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In What's Going On, Gaye continues:
Mother, mother, everybody thinks we're wrong
Oh, but who are they to judge us
Simply 'cause our hair is long
Oh, you know we've got to find a way
To bring some understanding here today, oh oh oh
Picket lines - brother - and picket signs - brother
Don't punish me - brother - with brutality - brother
Come on, talk to me - brother - so you can see - brother
Now what's goin' on - what's goin' on, yeah, what's goin' on - what's goin' on
Tell me what's goin' on - what's goin' on,
I'll tell you now what's goin' on - what's goin' on
Ooooh - right on - right on - ay-ay-ay-ay-ay
In his poetry and songs, Gaye paints the picture of a totally socially aware individual, a look at Inner City Blues (Gaye/Nyx, 1971), shows that back in the seventies, Gaye was troubled by the fact that political leaders did not have their priorities right. At a time of severe economic troubles in the USA for instance Bush takes the country into a war projected to cost up to $200 billion dollars by the time it ends. Gaye contemplates this insanity with the lines: "Inflation, no chance to increase finance/ Bills pile up sky high, send that boy off to die." It is almost cynical, as if there is some correlation--send off the boys to die, that's less pressure on the economy.
Or perhaps they know what we don't know. Some people say the war against Iraq is not about oil, but then there are also the lucrative architectural and engineering contracts to rebuild Iraq after deliberately destroying her infrastructures and shamelessly the countries are already tearing each other apart for who gets what.
INNER CITY BLUES (MAKES ME WANNA HOLLER)
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 me wanna holler the way they do my life, yeah
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, no
Inflation, no chance to increase finance
Bills pile up sky high, send that boy off to die
Oh, make me wanna holler the way they do my life
Yeah, make me wanna holler the way they do my life
Oh yeah, baby
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
Yeah, it makes me wanna holler and throw up both my hands, oh
Crime is increasing, trigger happy policing
Panic is spreading, God knows where we're heading
Oh, make me .... wanna holler .... they don't understand
Dah, dah, dah, dah .... ow!
Mother, mother, everybody thinks we're wrong
Mother, who are they to judge us, mother, mother
Simply 'cause we wear our hair long, mother - ooh
Aye-aye-aye-aye ....
Continue>>>
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