard Nixon concluded his resignation speech with the following words:

I have done my very best in all the days since to be true to that pledge. As a result of these efforts, I am confident that the world is a safer place today, not only for the people of America but for the people of all nations, and that all of our children have a better chance than before of living in peace rather than dying in war.

This, more than anything, is what I hoped to achieve when I sought the Presidency. This, more than anything, is what I hope will be my legacy to you, to our country, as I leave the Presidency.

To have served in this office is to have felt a very personal sense of kinship with each and every American. In leaving it, I do so with this prayer: May God’s grace be with you in all the days ahead.

As regards that legacy he spoke of? I think we can thank Stevie for offering the appropriate rebuttal:

If you really want to hear our views
You haven’t done nothin’

~

Start following the #365Songs playlist today, and listen to each new song with each new article!