Inner City Blues
Marvin Gaye (Armand Est Mort - Mc Solaar) Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dah, dah, dah, dah

Rockets, moon shots
Spend it on the have nots
Money, we make it
Fore we see it you take it
Oh, make you wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
This ain't livin', this ain't livin'
No, no baby, this ain't livin'
No, no, no
Inflation no chance
To increase finance
Bills pile up sky high
Send that boy off to die
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
Dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah
Hang ups, let downs
Bad breaks, set backs
Natural fact is
I can't pay my taxes
Oh, make me wanna holler
And throw up both my hands
Yea, it makes me wanna holler
And throw up both my hands
Crime is increasing
Trigger happy policing
Panic is spreading
God know where we're heading
Oh, make me wanna holler
They don't understand
Dah, dah, dah

Mother, mother
Everybody thinks we're wrong




Who are they to judge us
Simply cause we wear our hair long

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Inner City Blues are full of social commentary, reflecting the social and political climate of the time in which it was written. The song discusses the struggles that many people face in inner city areas, such as poverty, crime, and a lack of opportunities. The opening lines reference the space race and the money being spent on it, while the have-nots are left struggling to make ends meet. The lyrics suggest that there is a significant wealth inequality in society and that the rich are getting richer while the poor are left behind.


The chorus, "Make me wanna holler, the way they do my life," expresses frustration and anger with the current state of things. It highlights how systemic issues are impacting people's lives in significant ways, leaving them feeling helpless and hopeless. The verse about taxes and bills piling up adds to the sense of despair, suggesting that even those who are trying to get by are being held back by economic factors beyond their control.


The song also touches on issues of police brutality and the fear and panic that it can create in communities. The line "Trigger happy policing, panic is spreading, God knows where we're heading" paints a bleak picture of a society that is falling apart at the seams. The final verse about people judging others based on their appearance speaks to the broader issues of discrimination and prejudice that were prevalent at the time.


Line by Line Meaning

Rockets, moon shots
We spend money on exploring space while some people on Earth struggle to get by.


Spend it on the have nots
We should use our resources to help those in need, but instead we spend it on things that don't benefit everyone.


Money, we make it
We work hard to earn money.


Fore we see it you take it
Taxes and other forms of government intervention take our hard-earned money before we can even use it.


Oh, make you wanna holler
It's frustrating and angering to deal with this reality.


The way they do my life
These injustices are affecting my personal life.


This ain't livin', this ain't livin'
This way of life, consumed by inequalities and injustices, is not truly living.


No, no baby, this ain't livin'
This is not the kind of life anyone should aspire to.


Inflation no chance
Inflation makes it hard to increase our financial standing, and thus our quality of life.


To increase finance
It's difficult to improve our financial standing due to economic factors that are beyond our control.


Bills pile up sky high
Bills and other financial obligations can quickly become overwhelming.


Send that boy off to die
Young men are sent to war, risking and losing their lives for reasons they may not understand or believe in.


Hang ups, let downs
Life is full of obstacles and disappointments.


Bad breaks, set backs
Sometimes life feels like one bad thing after another.


Natural fact is
It's just the way things are.


I can't pay my taxes
The burden of taxes becomes unmanageable in the face of other financial obligations.


And throw up both my hands
I'm completely overwhelmed and don't know what to do.


Crime is increasing
Crime and violence seem to be becoming more prevalent in society.


Trigger happy policing
Police officers are too quick to use deadly force, even when it's not necessary.


Panic is spreading
There is a general sense of fear and anxiety in society.


God know where we're heading
The future is uncertain and scary.


They don't understand
The people in charge don't seem to understand or care about the struggles of those lower down the social ladder.


Mother, mother
The singer is addressing their own mother, a symbol of comfort and support.


Everybody thinks we're wrong
People in power and wider society often criticize and blame those who are struggling or disadvantaged.


Who are they to judge us
The singer is questioning the right of those in power to judge and condemn others.


Simply cause we wear our hair long
Those in power judge and condemn based on superficial differences, such as hairstyle, rather than truly understanding and addressing the issues at hand.




Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMES NYX, MARVIN GAYE, MARVIN P GAYE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@tulayamalavenapi4028

Translation
Government men are always like carnivorous demons called Rฤkแนฃasas [man-eaters]. Sometimes these government men turn against the conditioned soul and take away all his accumulated wealth. Being bereft of his lifeโ€™s reserved wealth, the conditioned soul loses all enthusiasm. Indeed, it is as though he loses his life.

Purport
The word rฤja-kula-rakแนฃasฤ is very significant. ลšrฤซmad-Bhฤgavatam was compiled about five thousand years ago, yet government men are referred to as Rฤkแนฃasas, or carnivorous demons. If government men are opposed to a person, that person will be bereft of all his riches, which he has accumulated with great care over a long period of time. Actually no one wants to pay income taxes โ€” even government men themselves try to avoid these taxes โ€” but at unfavorable times income taxes are exacted forcibly, and the taxpayers become very morose.

Get it? vedabase.io
Free reading here's the verse:

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/5/14/16/

But the solutions are ALSO found. Seek ye the kingdom of Kแน›แนฃแน‡a..



All comments from YouTube:

@MisterJackson-so9lo

53 years later and this song is tragically still relevant๐Ÿ˜ข๐Ÿ˜ข๐Ÿ˜ข๐Ÿ˜ข๐Ÿ˜ข๐Ÿ˜ข

@wandacain1310

Still affects me emotionally ๐Ÿ˜ข

@MisterJackson-so9lo

@@user-sc1hu6or1b SUPERB ๐Ÿ’ฅ๐Ÿ’ฅ FULL POINT ๐Ÿ‘Š๐Ÿพ๐Ÿ‘Š๐Ÿพ๐Ÿ‘Š๐Ÿพ๐Ÿ‘Š๐Ÿพ OBSERVATION

@KwaneleCornelius-qx6uq

๐Ÿ˜ข

@bgbstrm2352

RIP Marvin Gaye - the greatest of all time!!! I am white, live in Sweden, 68 now, but remember how I as a teenager really enjoyed this song - and other soul music - and still do!! This album is the greatest ever, unfortunately the lyrics are still relevant today... ๐Ÿ’ฏ๐ŸŽถ๐ŸŽต

@missionscrapprwill7530

Hello To Sweden

@treacherousjslither6920

Unfortunately. Will we ever get it right? Humanity is pathetic smh

@rubyjones7441

One of the greatest songs ever written!!!

@sybilwindham604

Along with Stevie Wonder's Living For The City.

@sandraatkins2539

Ms. Jones you are so correct. Blessings

More Comments

More Versions