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 a Man Loves A Woman
Marvin Gaye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't keep his mind on nothin' else,
He'd change the world for the good thing he's found.
If she is bad, he can't see it,
She can do no wrong,
Turn his back on his best friend if he put her down.
When a man loves a woman,
He'll spend his very last dime
He'd give up all his comforts
And sleep out in the rain,
If she said that's the way
It ought to be.
Well, this man loves you, woman.
I gave you everything I have,
Tryin' to hold on to your heartless love.
Baby, please don't treat me bad.
When a man loves a woman,
Down deep in his soul,
She can bring him such misery.
If she is playin' him for a fool,
He's the last one to know.
Lovin' eyes can never see.
When a man loves a woman
He can do her no wrong,
He can never want
Some other girl.
Yes,When a man loves a woman
I know exactly how he feels,
'Cause baby, baby, you're my world
When a man loves a woman....
The lyrics to "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Marvin Gaye speak to the all-consuming nature of love. The first few lines describe the singular focus that a man has on the woman he loves, where he cannot keep his mind on anything else. This love is so powerful that he is willing to change the world for the good thing he has found, meaning that he will do whatever it takes to make her happy.
The next few lines of the song describe how the man sees the woman as perfect, even if she is not. He is so blinded by his love that he cannot see any faults in her, and he would even turn his back on his best friend if they spoke ill of her. This is followed by a description of how the man would sacrifice everything for the woman - his last dime, his comforts, even his shelter, if that is what she wanted.
However, the song takes a darker turn when it describes how much pain this all-consuming love can bring. If the woman is playing him for a fool, he is the last one to know, because his loving eyes cannot see the truth. It is clear that the man is deeply in love with the woman, but she may not love him back, or the love may not be mutual. The final lines of the song bring it all together, as the singer tells the woman that she is his world, and that his love for her is all-encompassing.
Overall, the lyrics of "When a Man Loves a Woman" are a powerful statement on the nature of love and how it can consume a person's entire being. The song speaks to the pain and the joy of love, and how it can both lift us up and bring us down.
Line by Line Meaning
When a man loves a woman,
When a man deeply loves and cares for a woman,
Can't keep his mind on nothin' else,
He is constantly thinking about her and his love for her,
He'd change the world for the good thing he's found.
He would do anything and everything to make her happy and keep her in his life,
If she is bad, he can't see it,
Even if she seems to have negative traits or flaws, he still loves her and overlooks these things,
She can do no wrong,
In his eyes, she is perfect and can never make mistakes or do anything that would cause him to love her less,
Turn his back on his best friend if he put her down.
He will defend her and choose her over even his closest friends if they speak poorly of her or criticize their relationship,
He'll spend his very last dime
He is willing to give up all of his money and possessions to support her and their love,
Tryin' to hold on to what he needs.
He will do everything in his power to keep her in his life, because she is the most important thing to him,
He'd give up all his comforts
He is willing to sacrifice his personal comfort and convenience to make her happy,
And sleep out in the rain,
He is willing to endure any hardship, no matter how difficult or uncomfortable, for her,
If she said that's the way It ought to be.
He trusts her completely and will listen to her wishes and opinions, even if they go against his own desires,
Well, this man loves you, woman.
The singer of the song is expressing his love for the woman he is singing to,
I gave you everything I have,
He has put all of his effort, time, and resources into their relationship and making her happy,
Tryin' to hold on to your heartless love.
He is struggling to maintain their relationship, despite feeling like she does not reciprocate his love fully or equally,
Baby, please don't treat me bad.
He is pleading with her to treat him with kindness and love, and to not hurt him or their relationship,
Down deep in his soul,
His love for her is a fundamental part of his being and spirit,
She can bring him such misery.
If their relationship is not going well or if she hurts him, it can cause him immense pain and sadness,
If she is playin' him for a fool,
If she is not truly in love with him and is using him, he may not realize it and will continue to love her regardless,
He's the last one to know.
He may be unaware of her true feelings or the reality of their relationship because he is so deeply in love with her,
Lovin' eyes can never see.
His love for her can blind him to reality and prevent him from seeing the truth about their relationship,
He can do her no wrong,
He would never intentionally hurt her and will always try to do what is best for her,
He can never want Some other girl.
He is completely devoted to her and only has eyes for her,
Yes,When a man loves a woman
The singer is reiterating the feelings of the previous lines, emphasizing how all-consuming and strong this type of love can be,
I know exactly how he feels,
As the singer of the song, he personally knows and has experienced this type of deep love for a woman,
'Cause baby, baby, you're my world
He is affirming that the woman he is singing to is the center of his universe and the most important thing in his life.
Contributed by Jasmine M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@maliahmichel450
My parents have been married for 26 years, had 6 kids and my dad always puts this on after a family meal, sings and dances with my mom in the kitchen. It's nice to know in a generation full of divorce, that two people can still truly be in love with each other after all that time :-)
@chrisk8208
Great story, beautiful tune, and I love the fact that not only did you have loving parents but remember the tune fondly for it.
Me, I didn't have the former and after around 12 years (4380 times) of listening to this tune nightly, I doubt I'd be a fan.
@suazogirl10
I was born in '72 and I still can not get enough of this music- this is the way right here
@EssexAggiegrad2011
This should be played in every health class in the US.
@Fornawy
I-ve heard this song sung by MArvin, but this one is Percy!!!! I've seen a lot of non-music lovers... but this takes the cake
@mj36854
This is Percy Sledge... A true great singer with real soul
@Hillabybutterfly
it's Percy Sledge! my dad used to play this music every Sunday!
@PippinPotter11
Oh my goodness,this song is THE all time love song!!! I wish I had someone to share these kinds of feeling's with again,it's been many years since I've even wanted to fall in love again;and now I finally feel ready. And this song will definately ring true with my "new man!"
@johnmac3120
Percy Sledge bro. Can't mistake that voice
@kiriamarie
only percy can sing this one, as much as i love marvin this is percys tune xxx