Stevie Wonder’s 1976 hit “As” includes a long list of adynatons, those fanciful statements about impossible events that are used for rhetorical effect. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Adynatons from Stevie Wonder”
Recently, we were talking about the term adnaton, A-D-Y-N-A-T-O-N, adnaton, which is the rhetorical
Device of making a point by alluding to some impossible event, something that could never
Occur.
Sure.
The classic one being when pigs fly, right?
Yes.
Yes.
And it’s a way of really making a point, but being fun and colorful about it, too.
And it actually gave me a great excuse to go back and listen to the fabulous Stevie Wonder album from 1976, Songs in the Key of Life.
Because his song, As, has a number of wonderful examples of Adonatan.
You know, he talks about, I’ll be loving you always until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea, until we dream of life and life becomes a dream, until the day is night and night becomes the day, until the trees and seas just up and fly away, until the day that eight times eight times eight is four.
I just, you know, somebody mentioned that that was an example of Aden Aden, and if nothing else, it was a great excuse to go back and listen to that album.
That is a classic album. It’s great to unwind to and better than comfort food, I think.
Right, because of all the ad-naughtons in there.
Well, you can find weird language things and fun language things everywhere you look.
What’s the album, book, what’s the thing you heard or thing you read?
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