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.
Hold Me Oh My Darling
Marvin Gaye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want you to hold me
Oh, my darling
And never, never let me go
Oh, kiss me
And tell me you love me, yeah, yeah
Because I-I-I-I-I-I-I, I love you so
I, I love you, I love you so
Oh, when
When I'm alone and troubled, baby
And my life, life, my life seems dark as night, ooh
Then I ask baby, I'll ask, I'll ask, please
Oh, oh please, please be my guiding light
Won't you be, be my guiding light?
You know I get such a strange sensation
Every time I hear your name
Now all of my friends and my relations
They say I'm loving you, loving you in vain, yeah, yeah
Snuggle, snuggle, snu-snuggle on my shoulder, baby
Come on and tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me you care, darling
Oh, as our love, our love, our love, our love grows older, baby
Ooh, tell me that the flame, the flame, oh, baby will still be there
That the flame, flame will still be
Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna hold you, baby
Never let you go, now what you gotta say?
Hold me, baby, yes I will, darling
I'll love to remember it darling, yeah, yeah
Hold me, I'm gonna hold you in my arms
I know, I know, I know, baby
The lyrics to Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell’s song "Hold Me Oh My Darling" express an intense desire for love and affection. The singer wants to be held by their lover and told that they love them. In return, they proclaim their love for their partner. They turn to their lover as a source of comfort when they feel alone and lost, asking them to be their guiding light. They seek reassurance that their love will withstand the test of time and that the flame will continue to burn.
There is a sense of vulnerability and a need for emotional support in the lyrics. The singer acknowledges that they get a "strange sensation" every time they hear their lover’s name, suggesting that they are deeply enamored. However, the singer’s friends and family doubt the genuineness of their love, implying that either the relationship is forbidden or that the singer has a history of short-lived romances. Despite this, the singer urges their lover to hold them and promises to never let them go.
Overall, the lyrics revolve around the theme of love as a source of comfort and security. The singer yearns to be held by their lover and seeks reassurance of their love. Despite their doubts and the skepticism of others, the singer declares their love and promises to hold onto their partner.
Line by Line Meaning
Whoa, whoa
Expressing a feeling of excitement and anticipation
I want you to hold me
Desire to be held physically and emotionally
Oh, my darling
Term of endearment for the loved one
And never, never let me go
Request for protection and commitment in the relationship
Oh, kiss me
Request for physical affection and intimacy
And tell me you love me, yeah, yeah
Need for verbal affirmation of love and admiration
Because I-I-I-I-I-I-I, I love you so
Strong declaration of love and devotion
Oh, when
Introducing a situation
When I'm alone and troubled, baby
Feeling of loneliness and distress
And my life, life, my life seems dark as night, ooh
Metaphor for a depressive state of mind
Then I ask baby, I'll ask, I'll ask, please
Pleading for help and support
Oh, oh please, please be my guiding light
Desire for direction and guidance in life
Won't you be, be my guiding light?
Reiteration of the request for guidance
You know I get such a strange sensation
Acknowledgement of a peculiar feeling
Every time I hear your name
Association of the feeling with the loved one
Now all of my friends and my relations
Referring to people close to the artist
They say I'm loving you, loving you in vain, yeah, yeah
Suggestion that the love might not be reciprocated
Snuggle, snuggle, snu-snuggle on my shoulder, baby
Invitation for physical closeness
Come on and tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me you care, darling
Desire for emotional expressiveness
Oh, as our love, our love, our love, our love grows older, baby
Anticipation for the future of the relationship
Ooh, tell me that the flame, the flame, oh, baby will still be there
Request for assurance that the love will endure
That the flame, flame will still be
Reiteration of the request for assurance
Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna hold you, baby
Promise of physical affection and security
Never let you go, now what you gotta say?
Repetition of the promise of commitment
Hold me, baby, yes I will, darling
Reciprocal desire for physical and emotional closeness
I'll love to remember it darling, yeah, yeah
Expression of pleasure and gratitude
Hold me, I'm gonna hold you in my arms
Assurance of affection and support
I know, I know, I know, baby
Confidence in the strength of the relationship
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HARVEY FUQUA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Popular Loner
One of my favorites!
pleasure64
i love their song, and every sing that they sing is a number one hit, they will make you melt like butter, R.I.P. Tammi Terrelle and Marvin Gaye, You are truely missed and it haven;t been no sing out there that is compatible to yours, I won;t trade for another, Thank you UTube.
otoleya
I think they are happy together on heaven now....
alex arolas garcia
Esta buena canción la compuso HARVEY FUQUA y la canto en solitario TAMMI TERRELL en el año 1965 y luego la cantaron juntos TAMMI TERRELL y MARVIN GAYE en el año 1969
Shani Trahan
I love that picture of Marvin gaye & Tammi Terrell he has his arms wrapped around Tammi's waste
Mark Rauson
Nice song by marvin gaye tammi Terrell something tells me those are the temptations in the background tammi Terrells music deserved air play
Pharaoh Kingsley
<3
Raymond Galindo
😘!
Roosevelt McCarter
Was it taken from "United" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell from 1968?