What's Going On

What's Going On 3:53 Disc 1 Trk 1
(M. Gaye, Renaldo 'Obie' Benson, Al Cleveland)
Marvin Gaye
Lead/dbl lead vocal & piano - Marvin Gaye
Background spoken: Lem Barney, Mel Farr
Elgie Stover & Bobby Rogers, Arrg: David Van De Pitte
Engineers: Steve Smith, Larry Miles, Ken Sands.
Session musicians: Eli Fontaine - alto sax intro
James Jamerson - bass, Chet Forest - drums
Eddie 'Bongo' Brown - conga & bongos, Earl DeRouen: congas, Jack
Brokensha - vibes & percussion
Jack Ashford - tambourine & percussion, Robert White - guitar, Joe Messina -
guitar, Johnny Griffith -celeste & keyboards, Earl Van Dyke - keyboards
Tamla Records Original LP release: Jan. 1971
Album: What's Going On Deluxe Edition (2 disc)
Motown Record Co. 2001 LP MOTD 3404

(Brrr-rrrr)
'Hey, hey, hey, Robert'
('Hey, what's happenin?')
(I saved a grand)
(Brother, what's happenin?)
'Boy, this is a groove recording, man'
(Hey, how ya doin?)
(Say, it's right on)
'I could dig it'
('Yeah, brother like a fine solid, right on)

(Say hey man, what's your name?)
'Sweet Davis' playin' one set
(Horn man)
(Woo!)
'The spirit thing is everything'
(He could get down and play it in one take)

Mother, mother (hoo-ooo)
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother (hoo-ooo)
There's far too many of you dying
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today
(God don't feel your lovin' today)
Yeah

Father, father (father, father)
We don't need to escalate
You see, war is not the answer
For only love can conquer (conquer) hate
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today
(God don't need your picket line)
So-ooh (long)

Picket lines (sister) and picket signs (sister)
Don't punish me (sister) with brutality (sister)
Talk to me (sister) so you can see (sister)
Oh, what's going on (what's going on)
What's going (what's going on)
Yeah, what's going on (what's going on)
Oh, what's going on
(What's going on?)

Ha (groove to you) huh-huh-huh (right on, baby)
(Smoke this!) (He's sacked down on four)
Right on, baby
(Tell her she's hearin' it record)
I'm gonna yell wo-wo-jah, ja-ya-ya-ya-ya
(Yeah, it's so good)
I'm gonna yell wo-wo-jah, ja-ya-ya-ya
(Go on the breaks so long) ha-ha-ha-ha

(Say hey, man what's your name?)
(Smoke this!) (I heard you play the fool)
Right on, fool (ha-ha-ha-ha)
(Walk on) Right on (woo!)
The spirit thing is everything
Aye-ya-ya, ya-ya, ya-ya
(The fool told me I was playin' for one take)
Ya-ya, ya-ya, ya-ya
(Marvin, do one take)
(Let's do it again)

Bip-bip-bi-do, bip-bip-bi-do
(Bip-bip-bi-do)
(Grown men all a-yous)
Would you please hit bi-do
(What's he goin' around for?)
Ba-ba, ba-ba, da-do
(He's hangin')

Mother, Mother
Everybody thinks we're wrong (we're wrong)
Oh, but who are they to judge us
(Fool, see)
Simply 'cause our hair is long?
(You'll see)
Oh, you know we've got to find a way
Bring some understandin' here today
Oh, (ooh-ooh)
(God don't hear no picket lines)

Picket lines (brother) and picket signs (brother)
Don't punish me (brother) with brutality (brother)
Come on, talk to me (brother)
If you can see, what's
What's going on (what's going on)
Yeah, what's going on (what's going on)
Tell me what's goin' on (what's going on)
I’ll tell you you what's going on (what's going on)

Woo-woo-hoo-hoo-hoo
(Brrr-rrr, brr-rrr)
Right on, baby, right on
(Let's hear the fat lady!)
(I hear'd it)
(Hey! slow down)
Aye-ya-ya-ya (aye-ya-ya)
Ya-ya, ya-ya (ya-ya-ya-ya)
(Cause I done said it again)

The world is groovin', you know
(Woo!) (whoa!) (oh, it dictates) the entire world
Right on, baby (groove on, brother)
Screw wrong wit' you
(What's wrong wit' you?)
Ay-ya-ya-ya (ay-ya-ya-ya)
(Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya)

(Seen a young girl in someone's house)
(You can't see me-he-he-here, wee-ooo)
(Marvin!)
Bi-do-bi-do (say, please) bip-bip-bi-do
(Ha-ha-ha)
<inhaling sound>
(Fool in someone's house)
(Would you please don't tell Marvin)
Ba-da-da-da-da
(Same girl come to my place, don't tell him)
'Heard-about-that-da-da-damn you'

<inhale sound>
Woo-ooo!
Right on, baby (woo-woo!)
Fuck you, right?
(Hey, now you find out)
(Now, you take it home)

Ay-ya-ya, ya-ya, ya-ya, ya-ya-ya
Wednesday, he's home
Let's go on home and see him play the full time
(Marvin, he's on!)
(Wee-eee-ooo)
(Woo! woo! woo! woo!)
Surprise comin' out
(Get the football in)
(Back to the football)
(You won, you lost)
(We-eee-ooo)
You'll see
Ay-ya-ya, ya-ya, ya-ya, ya-ya-ya)

(If you want get out of here)
Ay-ya-ya-ya (ay-ya-ya-ya)
Ay-ya-ya-ya (ay-ya-ya-ya)
FADES:
It's cool
It's cool.
Bip-bip-bi-do, bip-bip-bi-do
(Bip-bip-bi-do)
(What's goin' on, this is too long?)
Di-di-di-do
Ah, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.

~