Marvin Gaye - "What's Going On" - Social Studies

Lyrics - 

What's Going On

Tell Me
People Dying
People Crying
Lord Help Us
Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Oh, brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
That's Right
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today
Oh my 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
Barricades, can't block our way.
Don't punish me with brutality
Talk to me
So you can see
(First Chorus)
Oh what's going on
What's going on
Yeah what's going on
Ahh what's going on
What's going on in a world filled with pain
Where's the love for which we pray
What's going on
When our children can't play
Homeless can't eat
There's got to be a better way
What's going on
When we politically blind
Can't see the signs of endangered times
What's going on
Ah tell me
What's going on in the world today
I'd rather be dead
Than turn my head away
We gotta first world vision to? to lift our
Hands in the air and cry for a switch
Father, father
Father help us, come on
Everybody thinks we're wrong
Oh, but who are they to judge us
Together we can all be strong
United we stand, United we fall
Oh you know we've got to find a way
To bring some understanding here today
Barricades can't block our way
Don't punish me with brutality
Baby talk to me
So you can see
(Second Chorus)
Yeah, what's going on
Hey, what's going on
Somebody tell me what's going on
I'll tell you what's goin' on -uh
What's going on 'cross seas
Every minute a child dies by this disease
In record numbers indeed
Got momma's crying out please
My baby hold on
My child ain't done nothing wrong
Still I want to hollar
Ask them why they don't bother
Oh no, oh no
Make me turn to my father
And ask him why they all got a trapped soul
I can feel what was bothering Marvin
Why his words forever remain
Dealing with these modern day problems
'Cause of ignorance surrounding me and my constituents
Too many infected
Too many lives diminishing
Nobody say Protestants, Jews, Blacks, and Whites, Latino's and Asians
Pray together
Less fight
We better unite
As genocide chemical war
And the rich and the poor
Know that God delivers a cure
It's a shame our reality is devastating
People praying for a cure
Dying while they're waiting
Ask the Lord for the comfort and strength to face it
All the kids with dreams
Won't get the chance to chase it
Makes me sad
Think about the lives they would've had
Think about the orphan babies got no moms and dads
How can we sit back and not try to make it right
We gotta come together
We gotta fight for life
Somebody tell me what's going on
(What's going on)
We got human beings using humans for bombs
But everyone wanna live
Don't nobody really want to die
You feeling me right I can't be watching people die
(Die)
And watching people cry
Let me break it down for a minute
If there's enough room here for you and me
There's plenty of room for some humanity
Somebody tell me what's going on
(What's going on)
Somebody tell me what's going on
(What's going on)
Somebody tell me what's going on
(What's going on)
Somebody tell me what's going on
(What's going on)
Somebody tell me what's going on

What is the message of the song? 

- These lyrics explore themes of not only the Vietnam war but also racism, drug abuse and poverty. This song was inspired by a guy named Benson a member of the group 'the four tops'. Benson witnessed police brutality and and violence while the Vietnam war was going on around him. He wanted to make a song but his members thought of it as a protest song but Benson said it was a song about love, peace and understanding. 

Lyrics in the song that give evidence.

- "You know we've got to find a way

To bring some lovin' here today"

- "Pray together, Less fight
We better unite, As genocide chemical war

And the rich and the poor
Know that God delivers a cure"