Digital Learning Commons: Kent State: What's Going On

What's Going On - Marvin Gaye

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 lovin' here today, yeah

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 lovin' here today

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

Right on, baby Right on, baby Right on

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

Picket lines and picket signs Don't punish me with brutality Come on talk to me So you can see 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)

Right on, baby, right on Right on, baby Right on, baby, right on

Resources

What’s Going On at 50: Marvin Gaye’s masterpiece is still so true to life
The unresolved, discordant elements make this album truly timeless – that, and the fact that too few of its concerns have been addressed since 1971.
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Lordi, Emily. “What’s Going on at 50: Marvin Gaye’s Masterpiece Is Still so True to Life.” The Guardian, 20 May 2021, www.theguardian.com/music/2021/may/20/whats-going-on-at-50-marvin-gaye-masterpiece-is-still-so-true-to-life.
Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”
The spring of 1970 was a dark time for Marvin Gaye. His beloved duet partner Tammi Terrell had died after a three-year struggle with a brain tumor. His brother Frankie had returned from Vietnam with horror stories that moved Marvin to tears. And at Motown, Marvin was stymied in his quest to address social issues in his music.
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Hutchinson, Lydia. “The Story behind Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.”” Performing Songwriter, 31 Mar. 2017, performingsongwriter.com/marvin-gaye-whats-going-on/.