Makes Me Wanna Holler: Marvin Gaye, Soulful Prophet

Marvin Gaye is known as one of the greatest musicians to ever live. He was born April 2, 1939 and died tragically on April 1, 1984. Marvin's extraordinary gifts can be heard on several early Motown songs such as "Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "How Sweet It Is." He could sing passionately and erotically about love (i.e. "Let's Get It On") but it was always drenched in stylish sophistication. The Let's Get It On album just may be the greatest love letter put to sound. It's a haunting celebration of the sacred ritual of real, passionate love--tender and urgent. Like Prince did after him, Marvin could make sex a spiritual experience.

Yet it was when Marvin released his epic, prophetic, and socially conscious masterwork "What's Going On?" he revolutionized the airwaves. Never has an album so radically merged song and message without overt preachiness. He sung about the dreadful conditions of society but he never sounded like a politician or preacher but simply a tormented observer of humanity. He possessed a remarkable gift for exposing his soul in a way that was both beautiful and painful. There was always an achingly sensual and glorious tone in his voice. To this day, Marvin’s music haunts me like no one else.

So this morning when I put my iPod on random shuffle and the song "Inner City Blues" came on, it nearly stopped me in my tracks. Never had this song been so intimate, so truthful for me. The lyrics reflected every worry and sorrow I'd been repressing for the past few months since this economic disaster hit--with all the personal challenges and uncertainties that come with that. Can you believe that sort of genius? A song Marvin wrote over thirty years ago could resonate so strongly today that it could nearly bring me to trembles and tears.

Excerpt- "Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)"

"...Rockets, moon shots
Spend it on the have nots
Money, we make it
Fore we see it you take it
Oh, make you wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
This ain't livin', This ain't livin'
No, no baby, this ain't livin'
No, no, no
Inflation no chance
To increase finance
Bills pile up sky high
Send that boy off to die
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life.."

Yeah, twenty-something years after his death, Marvin still knows what's going on.