Marvin Gaye: What's goin' on?

In 1971, when the U.S. was still fighting Vietnam, when riots still raged the streets, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated just 3 years earlier and segregation was still a big problem in the U.S., recording artist Marvin Gaye wanted to make a stand, so he came out with "What's Goin' On".

"What's Goin' On" Shocked the nation with songs that no recording artist had ever thought of, songs that talked about things that were actually happening in the world. "What's Goin' on" became an instant smash when it was first realest. And I think I know why.

The first song "What's Goin' on" starts out like this: Mother Mother, there are to many of you crying. Brother Brother Brother, there's far to many of you dieing. We've got to find a way, to bring some lovin' here today. Father Father, we don't need to escalate. War is not the answer, for only love can; concur hate. We've got to find a way, to bring some lovin' here today. Picket lines, and Picket signs, Don't punish me, with brutality, just talk to me, so you can see, Oh; What's goin' on, what's goin' on, what's goin' on.
This song is you guessed it, about Vietnam. But this was true for a lot of families. There were men being drafted into the Navy, Marines, Army, and Air Force. But Gaye couldn't take it any more; He was a pacifist. In the next song "What's Happening Brother" is also about Vietnam. Here are some of the lyrics: Hey baby, what yeah know good, I'm just gettin' back but you knew I would. War is here, when will it end? When will people start gettin' together again? Things are not gettin' better, like the newspaper said. What else is happenin' my friend. Besides, what'd I bring? Can't find no work can't find no job.
To find out the rest of the lyrics to both songs you'll half to buy or rent "What's Goin' On" yourself. But I gave both songs 5 stars on my iPod, and on my blog in which I have a name that only I, some yiddish folk, and some people in the national spelling bee can spell, I give it 5 stars too.