Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours

RELEASE DATE

7 AUGUST 1970

ALBUM

SIGNED, SEALED & DELIVERED

LABEL

TAMLA / MOTOWN

BILLBOARD HOT 100

#3

UK SINGLES CHART

#15

BILLBOARD BEST SELLING SOUL SINGLES

#1

ROLLING STONE'S " THE 500 GREATEST SONGS OF ALL TIME" (2024)

#203

WRITERS

LULA MAE HARDAWAY, LEE GARRETT, SYREETA & STEVIE WONDER

PRODUCER

STEVIE WONDER

BACKUP VOCALS

THE ANDANTES

BASS

BOB BABBITT (FUNK BROTHERS)

ELECTRIC SITAR

EDDIE WILLIS (FUNK BROTHERS)

OTHER INSTRUMENTS

THE FUNK BROTHERS

STUDIO

HITSVILLE U.S.A. (DETROIT)

TRIVIA

  • In a manner of speaking, this is the title track to Stevie Wonder’s 1970 studio album, which itself, is actually titled Signed, Sealed & Delivered.
  • This is one of the last Stevie Wonder songs to be co-written by his mother, Lula Mae Hardaway.  By the looks of things, she did not participate in her son’s songwriting after 1970.
  • This is the first single in Stevie’s discography that he produced on his own.
  • Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours served as the second single (of four) issued from Signed, Sealed & Delivered.  It topped Billboard’s Best Selling Soul Singles (i.e. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs) chart.  And on its B-side was I’m More Than Happy (I’m Satisfied).
  • Some sources state that The Andantes provided backup vocals to this track.  Others contend that it was the combination of Venetta Fields, Lynda Laurence and Syreeta Wright.  Perhaps all of the above were involved.  And it is very much likely Syreeta participated vocally, since she co-wrote the song.
  • Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours is the first song that Syreeta co-wrote.  Being a poet beforehand, she did so at the urging of her sweetheart, Stevie Wonder.
  • This was Stevie Wonder’s first single of the 1970s.  It was preceded by the lead from Signed, Sealed & Delivered, which was Never Had a Dream Come True.
  • This song was nominated for a couple of 1971 Grammy Awards, in the categories of Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male and Best Rhythm & Blues Song – but won neither.  The first went to B.B. King‘s The Thrill Is Gone.  And Clarence Carter took home the latter for Patches.
  • Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours was certified double platinum in the UK as of 2024.

A number of notable artists have covered Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours throughout the years, including:

  • Elton John recorded a cover of this song, apparently in 1970 (while his name was still legally Reginald Dwight).  That rendition has reportedly been featured on a number of his compilation albums, though most notably 1994’s Chartbusters Go Pop, aka “The Legendary Covers Album ’69-’70”.
  • …English rocker Peter Frampton, who did so for his 1977 album I’m in You.  His version broke made it onto the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100.
  • Syreeta dropped her own rendition in 1980, as featured on her (second) self-titled album.
  • …Jermaine Jackson‘s on his eighth solo album, an effort titled I Like Your Style (1981).
  • …Chaka Khan, on her 1988 LP ck.
  • …Blue, a British boy band, in collaboration with Angie Stone and Stevie Wonder.  Blue’s cover, as featured on their album Guilty (2003), was an international hit (though failed to chart stateside).  The song also peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart and number 3 on the UK Hip Hop/R&B Chart.
  • …Craig David, who actually released an album titled Signed Sealed Delivered in 2010.
  • In 2013, Glee aired an episode titled “Wonder-ful”, replete with Stevie songs.  And amongst those the cast covered was Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.
  • …Michael Bolton, on his Motown-inspired album Ain’t No Mountain High Enough: A Tribute to Hitsville U.S.A. (2013).
  • Straight No Chaser, a US-based men’s singing group, enlisted Wonder to participate on their album Under the Influence (2013) via a cover of this song.
  • …Ariana Grande and Babyface for the 2015 TV special Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life – An All Star Grammy Salute.
  • …Skylar Grey for the soundtrack of the animated series Motown Magic in 2018.  A 2019 episode of that show was also named after this song in 2019.
  • …a supergroup consisting of Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Anderson. Paak and others for the Christmas cartoon Trolls: Holiday in Harmony (2021).

There’s also Stevie’s live rendition of Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours that’s found on 1995’s Natural Wonder.

LYRICAL ANALYSIS

The character Stevie is portraying reads like someone who has dumped his sweetheart, the addressee.  In the process, he got the opportunity to “(see) a lot of things in this old world”.  But time and experience has made him the vocalist realize that screwing up his relationship with the addressee was “foolish”.

So now, most simply interpreted, he’s begging her to come back.  And part of that disposition includes Stevie fully submitting himself to his past and hopefully future lover, “signed, sealed, delivered”, like a valuable package received from the post office.   

SOURCES

“Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”.  Wikipedia.  Last edited on 22 May 2024.

“Signed, Sealed & Delivered”.  Wikipedia.  Last edited on 10 June 2024.

panam.  “500 Greatest Songs of All Time (Rolling Stone Magazine version 2021)”.  Acclaimed Music Forums.  15 September 2021.

Grammy for Best R&B Song.

“Stevie Wonder discography”.  Wikipedia.  Last edited on 7 July 2024.

slydogmania.  Syreeta – rare 6 min interview (1974)”.  YouTube.  23 May 2023.  

“Stevie Wonder Signed, Sealed Delivered I’m Yours”.  BPI.  Accessed on 10 July 2024.

“Syreeta Wright”.  Wikipedia.  Last updated on 7 July 2024.

——————————

“Chartbusters Go Pop”.  Wikipedia.  Last edited on 23 November 2022.

“Wonder-ful”.  Wikipedia.  Last edited on 5 April 2024.

“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough: A Tribute to Hitsville U.S.A.”.  Wikipedia.  Last edited on 6 June 2023.

“Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours”.  Ariana Grande Wiki.  Accessed on 11 July 2024.

“Motown Magic (TV Series 2018-2019)”.  IMDb.  Accessed on 11 July 2024.

“Trolls: Holiday in Harmony”.  Wikipedia.  Last edited on 10 June 2024.

——————————

Stevie Wonder.  “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)”.  YouTube.  7 August 2018.

Stevie Wonder.  “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours (Live/1995)”.  YouTube.  9 January 2020.

Syreeta – Topic.  “Signed Sealed Delivered I’m Yours”.  YouTube.  28 October 2021.

Elton John.  Signed Sealed Delivered.  Wikipedia.  2 January 2015.

Peter Frampton.  “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”.  YouTube.  31 July 2018.

cbright76.  “Jermaine Jackson – Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours”.  YouTube.  22 June 2019.

Chaka Khan.  “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)”.  YouTube.  9 November 2014.

Official Blue.  “Blue, Stevie Wonder, Angie Stone – Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”.  YouTube.  5 August 2022.

mol ki.  “Craig David – Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m yours)”.  YouTube.  13 August 2012.

JawetVideos.  “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours – Glee Cast [HD FULL STUDIO]”.  YouTube.  29 April 2013.

Nicolas Ortega Bonilla.  “MICHAEL BOLTON SIGNED,SEALED,DELIVERED I’M YOURS”.  YouTube.  11 November 2021.

Straight No Chaser.  “Straight No Chaser – Signed, Sealed, Delivered feat. Stevie Wonder”.  YouTube.  5 June 2013.

AVTV Music Video.  “Babyface & Ariana Grande – Signed Sealed Delivered (Live At Stewie Wonder Tribute) Remastered in HD”.  YouTube.  25 April 2024.

Skylar Grey.  “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours”.  Wikipedia.  15 November 2018.

Justin Timberlake.  “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)”.  Wikipedia.  25 November 2021.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours (1970)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours (live “Natural Wonder” version, 1995)

Signed Sealed Delivered I’m Yours by Syreeta (1980)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours by Elton John (1970)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours by Peter Frampton (1977)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours by Jermaine Jackson (1981)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) by Chaka Khan (1988)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours by Blue ft. Stevie Wonder & Angie Stone (2003)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) by Craig David (2010)

Signed Sealed Delivered I’m Yours by Glee Cast (2013)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) by Michael Bolton (2013)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) by Straight No Chaser ft. Stevie Wonder (2013)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) by Ariana Grande & Babyface (2015)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours by Skylar Grey (2018)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) by Ester Dean, Anna Kendrick, Anderson .Paak, Anthony Ramos & Justin Timberlake (2021)