Marvin Gaye lived to give the people a sound that was clearly soulful.  Weather you take is as a gospel – jazz blend the vocals were the epitome of soul.

‘What’s Going On’ remains the most inventive piece of music of the 20th Century.  The social consciousness lives and breathes today with asking the question of are we concerend about the globe.  Marvin Gaye took a long lasting greeting primarily rooted in the black community of saying ‘What’s Happening’ to ‘What’s Going On’ and made it a household standard.

When you think of soul the Sexual Healing song is a prime example of how it is not the words but the expression.  Sexual Healing can easily be a country and western song based on the story telling.  Country music speaks similar words, but Marvin Gaye delivers it with unparallel soul.

The environmental impact talked about in Mercy, Mercy Me lives on today and yet no other song addresses the sentiment as poignant as what Marvin Gaye did.  This is a message and a half long before global warming become the trend.  How did Marvin Gaye capture the essence of Mother Earth in song?  It is though she is speaking directly to its inhabitants.

Few artists can make the claim of the go to guy to make a hit duet.  Marvin Gaye produced soulful hits with Tammi Terrell, Kim Westin, Diana Ross, and Mary Wells.

Make me wanna holler the way they do my life is a phrase from inner City Blues and decades later the words resonant even greater, thinking about how large Black Lives Matter has shown true indicated by Marvin’s phrase of trigger happy policeman.

Marvin Gaye was really good at putting music in the music.  Probably something he picked up from the great Junior Walker tunes.  But like Ain’t That Peculiar for example has the background echoing Marvin Gaye and it sounds like they are having a great time within delivering the message on how love grows from pain.

Trouble Man is the most understated soulful jam in the era of soul songs.  It was made as movie score and builds on the direct activity of the day for any inner city dweller.  The musicians and vocal sounds from Marvin Gaye are in total synchronization.

Can you imagine someone trying to sing Come Get To this let’s say in a television talent show.  It would take someone to truly have a deep feeling of jazz, R&B, together with spitting it out with rooted soul.  The last person I heard do this was Michael Jackson when he was just eight years of age.  It is an innate something that can bring about that sound.

The idea that Marvin Gaye was speaking about being in love with a woman can be turned into some of the best expressions of speaking to the creator.  The actual lyrics follow, but I placed the word God in bracketts at key spots to see what I get from this song.

How sweet it is to be loved by you [God]
How sweet it is to be loved by you [God]

I needed the shelter of someone’s arms and there you were
I needed someone to understand my ups and downs and there you were
With sweet love and devotion
deeply touching my emotion
I want to stop and thank you baby [my God]
I just want to stop and thank you baby [my God]

How sweet it is to be loved by you [God]
How sweet it is to be loved by you [God]

I close my eyes at night,
wondering where would I be without you in my life
Everything I did was just a bore,
everywhere I went it seems I’d been there before
But you brightened up for me all of my days
With a love so sweet in so many ways
I want to stop and thank you baby [my God]
I want to stop and thank you baby [my God]

How sweet it is to be loved by you [God]