Just the 80’s

I just called to say I loooove youuu.

I sang. I was too young to understand. The lyrics had little meaning to me. Just a series of negative statements regarding occasions that Stevie expected to call his cherie amour, only that none of them was current.

The word ‘Just’ has this diminutive effect. It just lessens the message. Makes it less dramatic.

But why add just? Why Stevie, why?

Why not say "i called to say I love you"?

I can't believe a genius like Stevie wonder would fail to notice this, or fit this just for meter's sake. The guy is a perfectionist, I hear. God bless him.

So why 'just'?

Was the just a way to diminish the moment of your call, or the message you were convaying?

In any case, years passed, and I was looking for stuff to add to the playlist , which I turn on during play time with my baby.

It was joy to hear it, and see my little one dance .

The new school year is going to start, and for the first time in almost 9 months, I will be away from her. I am already going crazy...

Now i came to conclude that the use of ‘just’ is neither of the options i stated before. It is not a way to diminish the occasion, nor the message.

It is a way to dimminish and even imply apology for the way of delivering the message.

I just called.... Would be Stevie’s regret that he is unable to cross some distance and to exclaim, in person , his great love.

What a terrible feeling it is, to feel a need to say something so deep, only to be unable to do it!

Perhaps the negative statements in the verse are regrets of occasions missed.

That would be an intimate thing, known only to two people, and yet felt and lived by so many .

It’s just the power of words..