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 Love Comes Knocking At My Heart
Marvin Gaye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seein' other girls in love and wishin' it were me
If I could only find the key and make love come my way
I would trade this loneliness for true love any day
When love comes knockin' at my heart
I'm surely gonna let it in
When love comes knockin' at my heart
Oh darlin', oh darlin'
Oh darlin', oh darlin'
Emptiness is in the air and all around me gloom
As I gaze through the window of my lonely room
I hate to get up in the mornin' 'cause I know what lies ahead
Where there should be a cheerful smile, there's loneliness instead
When love comes knockin' at my heart
I'm surely gonna let it in
When love comes knockin' at my heart
Happiness will surely begin
Oh if you've never been in love, darlin'
Then you're just like me, now
Don't you get lonely? What am I to be?
Oh darlin', oh darlin'
Oh darlin', oh darlin'
Oh darlin', oh darlin'
Oh darlin', oh darlin'
My heart's full of envy for the girl who lives next door
She has so many things that I've never had before
She possesses one thing I've never had a chance to get
That's someone to call her own and there's one thing you can bet
When love comes knockin' at my heart
I'm surely gonna let it in
When love comes knockin' at my heart
Happiness will surely begin
Oh darlin', my-my baby
Oh darlin', oh darlin'
When love comes,(when it comes) I'm gonna let it in(let it in)
Because I know (what do you know) I'll be happy then
Loneliness will be no more
When love comes,(oh darling) gonna open that door(just open the door)
When love comes,(let it in) when love comes (let it in)
(Let it in) oh darlin',(let it in) when love comes
The lyrics to Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's "When Love Comes Knocking At My Heart" express a deep yearning for love and a sense of loneliness. The singer describes seeing other couples in love and wishing for the same happiness. The first verse talks about how the singer longs for love and wishes to find the "key" to make it come their way. The second verse describes the emptiness and gloom that the singer feels, even when looking out the window of their lonely room in the morning. The third verse expresses envy for a girl next door who has someone to call her own, which emphasizes the singer's desire for love.
The chorus offers a glimmer of hope that when love does come, the singer will let it in and find happiness. The use of repetition in the chorus serves to emphasize the importance of this idea. The final verse offers a sense of resolve, as the singer vows to open the door and let love in when it does finally come knocking.
Overall, the lyrics of "When Love Comes Knocking At My Heart" express a feeling of longing and a desire for connection in the face of loneliness. The repetitive chorus reinforces the importance of letting love in when it does finally arrive.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh here I am alone, thinkin' aimlessly
I am feeling aimless and alone.
Seein' other girls in love and wishin' it were me
I envy the girls who are experiencing love and want to experience it myself.
If I could only find the key and make love come my way
I wish I could find a way to make love happen in my life.
I would trade this loneliness for true love any day
I would give up my loneliness in a heartbeat for true love.
When love comes knockin' at my heart
If I ever get the chance to experience love,
I'm surely gonna let it in
I would not miss the opportunity to embrace love.
Happiness will surely begin
Love is the key to happiness.
Emptiness is in the air and all around me gloom
Loneliness has made me feel empty and demotivated.
As I gaze through the window of my lonely room
I often find myself daydreaming and feeling hopeless.
I hate to get up in the mornin' 'cause I know what lies ahead
I want to avoid starting each day because I know it will be just like every other day.
Where there should be a cheerful smile, there's loneliness instead
Instead of feeling happy, I feel alone and sad.
Oh if you've never been in love, darlin'
If someone has never experienced love,
Then you're just like me, now
They are in the same position as me.
Don't you get lonely? What am I to be?
Do they not feel lonely? What can I do to change my situation?
My heart's full of envy for the girl who lives next door
I feel envious of the girl next door.
She has so many things that I've never had before
She has so many things that I have never experienced.
She possesses one thing I've never had a chance to get
She has something that I have never had the chance to obtain.
That's someone to call her own and there's one thing you can bet
She has someone to love and you can be sure that I want that too.
oh darling, my-my baby
I long for someone to call my own - my baby.
when love comes (when it comes), I'm gonna let it in (let it in)
If I ever have the chance to experience love, I will embrace it.
Because I know (what do you know) I'll be happy then
I know that love is the key to happiness.
Loneliness will be no more
Once I find love, I will no longer experience loneliness.
When love comes (oh darling), gonna open that door (just open the door)
When love comes knocking, I will be ready to embrace it.
Let it in) oh darlin', (let it in) when love comes
I will not miss the chance to embrace love - I will let it in when it comes.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Míster Funke
That Bass line
Randal Bridges
M&T are on fire!