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.
Your Precious Love
Marvin Gaye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Honey, to keep me loving you (oh, honey)
And with every passing minute (oh, sugar)
Oh baby, so much joy wrapped up in it
Oh-oh-oh, heaven must have sent you from above
Oh-oh-oh, heaven must have sent your precious love
Oh, and now, I've got a song to sing (oh, darlin')
Tellin' the world about the joy you bring (oh, sweetheart)
And you gave me a reason for living (oh, honey)
And ooh, you taught me
You taught me the meaning of giving
Oh-oh-oh, heaven must have sent you from above
Oh-oh-oh, heaven must have sent your precious love, oh
To find a love like yours is rare these days
'Cause you've shown me what happiness is in so many ways
I look in the mirror and I'm glad to see
Laughter in the eyes where tears used to be
What you've given me I could never return (oh, baby)
'Cause there's so much, girl, I've yet to learn (oh, honey)
And I wanna show, I wanna show, my appreciation (oh, sugar)
'Cause when I found you
I found a new inspiration
Oh-oh-oh, heaven must have sent you from above
Oh-oh-oh heaven must have sent your precious love
Oh-oh-oh heaven must have sent you from above
Oh-oh-oh heaven must have sent your precious love
The lyrics to Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's song "Your Precious Love" speaks about the depth of the love the singer has for their partner, and how much joy they bring into their life. The first verse talks about the daily discoveries the singer makes about their partner that make them fall deeper in love. They express how much happiness this love has brought them by saying "so much joy wrapped up in it." They believe that their significant other must have been sent from heaven above.
The second verse continues to express their love and gratitude. The singer tells their partner that they have given them a reason for living by teaching them the meaning of giving. The chorus is repeated, emphasizing how much this love means to the singer, and asserting that it must have been sent from heaven. The bridge expresses how rare it is to find a love like theirs, and how it has transformed the singer's life. The final verse expresses the singer's desire to show their gratitude and appreciation while acknowledging that they still have so much to learn about love.
Overall, the lyrics to "Your Precious Love" portray a deep and meaningful love that has brought the singer immense joy and gratitude.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh, everyday, there's something new (oh, baby)
Every day brings something new to our relationship and my love for you.
Honey, to keep me loving you (oh, honey)
You always give me reasons to keep loving you, my sweetie.
And with every passing minute (oh, sugar)
As time goes by, my love for you grows stronger, my dear.
Oh baby, so much joy wrapped up in it
Our relationship brings so much happiness and joy in my life.
Oh-oh-oh, heaven must have sent you from above
I feel that you were sent to me from above, my love.
Oh-oh-oh, heaven must have sent your precious love
Your love is truly a precious gift from heaven, my dear.
Oh, and now, I've got a song to sing (oh, darlin')
I want to sing a song about the joy that you bring into my life, my darling.
Tellin' the world about the joy you bring (oh, sweetheart)
I want to share with the world how much joy you bring into my life, my sweetheart.
And you gave me a reason for living (oh, honey)
You have given me a reason to live and to be happy, my love.
And ooh, you taught me
You have taught me so much about love and life, my dear.
You taught me the meaning of giving
You have shown me the true meaning of giving and selflessness.
To find a love like yours is rare these days
It is rare to find a love like yours in this world today.
'Cause you've shown me what happiness is in so many ways
You have shown me so many ways to be happy, my love.
I look in the mirror and I'm glad to see
I am so happy to see myself happy when I look in the mirror now that you are in my life.
Laughter in the eyes where tears used to be
I now have tears of joy in my eyes where there used to be tears of sadness.
What you've given me I could never return (oh, baby)
I could never repay you for all that you have given me, my love.
'Cause there's so much, girl, I've yet to learn (oh, honey)
I know that there is still so much more that I have yet to learn from you, my sweetie.
And I wanna show, I wanna show, my appreciation (oh, sugar)
I want to show my appreciation for you and all that you have done for me, my dear.
'Cause when I found you
Because finding you has changed my life for the better, my love.
I found a new inspiration
You have inspired me to be a better person and to live a better life.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Arthur Brooks, Jerry Butler, Richard Brooks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daimon Mario Perez
The greatest duet ever ! Marvin & Tammi sang it like they meant it.... So much joy was wrapped up in it. Heaven must have sent them from above...
Drew L Smith
They did 🙂
Summer Lyric
Way before my time. there is nothing more angelic than Ms. Tammi's voice. May both legends rest in peace.
Frank Morin
Summer Lyric. FINALLY, together again !!
Home Depot
So true she was great
Rena Dimmock
Horrible what happened 😢 too Her
Theresa T🌹
They sang so beautiful together!! They made you feel the love 💕 in their songs.
MegaOldSkool
Love this song!!! Thanks to the Temptations for their finger snaps and background vocals!
Marvin and Tammi... what can I say... pure excellence
Linda P
I’ve been with my husband of 40+ years and still love him to this day, this record is our love song, thanks Tammy and Marvin💕
Rico T
Just brilliant. BRILLIANT. Two legends in perfect harmony and synchronicity, a unbeatable combination and blend. PERFECT. A classic tune from a truly great, great duet. You do not get music like this now. I LOVE THIS!!