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.
Cloud Nine
Marvin Gaye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You see, I was born and raised in the slums of the city,
It was a one room shack that slept ten other children besides me.
We hardly had enough food or room to sleep.
It was hard times,
Needed something to ease my troubled mind.
Listen! my father didn't know the meaning of work,
He disrespected mama, and treated us like dirt.
Depressed and downhearted I took to cloud nine,
I'm doin' fine, up here on cloud nine.
Listen one more time I'm doin' fine, up here on cloud nine.
Folks down there tell me,
They say, "give yourself a chance son, don't let life pass you by".
But the world of reality is a rat race where only the strongest survive,
It's a dog eat dog world, and that ain't no lie.
Listen! it ain't even safe no more to walk the streets at night,
I'm doin' fine, on cloud nine.
Let me tell you about cloud nine.
Cloud nine, you can be what you wanna be
(cloud nine) you ain't got no responsibility,
And ev'ry man, ev'ry man is free
(cloud nine) and you're a million miles from reality.
I wanna say I love the life I live,
And I'm gonna live the life I love up here on cloud nine.
I'm riding high
On cloud nine, you're as free as a bird in flight
(cloud nine) there's no diff'rence between day and night
(cloud nine) it's a world of love and harmony
(cloud nine) you're a million miles from reality.
Cloud nine, you can be what you wanna be
Cloud nine) you ain't got no responsibility,
And ev'ry man, ev'ry man is free
(cloud nine) and you're a million miles from reality.
(cloud nine) (cloud nine) (cloud nine)
In Marvin Gaye's song Cloud Nine, he vividly recalls his tough upbringing in the slums of the city. He lived in a one-room shack with his siblings, and there wasn't enough food or space to sleep. His father disrespected his mother and treated them badly, and Marvin left home to seek employment, which he never found. He became depressed and downhearted, but then he discovered cloud nine- a place where he could escape the harsh reality of his life on earth.
He describes cloud nine as a place where he can be whatever he wants to be, free of responsibility. He can love the life he lives and live the life he loves without fear or judgement. It's a world of love and harmony, and he's a million miles from reality. The world he lives in on earth is cutthroat, and only the strongest survive. It's not even safe to walk the streets at night, but he's found peace of mind and happiness on cloud nine.
Marvin Gaye's lyrics in Cloud Nine are particularly powerful, given the context in which they were written. The song was released in 1968, during the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War, and the lyrics reflect the frustrations and disillusionment felt by many young people at the time. The song went on to become a classic, and it's still relevant today as people continue to grapple with social inequality and political turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
Childhood part of my life, it wasn't very pretty.
I had a difficult childhood living in the slums with little food and space.
You see, I was born and raised in the slums of the city,
I grew up in a poor area with limited resources.
It was a one room shack that slept ten other children besides me.
My family shared a tiny living space with many other people.
We hardly had enough food or room to sleep.
It was a constant struggle to find enough food and space for everyone.
It was hard times,
Life was very difficult.
Needed something to ease my troubled mind.
I was looking for a way to escape my problems.
Listen! my father didn't know the meaning of work,
My dad didn't work and didn't know how to support our family.
He disrespected mama, and treated us like dirt.
My father was abusive and mistreated my mother and us.
I left home, seekin' a job that I never did find,
I left home to find work, but I was not successful.
Depressed and downhearted I took to cloud nine,
Feeling sad and hopeless, I turned to fantasy to escape reality.
I'm doin' fine, up here on cloud nine.
On my imagined 'cloud nine' I feel good and free.
Folks down there tell me,
People in reality tell me that
They say, "give yourself a chance son, don't let life pass you by".
They encourage me to take chances and not let life pass me by.
But the world of reality is a rat race where only the strongest survive,
Real life is a competition where only the strongest succeed.
It's a dog eat dog world, and that ain't no lie.
People will do whatever it takes to succeed in this harsh world.
Listen! it ain't even safe no more to walk the streets at night,
The world is becoming more and more dangerous.
I'm doin' fine, on cloud nine.
But I still feel good on my cloud nine.
Let me tell you about cloud nine.
I want to explain more about my happy place, cloud nine.
Cloud nine, you can be what you wanna be
On cloud nine, you can be whoever you want to be.
(cloud nine) you ain't got no responsibility,
There are no responsibilities on cloud nine.
And ev'ry man, ev'ry man is free
Every individual is free and equal on cloud nine.
(cloud nine) and you're a million miles from reality.
Cloud nine allows you to escape reality completely.
I wanna say I love the life I live,
I love the life I imagine on cloud nine.
And I'm gonna live the life I love up here on cloud nine.
I plan to keep living my happy life on my imaginary cloud nine.
I'm riding high
I'm feeling on top of the world.
On cloud nine, you're as free as a bird in flight
On cloud nine, there are no boundaries like a bird in flight.
(cloud nine) there's no diff'rence between day and night
There is no day or night on cloud nine.
(cloud nine) it's a world of love and harmony
Cloud nine is a place of love and peace.
(cloud nine) you're a million miles from reality.
Cloud nine is a million miles away from the struggles of real life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jack Corrigan
a really underrated marvin cut
Bernie
What a version.
PuFFiN RuFFiN
Lord have mercy
GalaxyKrush
👌🏼
Michelle Hoffman
Cookin Soul original summer waves volume 1,2,3,4 idk which on brought me here now it’s impossible to find Summer Waves
John Anderson
Wh