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.
If My Heart Could Sing
Marvin Gaye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quote from every poem I've read
Sing each I've song that I've ever heard to you
But there's one thing I'd do better
If I had a voice instead
And the part of me that holds my love for you
I'd sing a song that all the world could feel
One that each word a thought would bring
If my heart could sing, sing
I'd sing of love to tell my story
A how love brought me you
And like a bell I'd toll and ring
If my heart could sing
There are things I'd like to tell you
Things I'd felt along the way
But my lips can't speak the magic words
That my heart alone can say
Oh, I'd prove to you I'll always love you
Girl, I will, till the end of time
I'll make you today eternal spring
If my heart could sing
There are things that I'd like to tell you
Like how I'll never, ever forget you
If my heart, my heart could only sing, sing, sing
Marvin Gaye's "If My Heart Could Sing" is a wistful love ballad that expresses the singer's desire to express his love in a way that transcends words. He longs to communicate the depth of his affection through song, to create a melody so beautiful that it would resonate throughout the entire world. The song opens with the singer lamenting that, though he could write countless letters, poems, or sing all the songs in the world, none of them could capture the full extent of his feelings for his beloved. He wishes he had a voice that could break free from his body, stepping beyond the physical realm and reaching into the very soul of his love.
The chorus of the song is one of the most emotional and heartfelt parts of the track. The singer's love for his partner is so profound that he wishes he could sing it to the whole world. He imagines a song that could make souls tremble with joy and delight, one that would bring tears to the eyes of every listener. He wants each and every single word he sings to convey emotion and thoughtfulness, so that the fullness of his love can be felt throughout the world.
Towards the end of the song, the singer declares his devotion to his love interest. He promises her that his love will never fade away and that he will cherish her for all eternity. He wishes that his heart alone could communicate everything he feels, but in the end acknowledges the beautiful ways his love has shaped his life.
Line by Line Meaning
I could write a million letters
I have so much love for you that I could express it through countless letters.
Quote from every poem I’ve read
I have read every love poem and could use each one to convey my feelings for you.
Sing each song that I’ve ever heard to you
I could sing every song about love that I’ve ever heard to express what you mean to me.
But there’s one thing I’d do better
Despite all these other methods, I know there is one thing that would be the perfect way to show you my love.
If I had a voice instead
If my heart had a literal voice, I could perfectly express my love to you.
And the part of me that holds my love for you
The essence of my love for you, deep within me, is what I’m referring to.
If my heart could sing
I wish my heart had the ability to sing so that I could convey my feelings for you in the perfect way.
I’d sing a song that all the world could feel
My love for you is so powerful that if my heart could sing, it would be a song that everyone could relate to and feel deeply.
One that each word a thought would bring
Every word I would sing would bring a flood of thoughts and emotions to those who heard it.
I’d sing of love to tell my story
I would sing about how love has brought you into my life and tell the story of our love.
A how love brought me you
I would use the song to explain how love led me to meet and fall in love with you.
And like a bell I’d toll and ring
I would use my voice to ring like a bell, expressing my love in the most beautiful way possible.
There are things I’d like to tell you
There are so many things that I wish I could express to you about my feelings.
Things I’d felt along the way
As I’ve gone through life, my love for you has grown and I have felt so many different emotions because of it.
But my lips can’t speak the magic words
Even though I wish I could describe my love for you, I can’t find the right words to capture its magic.
That my heart alone can say
Only my heart has the capability to express the depth and beauty of my love for you.
Oh I’d prove to you I’ll always love you
If my heart could sing, I would prove to you that my love for you will endure forever.
Girl, I will, till the end of time
My love for you will never fade away, even until the end of time.
I’ll make you today eternal spring
My love for you is powerful enough to bring a lasting sense of renewal and life to every day.
There are things that I’d like to tell you
Once again, I wish I could express all of my love for you in the perfect way.
Like how I’ll never, ever forget you
One thing that I want to make clear is that I could never forget you—your place in my heart is too strong to fade away.
If my heart, my heart could only sing, sing, sing
This chorus repeats my desire for my heart to have the capability to sing and express my love for you in the perfect way.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MORRIS BROADNAX, WILLIAM STEVENSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind