Pastime Paradise

When you dive into *Pastime Paradise*, you encounter a sound that broke molds for its time. It was one of the first to use a synthesizer, the Yamaha GX-1, to imitate the richness of a full string section. The rhythmic foundation wasn't born from a drummer setting the beat, but from synthesizer layers that were later enriched by the intervention of Stevie Wonder, Ray Maldonado, and Bobbye Hall. A distinctive sonic detail is the constant bell pattern, contributed by Hare Krishna musicians, which intertwines with a gospel choir from the West Angeles Church of God, creating an ending that fuses different musical traditions.

The lyrics of *Pastime Paradise* invite reflection on our distractions in the Western world and whether we are truly working towards a better future, whether in this life or the next. Another possible interpretation is the contrast between a negative attitude towards a complicated past and the hope for an ideal future, or even how materialism and laziness do not compare to a solid work ethic that brings great rewards. This piece, which is part of the album *Songs in the Key of Life* released in 1976, was written, produced, and arranged by Stevie Wonder himself. Its impact has been such that it has been covered or sampled by artists such as Mary J. Blige in *Time*, Coolio in *Gangsta's Paradise* and its parody *Amish Paradise*, and the English band Blue in *Curtain Falls*.