Inner City Blues
Barry White / Marvin Gaye Lyrics
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Marvin Gaye
Written by: Marvin Gaye/James Nyx
Dah, dah, dah, dah
dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah
Rockets, moon shots
Spend it on the have nots
Money, we make it
Fore we see it you take it
Oh, make you want to holler
The way they do my life
Make me want to 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 want to holler
The way they do my life
Make me want to holler
The way they do my life
Dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah
Hang ups, let downs
Bad breaks, set backs
Natural fact is
I can't pay my taxes
Oh, make me want to holler
And throw up both my hands
Yea, it makes me want to holler
And throw up both my hands
Crime is increasing
Trigger happy policing
Panic is spreading
God know where we're heading
Oh, make me want to holler
They don't understand
Dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah
Mother, mother
Everybody thinks we're wrong
Who are they to judge us
Simply cause we wear our hair long
Marvin Gaye's Inner City Blues (Make Me Want to Holler) is a song about the struggles of living in poor urban neighborhoods. The lyrics describe the harsh realities of poverty and the social and economic injustices that it brings. Gaye talks about how rockets and moon shots symbolize the American dream and the endless possibilities of modern technology, but these accomplishments only benefit the wealthy, while the poor continue to struggle. He argues that the system is designed to keep the poor in their place and that the economic gap is widening. Gaye sings, "Money, we make it / Fore we see it, you take it / Oh, make you want to holler / The way they do my life."
Gaye also touches on the issue of war and how many young soldiers are sent off to die, while their families back home struggle to make ends meet. He sings, "Bills pile up sky high / Send that boy off to die / Make me want to holler / The way they do my life." Gaye criticizes the government and the way they spend money on war instead of investing in the people. He talks about how crime is increasing, and police brutality is a problem, causing panic and fear in the community. He sings, "Crime is increasing / Trigger-happy policing / Panic is spreading / God knows where we're heading."
Overall, Inner City Blues (Make Me Want to Holler) is a powerful critique of poverty, injustice, and inequality in America. Gaye's passionate delivery and the raw emotion in his voice make this song a classic that still resonates with audiences today.
Line by Line Meaning
Dah, dah, dah, dah dah, dah, dah
Instrumental intro
Dah, dah, dah, dah Dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah
Instrumental intro
Dah, dah, dah, dah Dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah
Instrumental intro
Rockets, moon shots
Refers to the billions of dollars invested in space exploration instead of solving problems on earth
Spend it on the have nots
The money should be spent on those who need it rather than on astronomical expenditures on space exploration
Money, we make it
We work for our money
Fore we see it you take it
Taxes take away a large chunk of our income before we even see it
Oh, make you want to holler
It's frustrating and infuriating
The way they do my life
Lamenting the difficulties and injustices of life
This ain't livin', This ain't livin'
Life shouldn't be like this
No, no baby, this ain't livin'
Declaring that the current situation is not living at all
Inflation no chance
Inflation makes it harder to increase one's finances
To increase finance
Earning more money
Bills pile up sky high
Bills keep increasing every day
Send that boy off to die
Refers to young men being drafted to fight in Vietnam War
Make me want to holler
It's frustrating and infuriating
The way they do my life
Lamenting the difficulties and injustices of life
Make me want to holler
It's frustrating and infuriating
The way they do my life
Lamenting the difficulties and injustices of life
Dah, dah, dah
Instrumental bridge
Dah, dah, dah
Instrumental bridge
Hang ups, let downs
Disappointments and failures
Bad breaks, set backs
More misfortunes and adversities
Natural fact is
The reality is
I can't pay my taxes
Taxes are so high that some people can't afford to pay them
Oh, make me want to holler
It's frustrating and infuriating
And throw up both my hands
Throwing up one's hands in despair
Yea, it makes me want to holler
It's frustrating and infuriating
And throw up both my hands
Throwing up one's hands in despair
Crime is increasing
Crime rates are going up
Trigger happy policing
Police brutality and violence
Panic is spreading
There's a general sense of fear and anxiety
God know where we're heading
Uncertain about the future
Oh, make me want to holler
It's frustrating and infuriating
They don't understand
Referring to people who don't experience the hardships of life in the inner city
Dah, dah, dah
Instrumental bridge
Dah, dah, dah
Instrumental outro
Mother, mother
Addressing the mother figure as an embodiment of comfort and support
Everybody thinks we're wrong
Refers to the generational gap between the young and the old
Who are they to judge us
Asking who has the right to pass judgment on them
Simply cause we wear our hair long
Long hair was considered taboo in society and was frowned upon
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES NYX, MARVIN GAYE, MARVIN P GAYE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jason lashawn
No one even in 2020 can harmony like this man! FACTS. We need more music like THIS
Joe Peirmont
One of the baddest jams I've heard.
Antonio
One of the baddest jams ever! โ๏ธ
HR Central
Have you seen the video of him singing while laying on his side! He makes it look effortless
Ken Stewart
Michael Jackson didnโt even compare to this man
Politic 1
Yes we do
Dojo Hurt
this song holds more truth today than marvin ever could have imagined. Stay safe,healthy and happy fellow HUMANS.
Rosetta Glover
Amen blessing to everyone. ๐๐๐
Carmen Lighty
Flood it on your FB, Twitter,Snap chat, Email....Remind our Brothers and Sisters. Teach Our Babies...and acknowledge our Old Folks.....And in their names....Vote. Throw Up Our Hands and Hit That Vote๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ
Lamine Baazi
he could very much imagine it. thats the point
art is timeless because the artist is lucid