Chapters 3 through 6 constitute a single, in-depth discussion of Wonder’s distinctive brand of clavinet-based funk music, divided into four parts. Chapter 2 is an analysis of “Golden Lady” that demonstrates groove and flow operating in areas other than rhythm and meter, in scales beyond the merely local, and in a compound, multi-dimensional manner. It also demonstrates for the first time how Wonder uses repetition of musical elements to create a sense of flow-simultaneously on several different structural levels and in many different ways-and then manipulates that flow throughout the course of the song. Chapter 1 is a general analysis of “Living for the City” that is primarily concerned with form-the shape of the song over time-and the way in which that form interacts with the text and generates meaning(s). I begin by introducing the primarily African-American musical paradox of collective individuality and the musical concepts of groove and flow that are central to soul and funk. The essays focus on two interwoven aspects of soul and funk music, as they are employed by Wonder: the use of repeated musical figures, particularly grooves, to generate a sense of forward motion, or flow and the use of flow in a variety of ways and on many levels to give songs both shape and life. This dissertation is a collection of analytical essays on songs made by Stevie Wonder between 19.
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