Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. (2 April 1939 - 1 April 1984) was an American soul an… Read Full Bio ↴Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. (2 April 1939 - 1 April 1984) was an American soul and rnb singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, known as "The Prince of Soul", or "The Prince of Motown." Originally a member of the doo-wop group The Moonglows, he pursued a solo career after the group disbanded and released many successful solo hits including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "Let's Get It On" and "What's Going On". His best albums are still held in extremely high regard, and he is often cited as one of the finest singers of his era.

Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. was born in 1939 to Marvin Gay, Sr. and Alberta Gay in Washington, D.C.. Gaye began his career in Motown in 1958, and soon became Motown's top solo male artist. He scored numerous hits during the 1960s, among them "Ain't That Peculiar", "Stubborn Kind of Fellow", and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", as well as several hit duets with Tammi Terrell, including "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"" and "You're All I Need to Get By", before moving on to his own form of musical self-expression.

Along with Stevie Wonder, Gaye is notable for fighting the hit-making—but creatively restrictive—Motown record-making process, in which performers, songwriters and record producers were generally kept in separate camps. Gaye forced Motown to release his 1971 album What's Going On, which is today hailed as one of the best albums of all time. Subsequent releases proved that Gaye, who had been a part-time songwriter for Motown artists during his early years with the label, could write and produce his own singles without having to rely on the Motown system. This achievement would pave the way for the successes of later self-sufficient singer-songwriter-producers in African American music, such as Luther Vandross and Babyface.

During the 1970s, Gaye would release several other notable albums, including Let's Get It On and I Want You, and released several successful singles such as "Come Get to This", "Got to Give It Up" and "Sexual Healing". By the time of his shooting death in 1984, at the hands of his clergyman father, Gaye had become one of the most influential artists of the soul music era.

Calypso Blues
Marvin Gaye Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo,
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay
Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo,
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay

Sittin' by de ocean
Me heart, she feel so sad,
Sittin' by de ocean,

Me heart, she feel so sad...
Don't got de money
To take me back to Trinidad.

Fine calypso woman,
She cook me shrimp and rice,
Fine calypso woman,
She cook me shrimp and rice
Dese yankee hot dogs
Don't treat me stomach very nice.

In Trinidad, one dollar buy
Papaya juice, banana pie,
Six coconut, one female goat,
An' plenty fish to fill de boat.
One bushel bread, one barrel wine,
An' all de town, she come to dine.

But here is bad, one dollar buy
Cup of coffee, ham on rye.
Me throat she sick from necktie,
Me feet hurt from shoes.
Me pocket full of empty,
I got Calypso blues.

Dese yankee girl give me big scare,
Is black de root, is blonde de hair.
Her eyelash false, her face is paint,
And pads are where de girl she ain't

She jitterbug when she should waltz,
I even think her name is false.
But calypso girl is good a lot,
Is what you see, is what she got.

Sittin' by de ocean
Me heart, she feel so sad,
Sittin' by de ocean,
Me heart, she feel so sad
Don't got de money
To take me back to Trinidad.

Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo,
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay

Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo,
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay

Overall Meaning

In Marvin Gaye's song "Calypso Blues," the singer is sitting on the ocean and feeling down in the dumps because he cannot afford to go back to Trinidad. He reminisces about the fine calypso woman back home, who cooked him shrimp and rice, and compares that to the food he is eating now which makes his stomach feel sick. He nostalgically recalls the good life in Trinidad where one dollar could buy an abundance of good food and drink. He contrasts this to his current situation in America, where a dollar only buys a coffee and a ham sandwich, and his throat hurts from wearing a necktie and his feet hurt from the shoes he has to wear. He also describes the superficiality of the Yankee girls he has encountered in America, with false eyelashes and faces caked in make-up, compared to the natural beauty of the calypso women back home.

Line by Line Meaning

Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo, Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay
Repetition of meaningless sounds.

Sittin' by de ocean Me heart, she feel so sad, Sittin' by de ocean, Me heart, she feel so sad... Don't got de money To take me back to Trinidad.
The singer is feeling sad sitting by the ocean because he doesn't have money to go back home to Trinidad.

Fine calypso woman, She cook me shrimp and rice, Fine calypso woman, She cook me shrimp and rice Dese yankee hot dogs Don't treat me stomach very nice.
The singer misses the food of his country, Trinidad, where a woman would cook him shrimp and rice. In America, he is not enjoying the hot dogs he is eating.

In Trinidad, one dollar buy Papaya juice, banana pie, Six coconut, one female goat, An' plenty fish to fill de boat. One bushel bread, one barrel wine, An' all de town, she come to dine.
In Trinidad, the singer can buy a variety of food with a dollar including fresh juice, pie, coconuts, goat, fish, bread, and wine, and everyone in town can enjoy a big meal together.

But here is bad, one dollar buy Cup of coffee, ham on rye. Me throat she sick from necktie, Me feet hurt from shoes. Me pocket full of empty, I got Calypso blues.
In America, the singer can only afford a cup of coffee and a sandwich with one dollar, causing him to feel sick and unhappy with his situation. He's broke and feeling sad, which is the inspiration for the song.

Dese yankee girl give me big scare, Is black de root, is blonde de hair. Her eyelash false, her face is paint, And pads are where de girl she ain't
The singer is scared of American women who wear fake eyelashes, makeup, and pads to make themselves look different. He's stating that they're not real and is uncomfortable with them.

She jitterbug when she should waltz, I even think her name is false. But calypso girl is good a lot, Is what you see, is what she got.
The singer thinks that some American women don't know how to dance correctly, and he doesn't believe their names are real. The Calypso girl from back home, however, lives up to expectations and is lovely both in appearance and skills.

Sittin' by de ocean Me heart, she feel so sad, Sittin' by de ocean, Me heart, she feel so sad Don't got de money To take me back to Trinidad.
The singer repeats the opening lyrics to emphasize his longing to return home to Trinidad, but lacking the funds.

Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo, Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay
Repetition of meaningless sounds.

Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Nat King Cole, Don George

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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