1971 Protest Song Marvin Gaye 'What's Going On"
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Marvin Gaye's 1971 'What's Going On?' remains unanswered today
SNIP
"
The police was beatin’ on them, but they weren’t bothering anybody. I saw this, and started wondering what the fuck was going on.
What is happening here? One question leads to another. Why are they sending kids so far away from their families overseas?
Why are they attacking their own children in the streets here?"
These questions translated into a song Benson wrote with Cleveland, an in-house Motown composer. But his fellow members in the Four Tops weren’t interested in protest music. Fortunately, Gaye was very keen. Benson said:
Marvin already felt like this. He was a rebel, and a real spiritual guy.
Inspired by the harrowing stories told to him by his younger brother Frankie over his Vietnam war experiences, Gaye would eventually make the song his own. He added lyrics and, according to Benson:
"
When you heard that song, you could see the people and feel the hurt and pain. We measured him for the suit and he tailored the hell out of it."
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LYRICS
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, eh eh
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, oh oh oh
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
Yeah, what's going on
Ah, what's going on
In the mean time
Right on, baby
Right on brother
Right on babe
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 oh
Picket lines and picket signs
Don't punish me with brutality
C'mon talk to me
So you can see
What's going on
Yeah, what's going on
Tell me what's going on
I'll tell you what's going on, ooh ooh ooh ooh
Right on baby
Right on baby
Songwriters: Alfred W Cleveland / Marvin P Gaye / Renaldo Benson
