Marvin Gaye - What's Going On

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On

Marvin Gaye's 11th solo record, What's Going On was released on the Motown label in 1971.

1971 brought the unveiling of one of the most significant album releases of any decade. To understand the seismic shift in the career of Marvin Gaye that was brought about by his bold new artistic direction on What's Going On, it's worth stepping back to the Motown mainstay's previous LP release.

But just as his fellow Motown A-lister Stevie Wonder was reaching new creative maturity, so did Gaye. The self-produced What's Going On was a revelation, showcasing an artist with an insightful and prescient conscience about the state of the world who simultaneously raised his unique soulfulness to a new plateau.

A period of reappraisal

In a revealing interview with Disc & Music Echo as the new project was emerging, Gaye confirmed that he had been through a period of reappraisal of his place in music. "It wasn't a case of being big-headed or temperamental that kept me from doing interviews during the last three years," he said. "I was terribly disillusioned with a lot of things in life and life in general and decided to take time out to try to do something about it.

"In a sense, the rumours suggesting I had quit were true; I had retired, but only from the personal appearance end. I did that because I had always felt conspicuous on stage and I'm not the sort of person who likes to be an exhibitionist.

Writing, producing, reflecting

"I spent the three years writing, producing and reflecting. Reflecting upon life and upon America especially – because that's where I live – its injustices, its evils and its goods."

The first fruits of that contemplation came with the title track of What's Going On. It debuted in February 1971 to a rapturous response that took it to the top of the R&B chart for five weeks and to No.2 pop. The album, unveiled on May 21, 1971, was hailed by Billboard as "a cross between Curtis Mayfield and that old Motown spell, and outdoes anything Gaye's ever done."

What's Going On entered the magazine's album chart very cautiously, at No.187. But it went on to reach No.6 and spend a year on the bestsellers, fuelled by further major crossover hits with "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)."

"The material is social commentary but there's nothing extreme on it," said Gaye in that contemporaneous interview. "I did it not only to help humanity but to help me as well, and I think it has. It's given me a certain amount of peace."

[Intro]

Hey, hey-hey
Hey, what's happenin'?
Hey, brother, what's happenin'?
Boy, this is a groovy party (Hey, how you doin'?)
Man, I can dig it
Yeah, brother, solid, right on
What's happenin'?
Hey, man, what's happening?
Woo
Everything is everything
We're gonna do a get down today, boy, I'll tell ya

[Verse 1]

Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some loving here today, yeah

[Verse 2]

Father, father
We don't need to escalate
You see, war is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some loving here today, oh (Oh)

[Chorus]

Picket lines (Sister) and picket signs (Sister)
Don't punish me (Sister) with brutality (Sister)
Talk to me (Sister), so you can see (Sister)
Oh, what's going on (What's going on)
What's going on (What's going on)
Yeah, what's going on (What's going on)
Oh, what's going on

[Post-Chorus]

Ah-ah-ah-ah (In the meantime, right on, baby)
Woo (Right on, baby), woo
Ah-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Woo (Right on, baby, right on), woo
Ah-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Ba-da-boo-doo, boo-boo-boo-doo, boo-boo-boo
Ba-da-boo-boo-boo-doo, boo-boo-boo-ba-ba-do

[Verse 3]

Mother, mother
Everybody thinks we're wrong
Oh, but who are they to judge us
Simply 'cause our hair is long?
Oh, you know we've got to find a way
To bring some understanding here today, oh-oh

[Chorus]

Picket lines (Brother) and picket signs (Brother)
Don't punish me (Brother) with brutality (Brother)
Come on, talk to me (Brother), so you can see (Brother)
Oh, what's going on (What's going on)
Yeah, what's going on (What's going on)
Tell me what's going on (What's going on)
I'll tell you what's going on (What's going on)

[Post-Chorus]

Woo-ooh-ooh-ooh (Right on, baby, right on)
Ah-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Woo, woo (Right on)
Ah-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Ba-da-boo-doo, boo-boo-boo-doo
Ba-da-boo-boo-boo-doo, ba-da-da-da-da-da-da

[Outro]

Woo (Right on, baby, come on, right on)
Ah-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Woo (Right on)
Listen, ah-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Da-boo-doo, boo-boo-boo-doo
Da-boo-boo-doo, boo-boo-boo

Original: https://youtu.be/H-kA3UtBj4M