"Ebony and Ivory" is a 1982 number-one single by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. It was released on March 29 of that year. The song is featured on McCartney's album Tug of War. The song reached number one on both the UK and the U.S. charts. It reappears on McCartney's All the Best! in 1987.
At the simplest level, the song is about the ebony (black) and ivory (white) keys on a piano, but also deals with integration and racial harmony on a deeper level. The title was inspired by McCartney hearing Spike Milligan say "black notes, white notes, and you need to play the two to make harmony, folks!". The figure is much older. It was popularised by James Aggrey in the 1920s, inspiring the title of the pan-African journal The Keys, but was in use from at least the 1840s.
Written by McCartney alone, the song was performed live in the studio by both McCartney and Wonder, though due to conflicting work schedules, both recorded their parts for the song's music video separately (as explained by McCartney in his commentary for The McCartney Years 3-DVD boxed set).
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM (born 18 June 1942) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of the Beatles (1960–1970) and Wings (1971–1981), he has been described by Guinness World Records as "The Most Successful Composer and Recording Artist of All Time", with 60 gold discs and sales of over 100 million albums and 100 million singles. With John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, he gained worldwide fame as a member of the Beatles, and with Lennon formed one of the most celebrated songwriting partnerships of the 20th century. After leaving the Beatles, he began a solo career and later formed the band Wings with his first wife, Linda Eastman, and singer-songwriter Denny Laine.
According to the BBC, his Beatles song "Yesterday" has been covered by over 2,200 artists—more than any other song. Wings' 1977 release, "Mull of Kintyre", became one of the best-selling singles ever in the UK, and he is "the most successful songwriter" in UK chart history, according to Guinness. As a songwriter or co-writer, he is included on thirty-one number one titles on the Billboard Hot 100, and as of 2012 he has sold over 15.5 million RIAA certified units in the United States.
Stevland Hardaway Morris (born May 13, 1950 as Stevland Hardaway Judkins), known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, a child prodigy who developed into one of the most creative musical figures of the late 20th century. Blind since shortly after birth, Wonder signed with Motown's Tamla label at the age of eleven, and continues to perform and record for Motown to this day.
Among Wonder's best known works are singles such as "Superstition", "Sir Duke", "I Wish" and "I Just Called to Say I Love You". Well known albums also include Talking Book, Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. He has recorded more than thirty U.S. top ten hits and received twenty-two Grammy Awards, the most ever awarded to a male solo artist. Wonder is also noted for his work as an activist for political causes, including his 1980 campaign to make Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a holiday in the United States. In 2009, Wonder was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart's fiftieth anniversary, with Wonder at number five.
Stevie Wonder & Paul McCartney
Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
Side my side on my piano keyboard, oh lord why don’t we
We all know that people are the same wherever you go
There is good and bad in everyone
When we learn to live
We learn to give each other what we need to survive
Together alive
Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
Side my side on my piano keyboard, oh lord why don’t we
Ebony, ivory, living in perfect harmony
Ebony, ivory
We all know that people are the same wherever you go
There is good and bad in everyone
We learn to live when we learn to give each other
What we need to survive, together alive
Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
Side my side on my piano keyboard, oh lord why don’t we
Side my side on my piano keyboard, oh lord why don’t we
Ebony, ivory, living in perfect harmony
Ebony, ivory, living in perfect harmony
Ebony, ivory, living in perfect harmony
Ebony, ivory, living in perfect harmony
Female: Ebony and ivory
Both: Live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh Lord, why don't we?
Female: We all know that people are the same wherever you go
There is good and bad in everyone,
Male: We learn to live when we learn to give each other
What we need to survive together alive.
Female: Ebony and ivory
Both: Live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh Lord, why don't we?
(Instrumental)
Female: We all know that people are the same wherever you go
There is good and bad in everyone,
Male: We learn to live when we learn to give each other
What we need to survive together alive.
Female: Ebony and ivory
Both: Live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh Lord, why don't we?
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh Lord why don't we?
Female Backing Vocals: Ebony and ivory living in perfect harmony (repeat and fade)
Listen up, listen and learn to this song
Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh no, why can’t we?
Yeah
We all know that people are the same where ever we go
There's good and bad in everyone
We learn to live and we learn to give each other
What we need to survive, hey that's you and I
Oh yeah
Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh no, why can’t we?
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Ebony, ivory living in perfect harmony
Ebony, ivory living in perfect harmony
Ebony, ivory living in perfect harmony
Ebony, ivory living in perfect harmony
We all know that people are the same where ever we go
There is good and bad in everyone
We learn to live when we learn to give each other
What we need to survive, that's you and I
Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh no, why can't we?
Ebony, ivory living in perfect harmony
Ebony, ivory living in perfect harmony
Ebony, ivory living in perfect harmony
Ebony, ivory living in perfect harmony
Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh lord, why don’t we?
We all know that people are the same where ever we go
There is good and bad in ev’ryone,
We learn to live, we learn to give
Each other what we need to survive together alive.
Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh lord why don’t we?
Ebony, ivory living in perfect harmony
Ebony, ivory, ooh
We all know that people are the same where ever we go
There is good and bad in ev’ryone,
We learn to live, we learn to give
Each other what we need to survive together alive.
Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh lord why don’t we?
Ebony, ivory living in perfect harmony (repeat and fade)