What's Going On
Coolin' 'n Groovin' Lyrics

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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, yea

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

Father, father, 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

Overall Meaning

Coolin' 'n Groovin''s song "What's Going On" is a powerful commentary on the social and political issues of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The song opens with the lines "Mother, mother, there's too many of you crying/Brother, brother, brother, there's far too many of you dying," which draws attention to the hardship and destruction experienced by both women and men in society. The singer captures the mood of the time where the Vietnam war was raging, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. had just been assassinated and the social climate was politically charged.

The second verse continues with a plea for peace and anti-war sentiment, with the call for love to conquer hate, "Father, father, we don't need to escalate/You see, war is not the answer/For only love can conquer hate." The song moves on to a commentary on social movements and protest actions with lines, "Picket lines and picket signs/Don't punish me with brutality/Talk to me so you can see/Oh, what's going on." The final verse addresses the criticism leveled at the youth of the era, particularly for their radical appearances, "Father, father, everybody thinks we're wrong/Oh, but who are they to judge us/Simply because our hair is long." In the end, the song highlights the need for understanding, love and communication to pave the way forward and bring change.

Line by Line Meaning

Mother, mother
Addressing mothers who have children suffering

There's too many of you crying
There are too many mothers crying over their children

Brother, brother, brother
Addressing brothers who are dying

There's far too many of you dying
There are too many brothers dying

You know we've got to find a way
We need to find a solution

To bring some lovin' here today, yea
To spread love among us and solve the issues

Father, father
Addressing fathers to take control

We don't need to escalate
We don't need to make things worse

You see, war is not the answer
War is not the solution

For only love can conquer hate
Love is the only way to defeat hate

Picket lines and picket signs
Protesting and demonstrating