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.
Only A Lonely Man Would Know
Marvin Gaye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love was a toy for girls and boys
I never gave my heart
I just played the part right from the start
Then there was you, sweet you
With a love that I knew, I knew was true
But in my pride, I left you, baby
Oh, only a lonely man would know
The bitter tears I've cried since I lost you darlin'
Since you said goodbye
Only a lonely man would know
The hurt inside of me, since I left my pride
Make a fool of me
Ask any lonely man, you see, darlin'
Walk up and ask any lonely man like me, baby
Ooh, foolishly girl, I broke your heart
Now we're apart
Now, in my lonely room, I
Just reminisce, long for your kiss
And through my lonely tears
I can see ahead long lonely years
Without your love
My world, my world's at an end
Blinds closin' in, now, I know
Oh, what I was too slow in learnin'
Oh, now I know
No that I'm all alone, my heart is yearnin'
Oh, only a lonely man would know
The bitter tears I've cried since I lost you darlin'
Since you said goodbye
Ask any lonely man, you see, baby
Go on and ask him, baby
Only a lonely man would know
The bitter tears I've cried since I lost you darlin'
Since you said goodbye
Ooh, only a lonely man would know
The hurt inside
In Marvin Gaye's Only A Lonely Man Would Know, he reflects on his past experiences with love and how he never truly allowed himself to fully give his heart to anyone. It wasn't until he met a special someone that he realized what true love was. However, in his own pride and fear, he ended up pushing her away, resulting in heartbreak and feelings of deep loneliness. Gaye sings about the pain he feels every day since losing her and how only a person who has experienced this kind of heartbreak can understand the immense sorrow he feels.
The lyrics suggest that the pain from losing someone you truly loved can only be understood by someone who has gone through a similar experience. Gaye describes the bitterness of tears he has cried and the hurt that is buried deep inside of him. He encourages the listener to ask any lonely man and they too will understand. It's as if he's saying that only those who have gone through this kind of heartbreak can truly understand the depth of pain and sorrow that comes with losing the one you love.
Overall, the song is a beautiful reflection on the pain of losing love and how only those who have experienced it can truly understand the depth of hurt that comes with it. Gaye's soulful voice creates a powerful emotional response that resonates deep within the listener's soul.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh, once I thought that
I used to believe that love was just a game for people to play with
Love was a toy for girls and boys
I thought that love was just a pastime for men and women
I never gave my heart
I never truly invested my feelings into any relationship
I just played the part right from the start
I acted like I was in love, but I never let myself truly feel it
Then there was you, sweet you
But then I met you, and you were so special
With a love that I knew, I knew was true
You showed me that love could be real and genuine, and I believed it
But in my pride, I left you, baby
But my ego and arrogance made me push you away
Oh, just hangin' on, now love has gone
Now I'm left alone, regretting my mistakes and losing the love I had
Oh, only a lonely man would know
I realize now that only someone who has lost love and is alone truly understands
The bitter tears I've cried since I lost you darlin'
I've cried so many tears since you left me, and it hurts deeply
Since you said goodbye
Your farewell was the end of everything we had together
Only a lonely man would know
I understand now that only someone who has felt this kind of pain can relate to me
The hurt inside of me, since I left my pride
I am hurting deeply inside because of the way I let my arrogance ruin what we had
Make a fool of me
I feel so foolish for letting my pride get in the way and ruin our relationship
Ask any lonely man, you see, darlin'
If you ask any man who has lost love, they will understand how I feel now
Walk up and ask any lonely man like me, baby
You can ask anyone who has experienced this kind of heartbreak, they will be able to relate to me
Ooh, foolishly girl, I broke your heart
I realize now that my actions caused you so much pain
Now we're apart
Now that we are no longer together, I regret my mistakes
Now, in my lonely room, I
I spend my nights alone, thinking about what I've lost
Just reminisce, long for your kiss
I remember the good times we had together and wish I could have them back again
And through my lonely tears
As I cry by myself, I realize how much I miss you
I can see ahead long lonely years
I know that without you, my future is bleak and lonely
Without your love
I crave the love and affection that only you gave me
My world, my world's at an end
Everything that gave my life meaning and joy has ended now that you're gone
Blinds closin' in, now, I know
I feel trapped and hopeless, and I understand that I have lost you forever
Oh, what I was too slow in learnin'
I realize now that I should have appreciated you more and treated you better when I had the chance
Oh, now I know
I finally understand the value of love and the pain of losing it
No that I'm all alone, my heart is yearnin'
Now that I'm by myself, I yearn for the love that I once took for granted
Only a lonely man would know
I know that only someone who has lost love and is alone truly understands
The bitter tears I've cried since I lost you darlin'
I've cried so many tears since you left me, and it hurts deeply
Since you said goodbye
Your farewell was the end of everything we had together
Ask any lonely man, you see, baby
If you ask anyone who has experienced this kind of heartbreak, they will be able to relate to me
Only a lonely man would know
I understand now that only someone who has felt this kind of pain can relate to me
The bitter tears I've cried since I lost you darlin'
I've cried so many tears since you left me, and it hurts deeply
Since you said goodbye
Your farewell was the end of everything we had together
Ooh, only a lonely man would know
The pain I feel now can only be understood by someone who has experienced this kind of heartbreak
The hurt inside
I am so deeply hurt by losing you, and it's hard to bear
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BEATRICE VERDI, IVY HUNTER, IVY JO HUNTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind