He's Misstra Know-It-All - Misplaced Pages

"He's Misstra Know-It-All" is a single by Stevie Wonder for the Tamla (Motown) label, from his Innervisions album, which reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart in April 1974. The song takes the form of a mellow ballad with a steady beat, principally a solo performance with Wonder providing lead vocal, background vocal, piano, drums, handclaps and congas. Ethereal flute-like sounds are provided by his TONTO modular synthesiser. Willie Weeks, on electric bass, is the only other musician. Towards the end of the song the mood changes to a stronger feel, more strident singing and with hand-claps emphasising the beat, half-beat and quarter-beat.

The song was released again in 1977 in both the UK and US as the B-side to "Sir Duke".

The song is essentially a long description of a know-it-all confidence trickster character who is a "man with a plan", who has a slick answer to all his critics and who has "a counterfeit dollar in his hand." It has been alleged that this is a reference to United States' President Richard Nixon, who resigned the same year the song was released.

Recording

The song was started and completed in a matter of three days. Piano and vocals were recorded on April 5, 1973. Harp and background vocals were recorded on April 6. Synthesizer overdubs and mixing took place on April 8.

Track listing

A. "He's Misstra Know-It-All" – 3:25 (Stevie Wonder)
B. "You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover" – 2:32 (Wonder, Henry Cosby, Sylvia Moy)

Personnel

Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, piano, drums, handclaps, TONTO synthesizer, congas
Willie Weeks – electric bass

References

John McFerrin. "Stevie Wonder- Innervisions". Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
"Official Charts Company - Stevie Wonder". Official UK Charts. July 23, 2012. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
Arthur Chappell, "The Story In The Song - Stevie Wonder - He's Misstra Know It All", Bubblews, January 10, 2014. Archived April 22, 2015, at archive.today.
Daniel E. Frick, "Reinventing Richard Nixon", 2008.
Lynskey, Dorian (May 4, 2007). "Readers recommend: Songs about politicians". The Guardian.
"Expanding Soul". wax-poetics. July 15, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
"Stevie Wonder – He's Misstra Know It All", discogs.com.
"Stevie Wonder – He's Misstra Know It All" Archived December 5, 2014, at the Wayback Machine at Discogs.

v t e Stevie Wonder
Discography
Studio albums	The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie Tribute to Uncle Ray With a Song in My Heart Stevie at the Beach Up-Tight Down to Earth I Was Made to Love Her Someday at Christmas Eivets Rednow For Once in My Life My Cherie Amour Signed, Sealed & Delivered Where I'm Coming From Music of My Mind Talking Book Innervisions Fulfillingness' First Finale Songs in the Key of Life Hotter than July In Square Circle Characters Conversation Peace A Time to Love
Live albums	Recorded Live: The 12 Year Old Genius Stevie Wonder Live Live at the Talk of the Town Natural Wonder
Soundtracks	Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants" The Woman in Red The Last Dragon Jungle Fever
Compilations	Looking Back Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium I Song Review: A Greatest Hits Collection At the Close of a Century The Definitive Collection The Complete Stevie Wonder
Singles	"Fingertips" "Hey Harmonica Man" "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" "With a Child's Heart" "Blowin' in the Wind" "A Place in the Sun" "Someday at Christmas" "Hey Love" "I Was Made to Love Her" "I'm Wondering" "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" "You Met Your Match" "Alfie" "For Once in My Life" "I Don't Know Why" "My Cherie Amour" "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" "Never Had a Dream Come True" "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" "Heaven Help Us All" "We Can Work It Out" "Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer" "If You Really Love Me" "What Christmas Means to Me" "Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)" "Superstition" "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" "Higher Ground" "Living for the City" "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" "He's Misstra Know-It-All" "You Haven't Done Nothin'" "Boogie On Reggae Woman" "I Wish" "Sir Duke" "Another Star" "As" "Pops, We Love You" "Send One Your Love" "Master Blaster (Jammin')" "I Ain't Gonna Stand for It" "Lately" "Happy Birthday" "That Girl" "Ebony and Ivory" "Do I Do" "Ribbon in the Sky" "Front Line" "I Just Called to Say I Love You" "Love Light in Flight" "Part-Time Lover" "That's What Friends Are For" "Go Home" "Overjoyed" "Stranger on the Shore of Love" "Skeletons" "You Will Know" "Get It" "Gotta Have You" "For Your Love" "So What the Fuss" "From the Bottom of My Heart" "All About the Love Again" "Faith" "Can't Put It in the Hands of Fate"
Featured singles	"My Love" "How Come, How Long" "California Roll"
Other songs	"You and I (We Can Conquer the World)" "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)" "Golden Lady" "All in Love Is Fair" "They Won't Go When I Go" "Love's in Need of Love Today" "Knocks Me Off My Feet" "Pastime Paradise" "Isn't She Lovely" "Black Man" "We Are the World" "Just Good Friends" "Seasons of Love" "True to Your Heart" "Stop Trying to Be God"
Songwriting credits	"It's a Shame" "Tears of a Clown" "Tell Me Something Good" "Uptown Festival" "Let's Get Serious" "You're Supposed to Keep Your Love for Me"
Tours	Songs in the Key of Life Tour
Related articles	Lula Mae Hardaway Syreeta Wright KJLH SuperEgo Wonderin' "Wonder-ful" Super Bowl XXXIII halftime show
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