What's Going On? Lyrics
Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying Brother, brother, brother There's far too many of you dying You know we've got to find a way To bring some lovin' here today - Ya Father, father We don't need to escalate You see, war is not the answer For only love can conquer hate You know we've got to find a way To bring some lovin' here today Picket lines and picket signs Don't punish me with brutality Talk to me, so you can see Oh, what's going on What's going on Ya, what's going on Ah, what's going on In the mean time Right on, baby Right on Right on Father, father, everybody thinks we're wrong Oh, but who are they to judge us Simply because our hair is long Oh, you know we've got to find a way To bring some understanding here today Oh Picket lines and picket signs Don't punish me with brutality Talk to me So you can see What's going on Ya, what's going on Tell me what's going on I'll tell you what's going on - Uh Right on baby Right on baby |
AnalysisThe song “What’s Going On?” by Marvin Gaye is unique among the diverse field of anti-war songs. The message it sends is not overtly critical of war, nor does it display any amount of contempt for those that wage violence in war. Instead it exudes an air of confusion; confusion about why the Vietnam War is being waged at all, and confusion about why there is such open hostility between war protestors and those who attempt to subdue them. Throughout the song, language such as “Picket lines and picket signs/Don’t punish me with brutality”, “Father, father, everybody thinks we’re wrong/Oh, but who are they to judge us/Simply because our hair is long”, “There’s far too many of you dying/You know we’ve got to find a way” stand out, sending a message that is centered very much at home in America. This song is certainly anti-war, as evidenced by the lines, “We don’t need to escalate/You see, war is not the answer/for only love can conquer hate, which is a direct statement that war is not the way to solve out problems. However, this song is not overtly critical of the foreign policy, instead referencing people who are very critical of the United States’ foreign policy at the time (the protestors of the Vietnam War). These references are made in lines such as, “Picket lines and picket signs/Don’t punish me with brutality/Talk to me”, in which Gaye speaks on the open hostilities he witnessed at a student protest of the conflict. This song additionally answers how war affects society in its references to these protests. It discusses how war divides society by their opinions in such lines as, “Father, father, everybody thinks we’re wrong/Oh, but who are they to judge us/Simply because our hair is long”. This line speaks on the generational divides created by the war; often between pro-war parents and their more liberal children. I personally agree with the message the song conveys, because it seems to be mostly asking why the war is being waged and why there is so much violence, both overseas and as part of the protests. As one who is confused with what justifies the waging of a war and what criteria we have used in the past to justify war, I appreciate the message of this song in its portrayal of a conflict waged on debatable principles.
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