He's Misstra Know-It-All

"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.^[2] 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.^[3] Horn sounds are played on the Moog synthesizer that is programmed by Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff.^[4] Ethereal flute-like sounds are provided by the TONTO modular synthesizer that is also programmed by Cecil and Margouleff. Willie Weeks, on electric bass, is the only other musician.^[3] 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.

"He's Misstra Know-It-All"
Single by Stevie Wonder
from the album Innervisions
B-side	"You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover"
Released	April 1974
Recorded	April 5-8, 1973
Studio	Record Plant, New York City Mediasound, New York City
Genre	Soul, pop[1]
Length	3:25 (single version) 5:38 (album version)
Label	Tamla
Songwriter(s)	Stevie Wonder
Producer(s)	Stevie Wonder Malcolm Cecil Robert Margouleff
Stevie Wonder singles chronology
"Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" (1973) "He's Misstra Know-It-All" (1974) "You Haven't Done Nothin'" (1974)
Official audio
He's Misstra Know-It-All (album version) on YouTube

"He's Misstra Know-It-All" was re-released 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.^[5][6][7]

Recording

The song was started and completed in a matter of three days. Piano, drums and lead vocals were recorded on April 5, 1973. Harp^{[clarification needed]} and background vocals were recorded on April 6. Synthesizer overdubs and mixing took place on April 8.^[4]

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^[8] (Wonder, Henry Cosby, Sylvia Moy)^[9]

Personnel

Information is based on the album’s liner notes^[3]

• Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocal, piano, drums, handclaps, congas
• Malcolm Cecil - TONTO synthesizer programming
• Robert Margouleff - TONTO synthesizer programming
• Willie Weeks – electric bass