In the mid-60s, Terrell released a series of minor R&B chart hits, among them "I Can't Believe You Love Me", "Come On and See Me", and "This Old Heart of Mine" (putting on her own spin on The Isley Brothers' classic). In 1967, she was selected to replace Kim Weston as Marvin Gaye's recording partner, with Gaye being one of Motown's biggest singer-songwriters and being hungry to try more. This teaming produced Gaye's most successful duets, and the pair issued a stream of hit singles between 1967 and 1969. Tracks such as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "You're All I Need To Get By" epitomized their style, as Gaye and Terrell wove around each other's voices, creating an aura of romance and eroticism that led to persistent (yet false) rumors that they were in a secret relationship.
Being such close friends and strong admirers of each other's talents, the partnership's non-singles and b-side releases have attracted critical praise as well, with many commenting that both of them sing like passionate actors on a stage totally into their roles. Most of the Gaye/Terrell duets were crafted by two songwriting/production teams: Ashford & Simpson and Harvey Fuqua & Johnny Bristol. Though productions could be intense, given the number of talented musicians in one space at one time, the duo recorded track after track. Yet it all would come to a sudden end soon.
While on tour with Gaye in Virginia during the summer of 1967, Terrell fainted onstage. She was diagnosed as suffering from a brain tumor, much to the shock of her and her friends. Despite a series of major operations over the next three years, her health steadily weakened to the point that she could barely sing. By 1969, Terrell was too weak to perform in public or in the studio, and the duo's co-producer, Valerie Simpson, subbed for Terrell on many of the duo's final recordings. Ironically, one of these tracks, called "The Onion Song", proved to be the most successful of the Gaye/Terrell singles in the U.K.
Tammi Terrell died on March 16, 1970. Her burial service attracting thousands of mourners, including many of her Motown colleagues, numerous musicians in Motown and elsewhere felt shocked. Over the years since, her work with Gaye has proved deeply influential on many later soul and rnb artists. As well, Marvin Gaye's spiritual wanderings and self-reflection upon the passing of such a beloved friend proved a significant life event, and he would soon release his critically acclaimed 'What's Going On' album soon afterward.
Official Motown artist page: http://classic.motown.com/artist_pages/marvin-gaye-tammi-terrell/
GOOD LOVIN AINT'T EASY TO COME BY
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Good lovin' ain't easy
Good lovin' ain't easy to come by
Oh, darlin', that's the kind you offer me
It's just the love to be found
'Cause we're workin' on a buildin' nobody can tear down
Look what we've got, ho-ho-ho-honey
Good lovin' ain't easy, darlin'
Good lovin' ain't easy to come by, oh no no
I've tried the good life and I know
It's a playground where no one cares
But at last you'll find out that don't compare
To what we've got, ho-ho-ho-honey
It takes more than just a song and dance
You've got to work and fight to give it a chance
If the rain comes down on us
And there ain't no place to run
We'll just cover ourselves with a blanket of love
And wait till the mornin' comes
Oh baby, let's do it today
Inflection
Give us protection
Good lovin' ain't easy to come by
Some think it's a plaything
You can toss away when it's old
But when love's valued in pieces
It's worth more than gold
That's what we've got
Good lovin' ain't easy to come by
Oh, oh, it ain't easy
The song "Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell is a sentimental duet about the difficulties of finding true love. The catchy melody is paired with meaningful lyrics that reflect the joy and struggle of finding real love in a world of temporary passions. The opening line of the song---"Good lovin' ain't easy"---is repeated three times to emphasize the message that love is hard to come by. The chorus celebrates the love between the two singers, acknowledging that what they have is rare and precious.
In the second verse, the lyrics proclaim the superiority of their love over the superficial pleasures of material wealth. The line "I've tried the good life and I know / It's a playground where no one cares" illustrates the message that such pleasure is temporary and does not bring true fulfillment. The third verse offers a grounded approach to dealing with hardships because the couple knows that sometimes you need to wait it out and stay under the blanket of your love until the storm passes.
In conclusion, the song reminds us that true love is worth the effort and the struggles that come along with it. The lyrics reflect a deep understanding of what it takes to build a strong, lasting relationship, and the melody conveys the joy that comes when that love is found.
Line by Line Meaning
Good lovin' ain't easy
Finding true love is difficult
Good lovin' ain't easy
It's not an easy road to find real love
Good lovin' ain't easy to come by
True love is hard to find
Oh, darlin', that's the kind you offer me
You offer me true love
It's just the love to be found
True love is all we seek
'Cause we're workin' on a buildin' nobody can tear down
We are building a strong relationship
Look what we've got, ho-ho-ho-honey
Look at our strong bond, my love
I've tried the good life and I know
I have experienced the carefree life
It's a playground where no one cares
It's a place where there are no true emotions
But at last you'll find out that don't compare
Eventually you will realize that it's not enough
To what we've got, ho-ho-ho-honey
Our love is better than the carefree life
It takes more than just a song and dance
Love takes effort and sacrifice
You've got to work and fight to give it a chance
You have to put in effort to make love work
If the rain comes down on us
If we face difficulties
And there ain't no place to run
If we have nowhere to hide
We'll just cover ourselves with a blanket of love
We will protect ourselves with love
And wait till the mornin' comes
We will wait for a better day to come
Oh baby, let's do it today
Let's work on our love today
Give us protection
Give us strength and protection for our love
Good lovin' ain't easy to come by
True love is hard to find
Some think it's a plaything
Some people treat love casually
You can toss away when it's old
They discard it when it loses its charm
But when love's valued in pieces
But when love is highly valued
It's worth more than gold
It's worth more than any material possession
That's what we've got
We have true love
Good lovin' ain't easy to come by
True love is hard to find
Oh, oh, it ain't easy
True love is a difficult journey
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BOBBY BROWN, TEDDY RILEY, AQIL DAVIDSON, DEMETRIUS ANTOINNE SHIPP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Pride317
Lyrics
[Verse 1: Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell & Both]
Listen, baby
Ain't no mountain high
Ain't no valley low
Ain't no river wide enough, baby
If you need me, call me
No matter where you are
No matter how far
Don't worry, baby
Just call my name
I'll be there in a hurry
You don't have to worry
Cause, baby, there
[Chorus: Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell]
Ain't no mountain high enough
Ain't no valley low enough
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you, babe
[Verse 2: Marvin Gaye, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell]
Remember the day I set you free
I told you you could always count on me, darling
From that day on, I made a vow
I'll be there when you want me, someway, somehow
Oh, baby, there
[Chorus: Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell]
Ain't no mountain high enough
Ain't no valley low enough
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you, babe
[Bridge: Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell & Both]
Oh no, darling
No wind, no rain
Or winter's cold
Can stop me, baby (No, no baby)
Cause you are my goal
If you're ever in trouble
I'll be there on the double
Just send for me, oh, baby, ha
[Verse 3: Tammi Terrell, Marvin Gaye & Both]
My love is alive (Woo)
Way down in my heart
Although we are miles apart
If you ever need a helping hand
I'll be there on the double
Just as fast as I can
Don't you know that there
[Chorus: Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, Tammi Terrell]
Ain't no mountain high enough
Ain't no valley low enough
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you, baby
Don't you know that there
Ain't no mountain high enough
Ain't no valley low enough
Ain't no river wide enough
Ain't no mountain high enough
Ain't no valley low enough
@ayiti4009
Who is here with me now in 2024? 😏😝
@patriciamalloy9922
2022!!?
I'm here and going strong in 2023...
Heading into 2024!!
@justforfun538
@@patriciamalloy9922me 2🎉
@unequelyusshop5201
Came here 2023. His daughter posted on FB about Terri and her father had such a great chemistry
@ayiti4009
@@unequelyusshop5201 awwww thats amazing🥰
@pierrechosenone8925
We in it !
@adrienneflowersscott9290
Hard to believe that Tammi was only 21 when she recorded this song and three years later she would be gone. 😢 Such a beautiful song. RIP Tammi and Marvin
@Jeffro5564
Marvin was devastated cos she was his muse
@Slayanimations
What does muse mean tho
@deidresable
Moose@@Slayanimations