What's Going On
Hathaway Donny Lyrics
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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
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
In Donny Hathaway's "What's Going On," he addresses the issues of social injustices and the Vietnam War. The song starts with him singing to "Mother" and "Brother," addressing the fact that too many people are crying and dying, respectively. He implores people to "find a way to bring some lovin' here today," emphasizing the importance of love in a time of such pain and struggle.
The second verse is directed at "Father," where he speaks against the idea of escalating the war, stating that only love can conquer hate. He repeats the message of finding a way to bring love into the world. The chorus speaks to the need to communicate and understand each other, instead of punishing with brutality. Hathaway's "right on, baby" signifies his agreement with the message and desire for unity.
The final verse is a response to those who judge others based on appearance, stating that people need to find a way to bring understanding and love to counteract bigotry. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus and Hathaway's encouragement to continue fighting the good fight.
Line by Line Meaning
Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Addressing mothers, there are too many people who are sad.
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
Addressing brothers, there are too many people dying, and we need to find a way to bring love to this world.
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
Addressing fathers, we don't need to make things more intense. War isn't the solution since only love can combat hate.
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
Picket lines and signs don't intimidate me. Let's talk so that we can understand what's happening and identify what's wrong.
In the mean time
Right on, baby
Right on
Right on
In the meantime, continue doing what's right and good.
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
Addressing fathers again, everyone thinks we're mistaken, but we shouldn't be judged based on our appearance. We need to bring understanding to the world.
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
Again referencing picket lines and signs, we need to communicate with each other to see what's occurring in the world. By doing so, we can take action and make the right decision.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALFRED W CLEVELAND, MARVIN P GAYE, RENALDO BENSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Donny Shin
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
War is not the answer
For only love, 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
What's going on, hey yeah yeah yeah
What's going on
I wanna know what's going on
Hey hey yeah yeah
Mother, mother, mother
Everybody says that we're wrong, mmm
Oh, but who are they to judge us
Simply because our hair is long
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some loving here today
Picket lines and picket signs
Don't punish me with brutality
Talk to me
So you can see
What's going on
Mark Lancaster
In my opinion Donny Hathaway Live is the greatest live album ever recorded.
Michael Freeman
Totally agree. Donnie’s voice is like no other. I can’t imagine actually being in the audience. Wow
ken elkins
Hard to argue that point.
Francis Mumbi
100%
Stephen Kennedy
@Phil Johari He was playing an electric piano. What autotune? Certainly, not his voice. All the instruments on the stage, except the drums, were electric. Not one acoustic instrument to be found.
Joshua Bolwerk
@Phil Johari autotune in 1972?
Sam Woods
Its not often you find a cover that beats the original! This does for me, the arrangement is amazing!
epip d
His covers are Unreal. This song took another life with his voice.. Rip Marvin and Donny. The music lives on!!
Kevin Spurgeon
Jealous Guy and What's Going On sound like originals
Grayareas27
Not only was Donny killing it vocally, but also on the keyboards.