I suppose I’m in a music mode right now, but recently I’ve been thinking of how the words of Marvin Gaye’s classic hit “What’s Going On” are so true in today’s society. I remember listening to this song in the car with my dad (probably the same car with no air-conditioning that I reference in the previous post)
I know we could all sing the song from memory, but look at some of the lyrics:
“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…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…”
Another song that our parents would appreciate that is true for today’s society would be “Wake Up Everybody” by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. Check the lyrics:
“Wake up everybody no more sleeping in bed/No more backward thinkin, time for thinkin ahead/The world has changed so very much/From what it used to be/There is so much hatred, war, and poverty/Wake up all the teachers time to teach a new way/Maybe then they’ll listen to what you have to say/Cause they’re the ones who’s coming up and the world is in their hands/When you teach the children teach them the best you can.”
And just the other day, Sherrell and I were talking about John Mayer’s song “Waiting on the World to Change”, and how it may be the “What’s Going On” for our generation. Some of the lyrics are:
“Now if we had the power/To bring our neighbors home from war/They would’ve never missed a Christmas/No more ribbons on the door/When you trust your television/What you get is what you got/Cuz when when they own the information ooohhh/They can bend it all they want…”
I suppose we find that art reflects life and that life reflects art. I’m not sure if this is the chicken and the egg debate or the nature/nurture debate, but I guess it’s interesting to see how some things, no matter how much time has passed, will generally always hold some sort of relevance.
“This song was 30 years ahead of its’ time.” ~My Daddy, on “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye
life beyond the well... 
August 9, 2006 at 4:29 pm
you said relevance :-), twice in the last three posts.
August 9, 2006 at 4:50 pm
The thing is – related to your dad’s quote – I’m sure when someone else heard What’s Goin’ On for the first time, they thought “This is 30 years late.” There have always been problems and there will always be problems.
I heard this song for the first time a few days ago, and I consider myself a hardcore Stevie fan. I’ve been listening to it a million times a day since then.
“Heaven is 10 zillion light years away”
They say that heaven is 10 zillion light years away
And just the pure at heart will walk her righteous streets someday
They say that heaven is 10 zillion light years away
But if there is a God, we need Him now
“Where is your God”
That’s what my friends ask me
And I say it’s taken Him so long
‘Cause we’ve got so far to come…
Tell me people
Why can’t they say that hate is 10 zillion light years away
Why can’t the light of good shine God’s love in every soul
Why must my color black make me a lesser man
I thought this world was made for every man
He loves us all, that’s what my God tells me
And I say it’s taken Him so long
‘Cause we’ve got so far to come…
But in my heart I can feel it, yeah,
Feel His spirit wow oh woo…
Feel it, yeah, feel His spirit…
I… can’t say that heaven is 10 zillion light years away
But if so let all be pure at heart
Just to walk her righteous streets I pray
Let God’s love shine within to save our evil souls
For those who don’t believe will never see the light
“Where is my God” – He lives inside of me
And I say it’s taken Him so long
‘Cause we’ve got so far to come…
No people, “where is your God?”
Inside please let Him be
And I say it’s taken Him so long
‘Cause we’ve got so far to come…
But if you open your heart you can feel it yeah yeah
Feel His spirit, yeah
Feel it, feel His spirit, wow oh wow…
Feel it, you can feel His spirit
I opened my heart one morning and
I sho nuff could feel it yeah yeah
Feel His spirit yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
You can feel it, yeah, feel His spirit
You can feel it, yeah, feel His spirit