It was released in late 1976 as the lead single from his eighteenth album, Songs in the Key of Life (1976).

Written and produced by Wonder, the song focuses on his childhood from the 1950s into the early 1960s about how he wished he could go back and relive it.

"[7] For the television series Classic Albums, Wonder recreated a small section from the song to demonstrate how he composed and arranged it.

[9] Cash Box said that the song was chosen as the lead single from Songs in the Key of Life after "radio stations spent weeks determining which... cut the public wanted most" and "'I Wish' came out on top in terms of popularity and editability.

Sly keyboard lines, clean tight funky rhythm section, Stax yellow-label horns, slurred stoned vocals and much more.