Whats going on marvin gaye analysis

What's Going On?

Renaldo Benson, Al Cleveland, and Marvin Gaye, 1971

	The original version of the anthem was inspired by a 1969 event called "Bloody Thursday." What happened on Bloody Thursday?
	The song is addressed to "mother" and "father." Who is the intended audience?
	What is the purpose of the song? Do the songwriters feel that they're being listened to by older generations?
	What other types of aggression does the tune denounce?
	Compare and contrast this tune with "War," which was recorded by Edwin Starr the year before "What's Going On" was released. How is the approach to protesting the identical injustices different in the two songs?

For more information on Marvin Gaye, check in his official website.

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https://genius.com/Marvin-gaye-whats-going-on-lyrics

Marvin Gaye.

The ballad "What's Going On" was initially calm by Renaldo Benson (1936–2005), a member of the

Marvin Gaye's characterization of his seminal album What's Going On (1971) as a "me against the Man" noncommercial rebellion is a clear example of the fascinating way hype and hermeneutics clash at the site of a pop culture chat. Today, we are accustomed to the sights of effort between performers and management; think of Pearl Jam's quixotic TicketMaster boycott, Prince's facial "slave" tattoo protesting contract negotiations, or Warren Beatty sneaking "Bulworth" by studio executives on the strength of his bankable blockbuster reputation. Popular art does not, cannot, reach us unmediated--it is labeled, packaged, marketed and sold. Although this may seem obvious, what is less so is the significance (and sadness) of a consumer identity learning to appropriate even (and especially) such anti-establishment virtues as humor, self-reference, or rebellion. Desperate to find something to rely on, we root for the underdog, find for signs of non-compliance, ask that our artists "keep it real" and show us that they are "original," "independent," and "alternative." One way to read the story of What's Going On (its painter, producer, and the text itself) i

Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ Is as Relevant Today as It Was in 1971

Fifty years ago, the artist released Motown’s best-selling album ever and changed the course of his musical career

Motown wasn’t really known for its politically conscious music. Then came “What’s Going On.”

Released on May 21, 1971, at the height of the Vietnam War, Marvin Gaye’s album became a monster, spawning three hit singles on its way to becoming Motown’s best-selling album to date. The album also marked a turning point for Motown and for Marvin Gaye as an artist.

As a scholar of race and customs in the U.S. and the host of the weekly radio show “Soul Stories,” I am struck by how many of the themes Gaye explores remain as relevant today as they were when he first wrote about them 50 years ago.

Gaye’s evolution

Some of the songs on the album communicate directly to the articulate of the world in the early 1970s.

The title track, with its timeless lyric “war is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate,” condemned the nation’s involvement in Vietnam. But the song provides an understanding into the evolution of Gaye’s music to encompass overtly political themes.

Marvin Gaye &

Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and the Civil Rights Movement: A History and Analysis

Abstract

Marvin Gaye’s first self-produced album, What’s Going On is a timeless work in American popular music. This thesis illuminates many of the intricacies that went in to the creation of the album and discusses its relevance during the Civil Rights Movement. Chapter 1 provides a background in widespread music analysis and the genre of Soul music. Chapter 2 includes a biography of Gaye and a brief history of the Detroit record label famous as Motown. The collaboration of musicians and engineers at Motown, along with Gaye’s influences from his personal life and melody career, had profound effects on the outcome of What’s Going On. Chapters 3 and 4 provide analyses of individual songs from the album, discussing lyrics, form, harmony, and melody. Chapter 5 discusses the album as a whole by comparing it to a song cycle.

Repository Citation

Barnhill, Jacob, "Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and the Civil Rights Movement: A History and Analysis" (2019). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 234.
https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/234