Essay about Timeless Work: an Analysis of Marvin Gaye

Popular singer Elton John once said; “music has healing power; it has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few hours”, and for most, music is the portal to an out of body experience. African American lyricists especially have been found to use the art of music to escape the real world, commencing from the slavery era and onward. The blues song titled The Tracks of My Tears does just that; expresses the ability to remove your soul from a treacherous reality. Similarly, the lyrics from popular modern songs, written by black artists, speak volumes about what is presently going on in the country, parallel to the way African American slavery songs did. Music written at an earlier period have been found to correlate to music of the past through providing strong emotion toward present day commentary.

The message of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On is that the abuse of the government's authorities will not lead to peace and harmony within the United States. Marvin Gaye sings about his through his lyrics that show the destruction inflicted upon normal families. He sings; “Mother, mother/ There’s too many of you crying/ Brother, brother, brother/ There’s far too many f you dying” (1-4) which show the families that have been affected by things such as poverty, or war, or police brutality, which was prominent and harmful back in the 1970s. Gaye sings about how “war is not the answer/For only love can conquer hate” (9-10). He is saying that the violence between people will not solve the problems they currently face and that to conquer problems they need to be united. It’s clear that Gaye is singing about police authorities when he sings “Picket lines and picket signs/ Don’t punish me with brutality” (13-14) and references to the signs used by protesters and workers on strike. When Gaye sings “Don’t punish me with brutality” (14), he is singing about the police force used against protestors although most of them were not harmful. Marvin Gaye sings about the violence between civilians and authorities. He sees the change needed and how The main message of the poem shown throughout the lyrics is that the authority's force against civilians who are against governmental actions is not useful, nor will it bring harmony within the country.

The music is rebellious and its uncompromising intensity is uncatagorizable for its urgent flooding past genre definitions. Miles’ music of the five-year period is unlike any music that preceded it, and still, 30 years later, so original, so Progressive, and so inadequately described.

During the early 1970’s legendary singer, songwriter, music producer and minister, Reverend Al Green, dominated music charts with his classic hits of southern soul music. Records including “Let’s Stay Together,” “Tired of Being Alone,” and “Love and Happiness,” has endlessly been passed down through generations of families predominantly in the African American community (Dr. J). Although Green has had an enormously influential impact on the history of R&B music, the eleven-time Grammy award winner decided to step away from soul music at the peak of his career and rededicate his life to Christ. He strolled down many paths of which the religious author, James Martin, refers to as the paths of belief, exploration, and return. To further understand how Al Greens has explored each of these paths, this essay will analyze significant moments in the life of Reverend Al Green.

Marvin Gaye envisioned and wrote a "concept album," which included songs told from a Vietnam war veteran's point of view after he'd come home to America, where he saw that serving his country hadn't helped improve injustice, poverty, suffering, or crime (Pinkey). The powerful lyrics from “What’s Going On” describe the cruelty and pain of the war: “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” (Gaye). Overall, "What's Going On" was a song to discourage hostility and the cruelties of the Vietnam

In this essay I will attempt to underscore and celebrate Simone’s activist efforts through song and demonstrate the messages in the music about race, gender, and class.

Third thing we will discuss is Marvin’s Legacy. while he might be best known today as the guy who got ripped off by Robin Thicke, it's important to remember the profound impact he had on music and society. "Rarely has a musician had as great an impact on American culture as music legend Marvin Gaye. Gaye fought an uphill battle most of his life: As a child in Washington, D.C., his father beat him nearly every day. The two fought constantly, and it was actually his father who fatally shot a 44-year-old Gaye in 1984. He scored 41 Billboard Top 40 hits in all – including reworked material released nearly two decades after his death. Today What's Going On is hailed with Rolling Stone naming it in 2004 as the 6th best album ever recorded. Gaye would

Growing up in Washington D.C. for Marvin Gaye seemed to be a joke, he lived in a ghetto surrounded by large buildings and major monuments that represented American freedoms. Not unlike any other children growing up in Washington D.C. he was taken on field trips to all of these places. Marvin Stated “I remember visiting the Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson memorials at different ages. I could appreciate the grandeur of the architecture. But I had the distinct feeling that these marvelous treasures belonged to white people.”(Ritz 34) By his mid teens, Marvin began to take notice of the world that surrounded him. He began to question the discrimination that Black Americans faced. During Marvin’s coming of age, the schools, movies, restaurants and even public playgrounds were segregated in Washington D.C., this made it difficult not to be cynical about

Marvin Gaye, a sex music icon, was a symbol of the social and political issues during his time. Though his music he represented young culture, racial injustice, peaceful protest and his black identity. Produced with Motown Records, his album What’s Going On made it to the top ten on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums,” (Dyson). Motown Records is known for its crossover music and artists that sang about things that would not create controversy in the political world, however their artists began to address social issues following the release of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On. Though Gaye’s message was not direct until the release of this album, he represented a rage against the black stereotype and political issues associated with his black identity at a much larger scale being one of Motown Record’s most successful artist.

Characteristics that sets Marvin Gaye Apart from Popular Recordings: What set Mr. Gaye apart from other popular recordings of the time was that his controversial style pays off big with his song “What’s Going On.” Mr. Gaye was inspired by the politics and violence of the Vietnam War, which he and Motown did not see eye to eye, however the single was released in 1971 and became a hit (Marvin Gaye, 2015). Proving that Mr. Gaye did not fear to take risks, to speak out and be heard. Furthermore, Mr. Gaye wrote his lyrics and produced on the album, which also opens himself up to a new audience

“Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. It reinforces all other human rights, allowing society to develop and progress. The ability to express our opinion and speak freely is essential to bring about change in society.” Freedom of Speech grants you the right and privilege to speak your mind without facing any type of consequence . I strongly believe that censorship and the lack of free speech can and will cause a negative effect on our world.

John Coltrane is considered one of the most important figures in jazz, alongside other greats such as Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong. Coltrane struggled with drug addiction early on in his career, but during the late 1950’s he was able to get through it. I chose John Coltrane because I consider myself a fairly religious person, Coltrane himself was a religious person who wanted to bring positivity to people through his music. Arguably Coltrane’s most globally acclaimed record, “A Love Supreme,” was greatly influenced by his devotion and love for God. This record shows just how much influence Coltrane’s religious awakening had on his musical creations. I want to learn more about John Coltrane and how his own religious experiences shaped his

Tributes, I’m sure you’ve heard of at least one in your life. What exactly is a tribute? Google defines it as “an act, statement, or gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect, or admiration.” Tributes can take place in many forms; poems, songs, movies, etc. More times than not, tributes are made to honor the dead. Some examples of tributes include the songs “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth, “Robin Williams” by CeeLo Green, “Marvin Gaye” by Charlie Puth featuring Meghan Trainor, and the novel Jane Slayre by Charlotte Brontë and Sherri Browning Erwin. The tribute that I believe connects most with Jane Slayre is “Marvin Gaye”. This is because “Marvin Gaye” was made to honor the singer who died who was named Marvin Gaye.

Chuck Arnold states, “Few artists have spoken for their generation, for their people, the way Marvin Gaye did when he released his masterpiece “What's Going On” in May 1971. The 40th anniversary Super Deluxe Edition is a righteous reminder of how much the music--and the message--still resonates today.” (Mitchell and PETERS) In “Inner City Blues,” Gaye talks about poverty within the ghettos of American territory.

While in class yesterday we talked about multiple topics revolving around faith, beauty, and icons. One topic in particular made me stop and think about how it has transformed not just me but our society as a whole. That topic dealt with the icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The main topic we talked about in class about Dr. King was a picture of him pointing toward ‘The mountain top’ during his last speech before being assassinated. This picture was taken April 3 1968 yet it still impacts our lives today. Another topic talked about in class was a song called Glory by John Legend which was released December 11, 2014. In this song it says “King pointed to the mountain top and we ran up”. This song was written 48 years after Dr. Kings speech yet