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.
Mercy Mercy Me
Marvin Gaye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh things ain't what they used to be, no no
Where did all the blue skies go?
Poison is the wind that blows from the north and south and east (Father)
Whoa mercy, mercy me (oh mercy)
Oh things ain't what they used to be, no, no (mercy Father)
Oil wasted on the oceans and upon our seas, fish full of mercury
Ah, oh mercy, mercy me
Ah, things ain't what they used to be, no, no (help us, Father)
Radiation underground and in the sky
Animals and birds who live nearby are dying (help us, help us, Father)
Oh mercy, mercy me (mercy Father, please help us)
Oh things ain't what they used to be (mercy Father)
What about this overcrowded land (oh, have mercy Father)
How much more abuse from man can she stand? Ooh
Oh, no, no, no, nah, nah, nah (Ooh-ooh my sweet Lord)
My sweet Lord, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah (my, my sweet Lord)
My, my Lord, my sweet Lord, ooh-ooh (help us Father, please help us)
Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy Mercy Me” is a powerful protest song that delves deep into themes of environmental degradation, societal decay, and the abject failure of humanity to responsibly steward the natural world. The opening lyrics paint a bleak and desolate picture of a world that has lost its luster, a world in which the once-beautiful blue skies have all but disappeared, replaced by a foreboding and toxic wind that blows from every direction. Against this backdrop, Marvin Gaye begs for mercy, conjuring images of a benevolent Father figure who might step in and save the world from the dark path it has set itself on.
As the song progresses, Gaye’s list of environmental atrocities continues to grow. The oceans are polluted with oil, the fish we eat are filled with mercury, radiation permeates the underground and the sky, and animals and birds are dying off in droves. Throughout, Gaye’s cries for mercy and help become more desperate, his plea to a higher power growing louder and more poignant by the second. The song concludes with one final question: in the face of an overcrowded and increasingly abusive world, how much more can our planet take?
Line by Line Meaning
Whoa, ah, mercy, mercy me
An expression of despair and plea for help
Oh things ain't what they used to be, no no
The world is changing, and not for the better
Where did all the blue skies go?
The pollution has changed the color of the skies
Poison is the wind that blows from the north and south and east (Father)
The pollution is pervasive and widespread
Oil wasted on the oceans and upon our seas, fish full of mercury
The oil spills and mercury pollution have contaminated the seas and fish
Ah, oh mercy, mercy me
An expression of continued despair and plea for help
Radiation underground and in the sky
The radiation is coming from below and above
Animals and birds who live nearby are dying (help us, help us, Father)
The pollution is causing harm to wildlife
Oh mercy, mercy me (mercy Father, please help us)
A repeated plea to a higher power for help
What about this overcrowded land (oh, have mercy Father)
The overpopulation is leading to a strain on resources
How much more abuse from man can she stand? Ooh
A question as to how long the earth can handle the continued harm and mistreatment
Oh, no, no, no, nah, nah, nah (Ooh-ooh my sweet Lord)
An expression of frustration and prayer
My sweet Lord, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah (my, my sweet Lord)
Reaffirming the plea for divine intervention
My, my Lord, my sweet Lord, ooh-ooh (help us Father, please help us)
Continuing the prayer for help
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Marvin Gaye
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@carolnicholson6634
I’m 74 today! I will always love this music, the artist. He was and still is amazing❤
@LOVEHAS1JOYRAINS2
🎉Mother Father God is here on earth!!! Playing this song and reaching out to all of you who read this divine message. Phone home today. Our creators luv you from the beginning these are very urgent moments to contact our parents ❤🎉 Luna
@shampoobottle2264
I'm 18 and love this artist
@xbrandi12345x
Happy Belated Birthday!!
@IsabelMartinez-ow5hd
Something about this song, makes me cry. It’s so beautifully written.
@victoriapassiflower2482
Me too 🫂❤️
@MsThebeMoon
Cry for the earth - the planet ---- abused by man and money.
@JamusChristus
You are much more macho than me because EVERYTHING about this piece makes me cry. I suppose this is how Marvin cried too. That's painful and beautiful.
You see, Tammi Terrell was his soulmate and he had to witness her leaving here. I reckon that catalyzed an existential moment. When he died, my mother cried hard for some days. DAYS. I was 9. I told her that if it would help, I'd be Marvin Gaye. I just didn't want her in that much pain. My father couldn't access her. I'm the de facto favorite child. She laughed. My kid sister was born at home and I made Mom laugh when I aped her labor breathing. They kicked me out of the room for good reason. So that Marvin thing, 6yrs later was pithy.
All of that to say Marvin was a siren in that he could grab our senses by the nuts. He was a beautiful comet. He came. He saw. He lived. He loved. We saw we learned. He got outta here like Hendrix, Dolphy, Joplin, Cobain... the list is too long. But he touched us. He knew how we felt. So it's hard not to cry
@cadenadams6592
Parents got married to this song ❤
@nativesonya1865
Yep, me too 😢 touches my soul