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.
When Did You Stop Loving Me When Did I Stop Loving You
Marvin Gaye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They're supposed to be for real
I mean
If you think back about what you really said
You know, about, honor, and loving
And obeying until death do us part and all
But it shouldn't be that way, it should
It should, it shouldn't be lies because it turns out to be lies
The words should be changed
Ooh, now as I recall we tried a million times
Again and again and again, and that isn't all
I gave my love to you each time to make amends
Suddenly I start to realize I can't make it
Pretty birds fly away, I had to leave you for my health's sake
What to do? Make you pay, for leaving you my fine is to pay forever
So if a fresh new love comes in I won't say those words again
Instead, I'll say I'll try to love and protect you
With all my heart as long as you want me to baby
Ooh, if I love again I'm gonna try a new way this time
Memories of the things we did, some we're proud of, some we hid
So when two people have to part, sometimes it makes them stronger
Do you remember all of the bullshit, baby?
You say you love me with all your heart
If you ever loved me will all of your heart
You'd never take a million dollars to part
I really tried, you know I tried, oh, baby
Although we tried, all of those promises was nothin' but lies
I really tried, you know how I really tried, we really lied, didn't we, baby?
And on top of that, you have scandalized my name
What I can't understand is if you love me
How could you turn me into the police?
Didn't I love you good and try to take care of you?
Best I could
You were so divine
And your love was like mellow wine
Pains of love, miles of tears
Enough to last me for my lifetime
Broken hearts last for years, soon break away to the noonday sunshine
One thing I can promise, friend, I'll never be back again
But I'm not really bitter, babe (all the love in the world)
I wish you all the luck and all the love in the world
(All the good luck in the world)
Good luck in the world (ooh)
But I know you'll never be satisfied (good luck in the world)
No, you still want me standin' by your side (good luck in the world)
Memories haunt you all the time, I will never leave your mind
Got judgment on your side
You've said bad things and you've lied
Still, I remember some of the good things, baby
Like love after dark and picnics in parks
Those are the days I'll not forget in my life
I'd rather remember, remember the joy we shared, babe
I'd rather remember all the fun we had
All I ever really wanted was to love you and treat you right
All we did was fuss and fight
It don't matter, baby, take a lesson from them all
I never thought I'd see the day
When you'd put me through what you put me through
You tried your best, you say I gave you no rest
When did you stop loving me?
When did I stop loving you?
When did you stop loving me?
When did I stop loving you?
When did you stop loving me?
When did I stop loving you?
In the song "When Did You Stop Loving Me When Did I Stop Loving You" by Marvin Gaye, the lyrics express the pain and difficulty that comes with a failed love story. The song is a lament about a couple whose marriage has ended, revealing that the promises made during their union have turned out to be lies. The song is a masterpiece that embodies Marvin Gaye's soulful and emotional style of singing. The lyrics are insightful and poignant, as they strive to explore the complexities of love, relationships, and what it means to break up.
The song also explores the idea of how some relationships may sometimes require a couple to go their separate ways. In Marvin's view, sometimes breaking up could make a couple stronger. The lyrics suggest that the memories of both the good and bad times will always stick with them. Honesty and communication should be the foundation of their love. Still, when the line "When did you stop loving me? When did I stop loving you?" is repeated, it signals that the couple was hurt by each other, and the love has faded away.
In conclusion, Marvin Gaye's "When Did You Stop Loving Me When Did I Stop Loving You" is a classic song about love and loss. The song is an exploration of the complexity and heartbreak involved in relationships. It emphasizes the importance of communication, honesty, and empathy in keeping a relationship healthy, or otherwise, it could lead to failure. Finally, the song suggests a desire for new beginnings in love relationships, signifying the importance of looking forward to the future.
Line by Line Meaning
You know when you say your marriage vows
When you make a promise to love and cherish someone in marriage
They're supposed to be for real
Marriage vows should be taken seriously and meant for real
I mean
In other words
If you think back about what you really said
If you reflect on the words you spoke during the wedding ceremony
You know, about, honor, and loving
The promises made about honor and love in the marriage
And obeying until death do us part and all
The promise made to obey and remain faithful until death separates them
But it shouldn't be that way, it should
Marriage vows should not be based on lies
It should, it shouldn't be lies because it turns out to be lies
Marriage vows should be taken seriously and not be based on falsehoods because it ends up being a lie
If you don't honor what you said, you lie to God
Not honoring the promises made during the wedding ceremony is equivalent to lying to God
The words should be changed
The vows should be modified to reflect the true intentions of the people getting married
Ooh, now as I recall we tried a million times
As I reminisce, we made repeated attempts to salvage our relationship
Again and again and again, and that isn't all
Repeatedly and innumerable times, and much more
I gave my love to you each time to make amends
I tried to reconcile every time by giving my love to you
Suddenly I start to realize I can't make it
I abruptly came to the conclusion that I cannot continue doing it anymore
Pretty birds fly away, I had to leave you for my health's sake
Like pretty birds that fly away, I had to leave because my health required it
What to do? Make you pay, for leaving you my fine is to pay forever
What should I do? Make you suffer? Leaving you was my punishment and I'll have to bear it forever
So if a fresh new love comes in I won't say those words again
So if I find a new love, I won't repeat those same vows
Instead, I'll say I'll try to love and protect you
Instead, I vow to try and love and protect you
With all my heart as long as you want me to baby
With all my heart, for as long as you want me to, my dear
Ooh, if I love again I'm gonna try a new way this time
If I find love again, I'll try a different approach this time
Memories of the things we did, some we're proud of, some we hid
Recollections of the activities we engaged in as a couple, some we're pleased with, and some we kept secret
So when two people have to part, sometimes it makes them stronger
Parting ways can bring strength to the two people involved
Do you remember all of the bullshit, baby?
Do you recall all of the nonsense, my dear?
You say you love me with all your heart
You professed love for me with all your heart
If you ever loved me will all of your heart
If you had truly loved me with all your heart
You'd never take a million dollars to part
You wouldn't take anything in exchange for us to separate
I really tried, you know I tried, oh, baby
I put a significant amount of effort in, you know I did, oh, dear
Although we tried, all of those promises were nothing but lies
Even though we tried hard, all of those pledges turned out to be lies
I really tried, you know how I really tried, we really lied, didn't we, baby?
I put considerable effort in, you know I did; we were lying, weren't we, dear?
And on top of that, you have scandalized my name
Furthermore, you tarnished my reputation
What I can't understand is if you love me
I can't comprehend how you could love me
How could you turn me into the police?
How could you report me to the police?
Didn't I love you good and try to take care of you?
Didn't I love you well and attempt to take care of you?
Best I could
to the best of my ability
You were so divine
You were sensationally perfect
And your love was like mellow wine
Your affection was like a smooth wine
Pains of love, miles of tears
One of the results of love is the aches and tears that follow
Enough to last me for my lifetime
Sufficient enough to last an entire lifetime
Broken hearts last for years, soon break away to the noonday sunshine
The pain of heartbreak lasts a long time but fades away with time
One thing I can promise, friend, I'll never be back again
One thing I can promise, my friend, that is, I have no intentions of returning
But I'm not really bitter, babe (all the love in the world)
However, I don't feel resentful, my darling (I still have all the love in the world)
I wish you all the luck and all the love in the world
I hope you find all the good luck and love in the world
(All the good luck in the world)
Wishing you all the good fortune in the world
Good luck in the world (ooh)
Best wishes in the world (ooh)
But I know you'll never be satisfied (good luck in the world)
But I realize you will never be content (wish you good luck in the world)
No, you still want me standin' by your side (good luck in the world)
You still desire me to be by your side (wishing you good luck in the world)
Memories haunt you all the time, I will never leave your mind
You are constantly haunted by memories; I will always remain in your mind
Got judgment on your side
You have the force of judgment on your side
You've said bad things and you've lied
You've made detrimental statements and told lies about me
Still, I remember some of the good things, baby
Nevertheless, I remember the good things, my dear
Like love after dark and picnics in parks
Such as lovemaking during the nighttime and having picnics in parks
Those are the days I'll not forget in my life
Those are the days that I will cherish for the rest of my life
I'd rather remember, remember the joy we shared, babe
I'd prefer to reminisce about the happiness we shared, darling
I'd rather remember all the fun we had
I would rather relive all the enjoyable times we had
All I ever really wanted was to love you and treat you right
All I wanted was to love and treat you well
All we did was fuss and fight
But all we ever did was argue and fight
It don't matter, baby, take a lesson from them all
It doesn't matter anymore, dear; learn from everything
I never thought I'd see the day
I never anticipated to experience this moment
When you'd put me through what you put me through
When you'd make me go through the pain that you caused me
You tried your best, you say I gave you no rest
You claim you did your best while I made it difficult for you
When did you stop loving me?
At what point did your love for me end?
When did I stop loving you?
At what point did I stop loving you?
When did you stop loving me?
At what stage did you fall out of love with me?
When did I stop loving you?
At what point in our relationship did I stop caring for you?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Marvin P Gaye
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind