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.

How High the Moon
Marvin Gaye Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Somewhere there's music
How faint the tune
Somewhere there's heaven
How high the moon
There is no moon above
When love is far away too
Till it comes true
That you love me as I love you

Somewhere there's music
How near, how far
Somewhere there's heaven
It's where you are
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon
Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon

Somewhere there's music
How faint the tune
Somewhere there's heaven
How high the moon
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon

Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon

Overall Meaning

Marvin Gaye's "How High the Moon" is a classic romantic ballad that speaks to the power of love to transcend physical distance and bring two hearts together. The song's verse speaks to the universality of music and its ability to connect people even when they are separated by great distances. The line "Somewhere there's music, how faint the tune" suggests that even when love feels out of reach, there is always the possibility of something beautiful and transformative happening.

The chorus, "Somewhere there's heaven, how high the moon," captures the idea that love is an otherworldly force that can elevate and transport us beyond our normal perceptions of reality. The song's central theme revolves around the idea that love is a powerful force that can overcome even the greatest obstacles. It speaks to the idea that even when you feel alone and disconnected, there is always a chance that you will find someone who will understand you and make you feel whole again.

In summary, "How High the Moon" is a song about the transformative power of love and the hope that, no matter how far apart we may be, we can find our way back to each other. It's an ode to the idea that, even in our darkest moments, we can still find beauty and meaning in the world around us through the magic of music and love.

Line by Line Meaning

Somewhere there's music
There exists a place where music is being played

How faint the tune
The melody is barely audible

Somewhere there's heaven
There is a place that seems magical and perfect

How high the moon
That perfect place is so high, it seems unreachable like the moon

There is no moon above
When love is missing, everything seems dull and uninteresting

When love is far away too
The distance between two loving individuals is excruciatingly painful

Till it comes true
Until love is returned, the pain will persist

That you love me as I love you
Only when mutual love exists will the pain and distance vanish

How near, how far
The place that is magical and perfect can be close or distant

It's where you are
The ideal place is wherever the person you love is

The darkest night would shine
Even the darkest times will become bright with the presence of the beloved