Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” released in 1971 was not only a commercial success, but also a social anthem that stems from the ideals of the 60s and shows the legacy of the time period as it has continued for more than 50 years to challenge and inspire. “What’s Going On” focuses on an enduring social issue of the time: the Vietnam War. Gaye not only had his own experience with the United States military as a member of the Air Force, but his brother was a veteran of the Vietnam War which allowed for Gaye to receive first hand knowledge concerning the conflict.
On the surface, the song is an obvious protest of the Vietnam War. The song begins with the sounds of a welcome home party for a soldier returning from Vietnam. Immediately, the lyrics launch into the issue:
Mother, mother
There’s too many of you crying
Brother, brother brother
There’s far too many of you dying
However, Gaye is focusing on more than just the need to end the war. He is making a critical statement concerning the direction in which the ideals of the 60’s have progressed. In 1971, anti-war protests had escalated across the country. The shooting of 4 students at Kent State had occurred in May of 1970 which then led to violent protests at the University of Washington and other institutions. Other cities also saw violent clashes between student organizations and white collar workers as well as police forces. As the song progresses, the speaker calls for an abandonment of the violence that has ensued as so many join in the anti-war movement:
Father, father
We don’t need to escalate
You see, war is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate
The 60’s were a time when we began to see a changing relationship between adults and children. Through the evolution of the middle class, an increase in industrialization and a parenting movement that focused on allowing children to find themselves, a generation evolved who had been influenced by outside forces other than their parents (Gregory and Sorey).The legacy of the 60’s generation is that they expected more and began to question the motives of those in authority. This generation sought out true freedom and fought to initially change society for the better through peaceful protest. Students were spending more time together at academic institutions than they had in any other generation and as a result collaboration and open discussions occurred that led to the questioning of authority and the ways in which issues were handled. However, the changes were not occurring fast enough and as the 60’s progressed new radical practices emerged. By the end of the decade, violence had increased 156% (Gregory and Sorey). Almost half of college students found violence to be an acceptable form of protest, while only 14% of the general public agreed (Gregory and Sorey). Through “What’s Going On,” Gaye not only addresses the problems that are being caused by the escalation of violent protests, but also looks to provide an answer:
You know we’ve got to find a way
To bring some lovin’ here today
Marvin Gaye channels his own social rage through the song as he calls for the legacy of the 60’s to continue. He was aware of the issues that were going unchecked throughout the country and saw the need to continue fighting for what is right. The song does not push for an end to the “picket lines and picket signs,” but rather pushes for the fight for a better country to continue through protest while a resolution is sought:
In the meantime
Right on, baby
Right on, brother
Right on, babe
Gaye sees the core problem of the situation as a lack of understanding as he implores to not be “punished with brutality” but instead for those to “talk to me, so you can see.” Through the song, Gaye is able to show that the protesting culture of the 60’s was vital to bringing a positive change to the issues occurring within society, but also recognizes that the direction the movement took has led to larger problems, misunderstanding and a battle between generations. A gap had been created between the generations as the youth found their own way to adulthood and the gap needed to be bridged in order to bring an end to the violence that had ensued.. Gaye does not hold the older generation completely accountable. As he addresses the view that those have of the protesting generation through the fifth verse “Mother, mother, everybody thinks we’re wrong,” he also addresses the 60’s generation directly by using the plural first person to indicate that it is a problem for all generations to solve: “...we’ve got to find a way to bring some understanding here today.”
“What’s Going On” can appeal to both those that protest and those that oppose the protesters by pointing to the negative aspects that have grown out of the protests of the 1960s. This is what has led to the endurance of the song over the past 5 decades: an anthem that calls for two opposing sides to give up the fight and work to understand each other to make the world a better place.
Sorey, Kellie C. and Gregory, Dennis, "Protests in the Sixties" (2010). Educational Foundations & Leadership Faculty
Publications, 2010, Old Dominion University. https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/efl_fac_pubs/42. 27
Feb. 2024.
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