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.

I Wish I Liked You
Marvin Gaye Lyrics

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I wish I didn't love you so
My love for you should have faded long ago.
I wish I didn't need your kiss
Why must your kiss torture me as long as this.

I might be smilin' by now
With some new tender friend.
Smilin' by now

With my heart on the mend.

But when I try
Something in that heart says "No".

You're still there
I wish I didn't love you so.

Overall Meaning

Marvin Gaye's song "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" is a sorrowful ballad about unrequited love. The track begins with Gaye expressing his desire to let go of his feelings for someone he has loved for too long, lamenting that his love for this person should have dissipated by now. He then reveals how painful it is for him to crave the touch of this person, even though he knows that it only causes him pain. He wishes he could smile and move on from his heartbreak and embrace new love, but his heart says no.

The lyrics in "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" display the internal turmoil of someone who is unable to move forward even though their longing for someone they cannot have is causing them pain. Gaye's delivery of the lyrics is particularly poignant, with his voice looming from low to high notes, conveying the depth of emotions he is feeling.

The lyrics of the song are straightforward, but they reveal a deep complexity of emotions that many people can relate to when it comes to love. It depicts how heartbreak can linger on long after the relationship has ended, causing emotional pain that can only be healed by time.

I Wish I Liked YouMarvin Gaye Lyrics

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I Wish I Liked You
Marvin Gaye Lyrics