Lasr December 3, the world celebrated the International Day of People with Disability. It’s an annual event promoted by the United Nations and aims to highlight the achievements of PwDs all across the world as well as the challenges that they continue to face.
In line with this, last year at around this time, I wrote about singer Jose Feliciano and his success as a musician despite his blindness. Featured in that blog is one of Jose’s songs, “It Doesn’t Matter Anyhow”.
This year, the focus is on Stevie Wonder, the Grammy multi-awarded blind singer who began singing professionally at age 11. One of his many songs, “All in Love is Fair” was quite popular in the 70s and could very well describe his life and love as a PwD at a time when having a disability was something to be ashamed of.
From a personal standpoint, I also felt that this song talked about me and my belief that love has reserved someone for me despite the many heartaches I had to endure. This included living with a physical handicap all my life.
All is fair in love
Love’s a crazy game
Two people vow to stay
In love as one they say
Yet, in the beginning, getting my heart broken was not an easy thing to accept. The pain was at times unbearable and it felt like I was in a war zone and I’m fighting from the losing end.
But all in war is so cold
You either win or lose
When all is put away
The losing side I’ll play
Still, I continue to take my chances, secretly hoping that someone will come along and stay with me, all in the name of love.
All of fate’s a chance
It’s either good or bad
I tossed my coin to say
In love with me you’d stay
Finally, someone came into my life and she’s now my wife. She’s the one woman who loved and accepted me for what I am. Stevie said the truth – all in love is fair.
A writer takes his pen
To write the words again
That all in love is fair
Feeling that life has not given you a fair share at love? Listen to what Stevie Wonder and “All in Love is Fair” has to say. Simply click here:
“All in Love is Fair” is the seventh track released from Stevie Wonder’s 1973 album Innervisions. Stevie not only wrote and produced this song, he also played all of the instruments used in recording “All in Love is Fair”. These included the piano and the drums.
This unque talent of being able to play a variety of musical instruments has made Stevie such a versatile singer. This led the industry to name him as among the most successful musicians of the 20th century.
Meanwhile, “All in Love is Fair” is one of Stevie’s songs that has been covered by several artists. This included Barbra Streisand whose 1974 version was featured in her album The Way We Were. Stevie himself re-recorded the song several times. The latest was in 2005 when he included “Alll in Love is Fair” in his The Complete Stevie Wonder album.
AKA Music 