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.

Pretend
Marvin Gaye Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Pretend you're happy when you're blue
It isn't very hard to do
And you'll find happiness without an end
Whenever you pretend

Remember anyone can dream
And nothing's bad as it may seem
The little things you haven't got

Could be a lot if you pretend

You'll find a love you can share
One you can call all your own
Just close your eyes, she'll be there
You'll never be alone

And if you sing this melody
You'll be pretending just like me
The world is mine, it can be yours, my friend
So why don't you pretend?

And if you sing this melody
You'll be pretending just like me

The world is mine, it can be yours, my friend
So why don't you pretend?

Overall Meaning

In "Pretend" by Marvin Gaye, the singer urges listeners to put on a facade of happiness and pretend to be happy when they are feeling blue. He suggests that it is not very difficult to do and that if one pretends to be happy, they will eventually find happiness without any limit. The song encourages people to dream, to imagine that the things they do not have could be theirs if they pretend.

Marvin Gaye then shifts the focus to love, suggesting that if one pretends to be happy, they will find a love they can share and call their own. He urges listeners to close their eyes and imagine that their perfect love is right there with them, assuring them that they will never be alone. Finally, he inspires listeners to sing along with him, and if they do so, they will be pretending just like him. The world is his, and it can be theirs too, if they would only pretend.

Overall, the theme of the song is masking one's true feelings and putting on a happy face to make one's life better. While the idea of pretending to be happy may appear to be inauthentic and not the healthiest way to cope with difficult emotions, the song offers a positive message about hope and the ultimate human pursuit of happiness.

Line by Line Meaning

Pretend you're happy when you're blue
Act like you're happy even when you're sad or depressed

It isn't very hard to do
It's not difficult to put on a facade of happiness

And you'll find happiness without an end
By pretending, you can experience a never-ending sense of happiness

Whenever you pretend
This only works as long as you keep pretending

Remember anyone can dream
Everyone has the ability to imagine a better life

And nothing's bad as it may seem
Things may appear worse than they actually are

The little things you haven't got
The small possessions or experiences you lack

Could be a lot if you pretend
You can gain some satisfaction from pretending to have those things

You'll find a love you can share
By pretending, you can imagine finding someone to love and share your life with

One you can call all your own
You can pretend to have the perfect partner, one who belongs to you exclusively

Just close your eyes, she'll be there
By using your imagination, you can create the perfect lover in your mind