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.
God Is Love
Marvin Gaye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Oh, don't go and talk about my Father (talk about my Father)
God is my friend
Jesus is my friend (God is my friend)
He made this world for us to live in (He made this world)
And gave us everything (Lord gave us everything)
Is we give each other love
Oh yeah
Don't go and talk about my Father (don't talk about him no, no, no)
'Cause God is my friend
Jesus is my friend (God is my friend)
He loves us whether or not we know it (Jesus loves us, oh yeah)
And He'll forgive all our sins, oh yeah (He'll forgive our sins)
And all He asks of us, oh yeah, is we give each other love
Oh yeah
Love your mother (she bore you)
Love your father (he works for you)
Love your sister (she's good to you)
Love your brother (love your brotHer)
Don't go and talk about my Father (talk about, He's good to us)
God is my friend
Jesus is my friend (God is my friend)
And when we call in Him for mercy, (mercy Father)
He'll be merciful, my friend, oh yeah, ooh
(Oh, yes He will)
All He asks of us, I know
Marvin Gaye’s “God Is Love” is a song that expresses the belief that God loves humanity unconditionally, and it encourages us to spread that love to others. The lyrics are a response to those who speak ill of God and religion, telling them not to talk about God and not to judge Him based on the actions of his flawed human followers. Instead, we should focus on the love that God has for us and strive to share that love with each other. The song emphasizes the importance of forgiveness, reminding us that God will forgive all our sins if we turn to Him for mercy.
The song is also a tribute to the power of love and connection within human relationships. It urges us to love and appreciate our family members, including our parents and siblings, and to recognize the ways in which they have supported us in our lives. The message of the song is that by spreading love and kindness to those around us, we honor God and ourselves.
Some interesting facts about “God Is Love” include that it was released on Marvin Gaye's 1971 album “What's Going On,” which was a groundbreaking concept album that tackled themes of social injustice and was inspired by the Vietnam War. The song was co-written by Gaye, Al Cleveland, and Renaldo Benson of The Four Tops. The album was initially rejected by Motown Records for being too political but went on to become one of the most influential albums in R&B history. The song was later covered by Joan Baez and Pops Staples and has been used in various films and TV shows, including “Dead Presidents” and “This is Us.”
Chords (from UG):
Verse:
C7 Fmaj7
Oh, don't go and talk about my father
Bbm Fdim7 C7
God is my friend, Jesus is my friend, He made this world for us to live in
Bbm Ab9 G7 C7
And gave us everything and all he asks of us is we give each other love
Bridge:
F7 Bb9
Love your mother, she bore you
F7 Bb9
Love your father, he works for you
C7 Edim7 D9 G7
Love your sister, she loves you, love your brother, love your brother
C7 Fmaj7
Don't go around with hate in your heart
Bbm7 Fdim7 C7
Or you'll be a lonely soul, if you hate it sets you apart
Bbm7 Ab9 G7 C7
And all he asks of us, is we give each other love, oh yeah
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
The song starts with Marvin Gaye making non-verbal sounds that signify the overall mood of the song
Oh, don't go and talk about my Father (talk about my Father)
Marvin Gaye requests people not to speak ill of God, his father figure
God is my friend
Marvin Gaye perceives God as a friend who supports him in life
Jesus is my friend (God is my friend)
Marvin Gaye also considers Jesus Christ as his friend since he believes that he is the son of God
He made this world for us to live in (He made this world)
Marvin Gaye believes that God created the world for humans to inhabit and enjoy
And gave us everything (Lord gave us everything)
Marvin Gaye is grateful for everything that God has bestowed upon him and humanity
And all He asks of us (peace)
Marvin Gaye understands that God expects people to live in peace and harmony with each other
Is we give each other love
Marvin Gaye believes that love is the key to creating a peaceful and harmonious society
Don't go and talk about my Father (don't talk about him no, no, no)
The singer reiterates his earlier request, asking people not to speak disrespectfully about God
He loves us whether or not we know it (Jesus loves us, oh yeah)
Marvin Gaye believes that God loves humanity unconditionally, even when people are unaware of His affection
And He'll forgive all our sins, oh yeah (He'll forgive our sins)
Marvin Gaye understands that God is forgiving and will pardon people if they ask for His mercy
Love your mother (she bore you)
Marvin Gaye tells people to respect and love their mothers for the pain they have endured in bringing them into the world
Love your father (he works for you)
Marvin Gaye encourages people to show appreciation for their fathers, who work to provide for their families
Love your sister (she's good to you)
Marvin Gaye reminds people to love their sisters for the kindness they have shown them
Love your brother (love your brotHer)
Marvin Gaye also advises people to love their brothers for the bond they share
And when we call in Him for mercy, (mercy Father)
Marvin Gaye believes that when people implore God for mercy, He will listen to their prayers
He'll be merciful, my friend, oh yeah, ooh
Marvin Gaye is confident that God will show mercy to those in need of it, as a true friend would
All He asks of us, I know
Marvin Gaye reiterates that God only asks humanity to love each other, nothing more.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O DistroKid, Integrity Music, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Anna Gaye, Marvin Gaye, James Nyx, Elgie Rousseau Stover
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind