War is not the answer:The story behind Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”

There was plenty going on in 1970s America, and Marvin Gaye’s soulful “What’s Going On” tapped right into it.  Affected by letters that his brother Frankie used to send him from Vietnam, Gaye wrote the lines, “Brother, brother, brother/ There’s far too many of you dying.” The title track of his 1971 concept album offered its own prescription, proclaiming, “War is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate.” Motown label didn’t want to release initially Gaye’s album, which addressed a variety of issues and societal troubles such as Vietnam war, drugs, the decline of social situation in America, economy  and the environment, all over a free-flowing musical backdrop that drew on jazz, pop and classical forms. The singer responded that he would not record anything else for the Motown label unless it let it go and he referred to the album as a “gift from God,” and the album’s spiritual dimension found overt expression in his liner notes: “We’ve got to find the Lord. Allow him to influence us. I mean, what other weapons have we to fight the forces of hatred and evil?” With his inimitable voice, he provided nuanced perspective that immediately resonated with audiences – and has so for generations.

In the Spring of 1971, Marvin Gaye's What's Going On disc was a hit becoming among Motown's fastest-selling single releases, hitting Number Two on the Billboard Hot 100.

Sadly, on April 1st 1984 the man who sang, “Father, father, we don’t need to escalate,” was fatally shot and killed by his own father due to a conflict with his father dating back to childhood. The wounds were fatal and he was pronounced dead on arrival at the California Hospital Medical Center. Gaye's death inspired several musical tributes over the years including recollections of the incidents leading to his death.




Lyrics:
"What's Going On"

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 lovin' here today - Ya

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

Picket lines and picket signs
Don't punish me with brutality
Talk to me, so you can see
Oh, what's going on
What's going on
Ya, what's going on
Ah, what's going on

In the mean time
Right on, baby
Right on
Right on

Mother, mother, everybody thinks we're wrong
Oh, but who are they to judge us
Simply because our hair is long
Oh, you know we've got to find a way
To bring some understanding here today
Oh

Picket lines and picket signs
Don't punish me with brutality
Talk to me
So you can see
What's going on
Ya, what's going on
Tell me what's going on
I'll tell you what's going on - Uh
Right on baby
Right on baby