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Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and the Civil Rights Movement: A Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and the Civil Rights Movement: A
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Jacob Barnhill
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MARVIN GAYE’S WHAT’S GOING ON AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT:
A HISTORY AND ANALYSIS
By
JACOB CASWELL BARNHILL, Bachelor of Music
Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of
Stephen F. Austin State University
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements
For the Degree of
Master of Music
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY
May, 2019
!
MARVIN GAYE’S WHAT’S GOING ON AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT:
A HISTORY AND ANALYSIS
By
JACOB CASWELL BARNHILL, Bachelor of Music
APPROVED:
_____________________________________
Dr. Samantha Inman, Thesis Director
_____________________________________
Dr. Stephen Lias, Committee Member
_____________________________________
Prof. James Adams, Committee Member
_____________________________________
Dr. Court Carney, Committee Member
________________________________
Pauline M. Sampson, Ph.D.
Dean of Research and Graduate Studies
i!
!
Abstract
Marvin Gaye’s first self-produced album, What’s Going On is a timeless
work in American popular music. This thesis illuminates many of the intricacies
that went in to the creation of the album and discusses its relevance during the
Civil Rights Movement. Chapter 1 provides a background in popular music
analysis and the genre of Soul music. Chapter 2 includes a biography of Gaye
and a brief history of the Detroit record label known as Motown. The collaboration
of musicians and engineers at Motown, along with Gaye’s influences from his
personal life and music career, had profound effects on the outcome of What’s
Going On. Chapters 3 and 4 provide analyses of individual songs from the
album, discussing lyrics, form, harmony, and melody. Chapter 5 discusses the
album as a whole by comparing it to a song cycle.
ii!
!
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter 2: A History of Marvin Gaye and the Creation of What’s Going On . . . 10
Chapter 3: An Analysis of “What’s Going On” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Chapter 4: An Analysis of “What’s Happening Brother” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Chapter 5: What’s Going On, The First Song Cycle of Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Discography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Appendix A: Transcription of “What’s Going On” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Appendix B: Transcription of “What’s Happening Brother” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
iii!
!
List of Figures
Figure 1.1: Common harmonic progressions in popular music,
Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me” (1957) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Figure 2.1: Marvin Gaye Discography, 1960-1970 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Figure 2.2: Example of technical proficiency in Jamerson’s bass line,
“What’s Going On,” mm. 37-44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Figure 3.1: “What’s Going On,” Lyrics and Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Figure 3.2: Form of “What’s Going On” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Figure 3.3A: “What’s Going On,” Verse harmonic progression . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Figure 3.3B: “What’s Going On,” Chorus harmonic progression . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Figure 3.4: Modulation from Chorus to Bridge
“What’s Going On,” mm. 21-28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Figure 3.5: Saxophone intro to “What’s Going On,” mm. 1-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Figure 3.6: Vocal and bass melodies in Verse 1
“What’s Going On,” mm. 5-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Figure 3.7: Vocal melody in the Chorus of “What’s Going On”, mm. 17-24 . . . . 38
Figure 3.8: Upbeat entrances in the Chorus
“What’s Going On”, mm. 21-26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Figure 3.9: String melody in the Bridge of “What’s Going On,” mm. 27-38 . . . . 40
Figure 4.1: “What’s Happening Brother,” Lyrics and Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Figure 4.2: Form of “What’s Happening Brother” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Figure 4.3: Overarching formal structure, “What’s Happening Brother” . . . . . . . 48
Figure 4.4: “What’s Happening Brother” harmonic reduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
iv!
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Figure 4.5: “What’s Happening Brother,” Verse 1 and 2 tonal areas . . . . . . . . . 51
Figure 4.6: Rhythmic entrances in Verse 1,
“What’s Happening Brother,” mm. 14-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Figure 4.7: Strong beat entrances in Prechorus,
“What’s Happening Brother,” mm. 38-44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Figure 4.8: Voice fluctuation in Gaye’s vocals,
“What’s Happening Brother,” mm. 45-47 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Figure 4.9: Chromaticism in Verse 1,
“What’s Happening Brother,” mm. 11-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Figure 4.10A: Descending chromatic melody,
“What’s Happening Brother,” mm. 16-21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Figure 4.10B: Descending chromatic melody,
“What’s Happening Brother,” mm. 32-35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Figure 5.1A: Lyrical repetitions in What’s Going On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Figure 5.1B: Topic similarities in What’s Going On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Figure 5.2: Form Chart for What’s Going On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Figure 5.3: Key Areas in What’s Going On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Figure 5.4: String melody used as connecting material in What’s Going On . . . 69
Figure 5.5: Melodic connections in What’s Going On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Figure 5.6A: Rhythmic similarities
“What’s Happening Brother” mm. 34-35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Figure 5.6B: Rhythmic similarities
“What’s Going On” mm. 57-58 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
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1!
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
Soul is one of the most influential genres in American popular music.
Using style elements from a range of music rooted in the black experience, it
provided a voice for a new generation. The genre began gaining popularity in the
late 1950s, particularly with Sam Cooke’s smooth tenor voice accompanied by
common jazz chord progressions.
1
By the early 1960s, several vocal groups,
such as The Temptations, The Four Tops, and The Supremes, reached a wider,
more diverse audience with the help of the growing Detroit record label, Motown.
These groups and many others climbed to the top of the Rhythm and Blues
(R&B) and Popular music charts.
2
Even as many African-American musicians
rose to fame, there remained a strong sense of racial injustice in America. As the
Civil Rights Movement gained steam in the late 1960s, many African-American
musicians were at the heart of it.
3
Not only did their lyrics touch on subjects of
inequality and injustice, but also the music itself served to unite people around
both common grievances and hope.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1
Craig Hanson Werner, A Change is Gonna Come: Music, Race and the Soul of America
(Michigan: The University of Michigan Press, 2006), 31-32.
2
Gerri Hirshey, Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music (New York: Da Capo Press,
1984), 141.
3
Peter B. Levy, The Civil Rights Movement (Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1998), 10.
!
2!
Marvin Gaye was an inspirational figure in the fight for justice and equality
in America. Throughout the 1960s, Gaye had a successful music career with
Motown, recording countless hit songs and touring the racially-segregated United
States. By 1970, however, Gaye had begun a solo career in order to write his
own material and focus on racial and social injustices he had seen while traveling
the country. Channeling the emotion of these experiences into his music, Gaye’s
first self-produced album, What’s Going On, became both timeless and complex
and holds an important place in American popular music.
There are many books devoted to the history and personal life of Marvin
Gaye, including those by Michael Eric Dyson, Ben Edmonds, and David Ritz.
4
Hardly any research exists, however, that is specifically oriented toward the
music itself. This thesis will attempt to show that Gaye’s music helped to
progress social change and bring people together during a time of cultural and
social unrest. An analysis of this album will provide a closer look at the
connection between his music and the Civil Rights Movement. The connections
become apparent through an analysis of musical form, instrumentation, lyrics,
rhythmic and melodic motives, and vocal declamation. My intention is for this
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4
Dyson provides a lengthy biography discussing the different stages of Gaye’s musical
career. Michael Eric Dyson, Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye (New
York: Basic Civitas Books, 2004). Edmonds focuses on Gaye’s career with Motown, discussing
the creation of What’s Going On. Ben Edmonds, What’s Going On? Marvin Gaye and the Last
Days of the Motown Sound (UK: Canongate, 2001). Ritz conducts many personal interviews
tracking the personal life of Gaye. David Ritz, Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye (Cambridge:
Da Capo Press, 2009).
!
3!
analysis to ultimately provide a better understanding of the music from the civil
rights era and how the two affected one another. Furthermore, my goal is to
show the significance of Soul music in the evolution of music theory and
encourage its deeper incorporation within academia.
Popular Music Analysis
Popular music covers a large range of genres, from Jazz to Country to
Rock. In order to localize this album to a particular genre, I have narrowed my
general analysis to Rock music from the 1950s on. What’s Going On
incorporates many general conventions from this era of popular music. My
analysis includes a variety of terms and ideas associated with this repertoire.
Using analytical models from David Temperley, John Covach and Mark Spicer,
and David Brackett,
5
I will explore different facets of the music, including form,
harmony, and melody.
Form in popular music can be interpreted in different ways but contains
some universal characteristics. In general, a song is made up of specific sections
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5
Temperley tracks Rock music from 1950 to 2000 and discusses commonalities in
musical language: form, harmony, melody, and rhythm. David Temperley, The Musical Language
of Rock (New York: Oxford University Press, 2018). Covach and Spicer edit a collection of nine
essays focusing on popular music analysis. John Covach and Mark Spicer, ed., Sounding Out
Pop: Analytical Essays in Popular Music (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2010).
Brackett uses songs from different popular music genres to analyze topics of musical and lyrical
analysis. David Brackett, Interpreting Popular Music (Los Angeles: University of California Press,
2000).
!
4!
containing different harmonic, melodic, and lyrical content and is organized in a
specific way. The sections are most often labeled as follows:
6
• Intro – An instrumental lead-in that establishes key and/or
rhythmic/melodic motives. Used occasionally.
• Verse – A section that recurs with similar melody and harmony but with
different lyrics.
• Prechorus – A section sometimes used before the chorus to build tension
and anticipation.
• Chorus – Section usually following the verse with a memorable melody.
Uses the same lyrics each time, often incorporating the song’s title.
• Bridge – Contrasts verse and chorus, often explores different harmonies,
melodies, and tonal centers. Can also be used as an instrumental section
(no vocals).
• Instrumental Break – A section often used in between verse, chorus, and
bridge. Normally maintains same harmonic progression. Could be used as
instrumental solo (most common are guitar, piano, or saxophone).
• Fade-out – A repetitive restatement of the chorus or main hook to end the
song.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6
Temperley, The Musical Language of Rock, 151.
!
5!
Many popular songs only utilize the verse (A) and the chorus (B), resulting in
a repetitive structure, AABAAB or ABABAB. Most commonly, the chorus is
repeated at the song’s end to emphasize the hook, or the song’s main theme.
When used, the bridge (C) most often appears toward the end of the song,
usually after the second chorus in order to provide melodic/harmonic contrast
and to anticipate the final statement of the chorus. A commonly used song form
with a bridge section is ABABCB. The prechorus typically builds anticipation
before the satisfying chorus melody, using faster harmonic rhythm and/or more
rhythmically intricate lyrics. Intros are often used as a set-up for the song’s
overall sound while a fade-out section provides a final restatement of the hook.
Harmony in popular music is often very simple and diatonic. Many popular
songs incorporate harmonic movement between the predominant (ii or IV),
dominant (V), and tonic (I). A frequent progression found in Rock is (I – V – IV –
I). Another common progression in popular music (I – vi – ii – V – I) was
frequently used in many genres of popular music, including Jazz, Rock, and Soul
(Figure 1.1). Modulation does occur in popular music, but is usually restricted to
closely related keys. Extended chords were more common in Jazz harmony but
carried over into other genres as well. Finally, an important feature in popular
music harmony is the mixture of Ionian and Aeolian modes within a song.
Especially found in Rock and Soul, minor-mode chords (bIII, bVI, and bVII) are
!
6!
incorporated into songs with major keys. This allows the melody to move
seamlessly between notes from the major and minor scales.
Figure 1.1: Common harmonic progressions in popular music.
Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me” (1957)
One of the most important aspects in popular music is the melody. Given
that limited harmonic progressions exist, the melody is what distinguishes one
song from another. As mentioned above, melodies in the chorus are often more
memorable than in the verse. Many features are attributed to this, including
stepwise motion and sustained notes in the chorus melody. Another aspect
associated with melody is the singer’s vocal declamation. In order to portray
certain emotions within the music, singers would often use non-pitched sounds
including bends, growls, shouts, and grunts. These factors are strongly tied to
African-American genres like the Blues. Temperley discusses melodic grouping,
!
7!
melodic rhythm, and the division between melody and harmony in Rock music.
7
Melodic grouping uses ideas from common practice music, including sentence
structures and melodic contours. Melodic rhythm includes topics of rhyming and
parallel periods. The “melodic-harmonic divorce” is a common feature in popular
music in which the melody is free from the bounds of the underlying harmonic
progression. These ideas are easily transferrable to my analysis of What’s Going
On, considering the close relation between Soul and Rock.
Soul Music
These general traits of popular music apply to Soul, Marvin Gaye’s
preferred genre. Set securely in American popular music history, the genre of
Soul/R&B contains a vast array of stylistic features. The genre’s popularity
peaked in the 1950s through 1970s, allowing Soul musicians to utilize style
elements from a vast array of genres. With musical influences from Jazz, Gospel,
and the Blues, Soul can be defined as a collaboration of styles. Nicholas Tawa
writes, “Soul music has customarily been linked to the singing in the black
church, and can be taken as a fusion of gospel and rhythm and blues and as a
vehicle for expressing the growing feeling of black pride.”
8
Gospel music was one
of the most prominent influencers of Soul. The expressive vocal style (shouts,
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7
Temperley, The Musical Language of Rock, 87.
8
Nicholas Tawa, Supremely American, Popular Song in the 20
th
Century: Styles and
Singers and What They Said About America (Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2005), 194.
!
8!
growls, harmonizing back-up vocalists) is a key component to the genre’s
popularity. Soul musicians also utilize one of the most pronounced features found
in Gospel music, “call-and-response.” Craig Werner describes call-and-response
as follows:
An individual voice, frequently a preacher or singer calls out in a way that
asks for a response. The response can be verbal, musical, or physical-
anything that communicates with the leader or the rest of the group. The
response can affirm, argue, redirect the dialogue, raise a new question …
But, both in its political contexts and in its more strictly musical settings,
call and response moves the emphasis from the individual to the
community, from the present predicament to the ongoing tradition.
9
Werner spoke of how “the artists during the Civil Rights Movement were
responding to the call of their social reality.”
10
Finally, the composition of the
music itself was often much more complex than the other popular genres of the
time. Modal mixture, unexpected harmonic progressions, and complex rhythms
are frequently found in Soul music. Overall, the music contains a variety of
interesting musical elements, and analyses will illuminate the strong connection
to the songs’ messages. The lyrics, however, can only be understood with an in-
depth view of the social and historical context.
In order to analyze Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, I will first provide
some historical context in Chapter 2. A brief biography of Gaye will show his
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9
Craig Werner, A Change is Gonna Come: Music, Race and the Soul of America (New
York: Plume, 1999), 8.
10
Craig Werner, phone interview with author, November 2, 2017.!!
!
9!
musical background and some of his strongest influences. A quick overview of
1960s Detroit and the Civil Rights Movement will provide a setting for the album.
Finally, a history of Motown and some of the vital musicians associated with it will
illuminate the collaborative spirit surrounding the album’s creation.
After gaining some historical context, the remaining chapters turn to
analysis of the album. Chapters 3 and 4 will analyze two songs from the album,
“What’s Going On” and “What’s Happening Brother,” respectively. The purpose
of these analyses is to discuss the unique musical happenings and how each
amplifies the messages in the lyrics. Both songs present specific qualities in
regards to form, harmony, and melody. As this music is only available in
recorded versions, I will be using my own transcriptions of these songs. Full
transcriptions can be found in Appendices A and B, while annotated segments of
these transcriptions will be strategically placed throughout each chapter. Finally,
Chapter 5 will discuss the album as a whole, using unifying themes within the
lyrics and music. The connections within the music and lyrics will be illuminated
through comparisons of the song cycle in common practice music.
!
10!
CHAPTER 2
A History of Marvin Gaye and the Creation of What’s Going On
Marvin Gaye and Motown
Soul singer Marvin Gaye was an important voice for the African-American
community and the Civil Rights Movement. His talents as a musician and
composer helped Gaye achieve national recognition, which caused his powerful
lyrics to reach a diverse audience across the country. With a passionate voice,
Gaye sang songs with messages of love, peace, and understanding. More
importantly, however, Gaye touched on many issues plaguing American society
in the late 1960s, including the unjust treatment of African Americans, race riots,
the Vietnam War, and poverty, among many others. The music propelled the
lyrics even further with memorable melodies, genre fusion, and appeal to a wide
audience. The music itself helped define the sound of African-American culture,
drawing on influences from predominantly African-American genres. This chapter
explores Marvin Gaye’s biography and influences, particularly those that led to
his 1971 album, What’s Going On.
!
11!
Early Career
Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr., like many other African-American musicians, was
raised in the church. As the son of a strict evangelical pastor, Marvin was often
involved in church activities, most importantly the choir. It was here, as a young
man, where Gaye learned both to control his tenor voice and the intricacies of
harmonization.
11
These musical tools were extremely important to Gaye’s style
and would go on to be vital in the outcome of his renowned album, What’s Going
On.
Gaye was a natural musician with an advanced ear and was quick to learn
new instruments, including the piano and percussion.
12
His diverse musical
abilities would have monumental effects on his solo studio sessions later in his
career. Another crucial element from the church that stuck with Gaye was the
effect of call-and-response. Gaye used this feature in many aspects of his music,
including echoing in the background vocals and instrumental lines. The effect of
call-and-response was also present in the lyrical contexts, almost as a metaphor
to the social situation of the time.
13
In other words, Gaye was using his art as a
means of commentary and recognition. As a young, aspiring African-American
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11
David Ritz, Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye (Cambridge: Da Capo Press, 2009),
27.
12
Ben Edmonds, What’s Going On? Marvin Gaye and the Last Days of the Motown
Sound (UK: Canongate, 2001), 18.
13
Peter Guralnick, Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of
Freedom (New York: Harper & Row, 1986), 44.
!
12!
musician in a racially heated country, Gaye had the background and the talent to
present his calling to the world in a way that had never been done before.
After moving from Washington, D.C., to Chicago in 1959, Gaye began his
musical career singing with the Doo-Wop group, The Moonglows. The four-man
group recorded several singles for Chess Records, including “Ten
Commandments of Love.”
14
This slow, Doo-Wop ballad featured call-and-
response vocals where the soloist sang the melody and the other members
responded with well-balanced harmony. Performing with The Moonglows had
profound effects on Gaye’s vocal style and on his ear for harmonization. Gaye
absorbed many compositional tools from singing in a Doo-Wop style, including
the balance of four-part harmony. While performing with the group, many people
noticed Gaye’s unique voice and raw musical talent. These included Motown
founder and CEO, Berry Gordy Jr., and Motown musician/producer, Walter
Gaines. Gaines at one point remarked on how “[Gaye] was singing first tenor and
had a great harmony voice, but he also had a presence that stood him out from
the rest of the group ... he always had ambitions to be a pop vocalist, the
complete entertainer like Nat Cole. He would always strive for perfection.”
15
After
discovering Gaye in 1960, Gordy offered him a job as a musician for Motown,
changing both of their careers forever.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
14
Edmonds, What’s Going On, 21.
15
Ibid, 59-60.
!
13!
Marvin Gaye had many talents as a singer and instrumentalist, but his
unique style of composition was one of his greatest qualities. As Gerri Hirshey
describes, “Self-containment was the key to Marvin Gaye’s musical growth from
the time he began producing his own work. He’d sit down in a studio full of
instruments and play nearly all of them himself. He recorded them, layer by layer,
with the improvisations of a vocalist and the solid, canny basics of a natural
percussionist.”
16
Gaye was an extremely capable and versatile musician, which
ultimately led to his understanding of the intricacies of composition. Though he
had no classical training as a composer, he had an excellent sense of how each
instrument/voice should interact with one another. Hirshey writes that “if Marvin
Gaye did not possess the beauty and virtuosity of Sam Cooke’s voice, he had a
greater inventiveness as a composer and arranger. What his vocal expression
lacks in pure quality and range, it makes up for in its idiosyncratic expression.”
17
This expressive vocal style, combined with his ability to play several instruments,
opened Gaye up to a number of opportunities.
Motown
Based in Detroit, Motown was an up-and-coming business in the early
1960s comprised of a wide variety of talented African-American musicians.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
16
Gerri Hirshey, Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music (New York: Da Capo Press,
1984), 217.
17
Hirshey, Nowhere to Run, 217.
!
14!
Detroit was a fast-paced, growing metropolis that offered opportunities to people
of all races in a time of racial discrimination. As Detroit’s largest employer, the
automotive industry drew massive numbers of minorities, predominantly from the
South, to the city. Some lucky few of these minorities would find their way to the
recording studio at Motown (also known as “Hitsville, U.S.A”), which became an
outlet for African-American musicians to gain success in the music business.
Fittingly, Berry Gordy Jr. ran his business quite similarly to the assembly line
style of the auto industry. Every musician, producer, engineer, and songwriter
had his or her distinct place in the business. This is also true of the incredible
studio musicians, affectionately known as the Funk Brothers, who would be
imperative to the success of What’s Going On.
18
Marvin Gaye began as a background vocalist and session drummer for
Tamla Records, a subsidiary of Motown, but went on to hold many positions in
the business. His skills as a vocalist, percussionist and pianist can be heard in
several hit singles, including “Stubborn Kind of Fellow” (1962), “How Sweet It Is
To Be Loved by You” (1964), and “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (1968).
19
Throughout the 1960s, Gaye recorded several albums with Tamla (Figure 2.1)
and embarked on many national tours singing catchy love songs. Gaye would not
continue down this path, however, as he had much bigger plans with his music.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
18
Gerald Early, One Nation Under a Groove: Motown and American Culture (New
Jersey: Ecco Press, 1995), 138.
19
Arnold Shaw, Black Popular Music in America: From the Spirituals, Minstrels, and
Ragtime to Soul, Disco, and Hip-Hop (New York: Schirmer Books, 1986), 225.
!
15!
Figure 2.1: Marvin Gaye Discography, 1960-1970
Album Label Year
Tamla
1961
Tamla
1963
Tamla
1963
Tamla
1964
Motown
1964
Tamla
1964
Tamla
1965
Tamla
1965
Tamla
1966
Tamla
1966
Tamla
1968
Tamla
1969
Tamla
1969
Gordy’s handling of Motown operations pointed less to a concern with
social issues and more concern with profit. The music, written and performed by
young African Americans, was marketed to both white and black audiences.
Many musicians were forced to take etiquette classes and perform for
segregated audiences.
20
Arnold Shaw writes, “In short, the Gordy design was to
take black elements and use them to build a black audience base, but also to
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
20
Craig Werner, A Change is Gonna Come: Music, Race and the Soul of America (New
York: Plume, 1999), 27.
!
16!
flavor them so that records would cross over into the white market.”
21
This helped
Motown gain revenue and popularity, but many criticized the business for
undermining African-American culture. Werner writes, “Motown resisted its
artists’ desires to create more socially explicit music until it became clear that
politics, too, could pay.”
22
Toward the end of the decade, several Motown
musicians, including Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross, began vocalizing their
concerns by performing politically heated songs. It was not until What’s Going
On, however, that a full album from Motown was devoted to social, cultural, and
political issues.
The Creation of What’s Going On
When it comes to the inspiration for What’s Going On, Gaye remarks, “I
work best under pressure and when I’m depressed. The world’s never been as
depressing as it is right now. We’re killing the planet, killing our young men in the
streets and going to war around the world. Human rights, that’s the theme.”
23
To
fully understand the meaning behind this album, it is imperative to know the
historical context of the time in which it was created. The 1960s had become a
time for change and revolution in America. Young people especially were
dissatisfied with the social and cultural norms set in place by previous
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
21
Shaw, Black Popular Music in America, 224.
22
Werner, A Change is Gonna Come, 27.
23
Edmonds, What’s Going On, 153.
!
17!
generations. Several movements were created and mobilized to fight for equality,
including the Civil Rights and Women’s Rights movements. People protested
America’s involvement in the Vietnam War and decried the rising casualties of
young men in a foreign war. These protests would, at times, turn into riots,
causing the death toll on American soil to rise as well. As Ben Edmonds
describes:
The shootings of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy had hit [Gaye]
hard. The violence in the streets of Detroit in ’67, the streets of Chicago
during the Democratic National Convention in ’68, and on a grassy knoll at
Kent State University in 1970 seemed like eruptions of insanity. Seeing a
man walk on the moon when there was unaddressed economic
desperation within two miles of his own home was not at all inspirational; it
was surreal and depressing. What the hell was going on?
24
Several musicians of the time understood these feelings of inequality and
injustice, and many became inclined to bring these issues to light in their music.
Some African-American musicians were more defiant with their lyrics (Sam
Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come,” Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddamn”).
Marvin Gaye, however, approached the racial and social issues in What’s Going
On with a more hopeful outlook. Though upset, he preached the message of love
and understanding while shedding light on issues plaguing American society.
Mary Ellison writes, “[Gaye] never mentioned revolution, but he questioned every
aspect of the American dream and indicated its self-evident failure in his probing
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
24
Edmonds, What’s Going On, 116.
!
18!
lyrics … [What’s Going On] was a single and an album that made people
question every unproven political assumption that confronted them.”
25
While
spreading a positive message of love to the American people, Gaye was fueling
the fire within them to fight for their civil liberties.
What’s Going On is considered to be one of Gaye’s greatest musical
achievements. The timeless album is still held in high regard, with Rolling Stone
magazine naming it in 2004 the “sixth best album ever recorded.”
26
A drastic
change from the normal output of Motown, What’s Going On was groundbreaking
on several levels. Though the business was successful, Marvin Gaye was
unsatisfied with the system Gordy had created. Songs were written to be chart-
topping singles, not for the purpose of a synergetic album. Most records that
emerged from Motown were designed, for the most part, as a collection of
singles. There was no room for artists’ creativity as most of the songs were
written by hired writers, hand selected for a specific singer or group, and sent
through quality control by several producers and Gordy himself. The studio at
Motown was successful for this reason, but Gaye knew he had much more to say
in his music. Gaye told biographer David Ritz:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
25
Mary Ellison, Lyrical Protest: Black Music’s Struggle Against Discrimination (New York:
Praeger, 1989), 67.
26
Rolling Stone, Last modified May 31, 2012, Accessed February 23, 2018.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time.
!
19!
I screamed my head off about artistic control. And for most of the time I
had the feeling I was screaming alone. Finally, in 1969, when ‘I Heard it
Through the Grapevine’ went through the roof … I thought to myself:
Why? Why go on being led? I knew there was more inside me. And that
was something no record executive or producer could see. But I saw it. I
knew I had to get out there.
27
Gaye possessed the vision and the musical talent, but he did not achieve this
greatness alone. Several musicians, writers, arrangers, and engineers were
crucial to the creation of this groundbreaking album.
Renaldo Obie Benson, a member of the Motown group The Four Tops,
began writing the lyrics to “What’s Going On” while touring in San Francisco.
Benson had witnessed police officers brutally beating young, nonviolent
protesters, many of them African American. This inspired the singer to ask what
was going on in the world. Benson presented the song idea to The Four Tops,
who rejected it for being a protest song. If he could not perform the song with his
own group, Benson knew the man for the job.
28
Marvin Gaye had recently achieved immense success with the Motown
single “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” He had also been on a performing
hiatus after his duet partner, Tammi Terrell, suffered from a brain tumor. At first
struggling to get Gaye back in the recording studio, Benson eventually convinced
him to perform the song. The lyrics were completed through a collaboration
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
27
Hirshey, Nowhere to Run, 215.
28
Edmonds, What’s Going On, 96.
!
20!
between Benson, Gaye, and another Motown musician, Al Cleveland. As Benson
describes:
Marvin definitely put the finishing touches on it … He added lyrics, and he
added some spice to the melody. He fine-tuned the tune in other words.
He added different colors to it. He added some things that were more
ghetto, more natural, which made it seem more like a story than a song.
He made it visual. He absorbed himself to the extent that when you heard
that song you could see the people and feel the hurt and pain.
29
Gaye made the song his own by adding a personal style and creative expression
to the music and lyrics. Inspired by the song, Gaye continued to write music and
lyrics for the remainder of the album. Many others, however, would also
contribute to this album.
The next, and possibly most important, factor to the success of What’s
Going On, were the Motown studio musicians dubbed the Funk Brothers. All
prominent members in the Detroit Jazz scene, these musicians came from a
variety of musical influences. First under the leadership of pianist Joe Hunter and
then pianist Earl Van Dyke, the members include guitarists Robert White and Joe
Mesina, keyboardist Johnny Griffith, percussionists Jack Ashford, Eddie “Bongo”
Brown and Jack Brokenshaw, and bassists Bob Babbitt and James Jamerson.
30
The latter was arguably one of the most dominant forces in the “Motown Sound.”
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
29
Edmonds, What’s Going On, 97-98.
30
Gerald Early, One Nation Under a Groove: Motown and American Culture (New
Jersey: Ecco Press, 1995), 145.
!
21!
Jamerson’s bouncy bass lines functioned simultaneously as harmonic
foundation and as a countermelody, which stood out against the simple,
repetitive bass lines in ‘50s and ‘60s pop music. His background of performing in
Jazz ensembles was extremely present in What’s Going On. An example of
Jamerson’s melodic, full-range bass lines can be seen in Figure 2.2. The
syncopated rhythms keep the song interesting while the percussionists maintain
a steady groove. Jamerson’s influences, however, also ranged outside of Jazz.
In an interview, Jamerson said, “My feel was always an Eastern feel, a spiritual
thing … I’ve been around a whole lot of people from the East, from China and
Japan. Then I studied African, Cuban, and Indian scales. I brought all that with
me to Motown.”
31
James Green, an engineer who helped record the album
remembers Jamerson and his style of bass playing: “He’d be the first one to look
at the chart, play a few notes, get it down. Then he’d already be into variations on
the part while the others were still figuring out the basic chart. Not only could he
play it, he understood what it was trying to say.”
32
Jamerson was an integral part
of this group but the interactions between every member are what made the
music sound so seamless.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
31
Werner, A Change is Gonna Come, 20.
32
Edmonds, What’s Going On, 165.
!
22!
Figure 2.2: Example of technical proficiency in Jamerson’s bass line, “What’s
Going On,” mm. 37-44
After having played together for almost a decade, each member in the
Motown backing band could anticipate what the others would do next. Recording
What’s Going On was a breath of fresh air for these creative musicians as it was
the first Motown record where they were encouraged to stray from the “Motown
Sound” and improvise using their own unique styles. This was also the first
record to give recognition to the musicians on the album cover. Marvin Gaye
sang lead and background vocals, played the piano, and acted as writer and
producer for the album, but the Funk Brothers created the ambiance of a truly
collaborative work.
!
23!
If the Funk Brothers were the ingredients to the recipe, then David Van
DePitte was the chef. Van DePitte worked as an arranger for Motown throughout
the 1960s and ‘70s. Van DePitte helped Gaye to convey what he envisioned in
his head and connected the music in ways that progressed the story-telling
theme. By incorporating lush strings and orchestral winds, Van DePitte was able
to elevate this album to a genre-bending composition. Using classical orchestral
string arrangements amidst music influenced by Jazz and Gospel created a
unique blend of genres. Quoting Van DePitte, Pierre Perrone explains, “The way
the tunes were laying, they were little stories, and it just felt that one should flow
into the next,’ explained DePitte, who suggested the musical bridges between the
tracks proved important in unifying the album’s themes.”
33
This style of arranging
was an important factor in the song-cycle aspect of the album that I will later
explore in greater detail in Chapter 5. The arranger also served as conductor for
the orchestra; therefore, Van DePitte remained close to the music from its
conception to the physical recording. The studio hired the talented members of
the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to perform on the album. Van DePitte received a
Grammy nomination for his orchestral compositions and arrangements on this
album.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
33
Pierre Perrone, “David Van DePitte: Arranger of Marvin Gaye’s epochal album ‘What’s
Going On,’” Independent, (September 2009), Accessed September 6, 2018.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/david-van-depitte-arranger-of-marvin-gayes-
epochal-album-whats-going-on-1786174.html.
!
!
24!
With the help of many talented people from Motown and beyond, Gaye
created an album that has remained a classic in popular music. What’s Going On
was a collaborative effort but would not have been such a monumental success
without the musical mind of Marvin Gaye. From his call-and-response technique
learned in the church to his natural instincts of harmonization, Gaye used his
array of influences to create an original album. The Funk Brothers and arranger
David Van DePitte helped fuse the record into a well-functioning work of art. After
listening to the album in its entirety, its beauty lies within meaningful lyrics and
the sophisticated music that accompanies them.
!
25!
CHAPTER 3
An Analysis of “What’s Going On”
The opening song, “What’s Going On,” was the main inspiration for the
entire album. The music is strongly linked to past African-American genres,
including Jazz, Gospel, and the Blues. This connection to other genres helped
unify the African-American culture around common musical aspects, which in
turn created a stronger sense of black identity and pride. Through an analysis of
form, harmony, and melody, these musical connections will be illuminated
throughout the chapter. The most important elements found in this song are the
more peculiar ones. Extended chords, an unusual harmonic departure, and
strategically placed moments of party chatter add some contrast to the otherwise
standard song. Another important area is the underlying string orchestration by
David Van DePitte. The melody within certain orchestral sections is woven
throughout the album, working to create musical cohesion. This, along with
unifying messages in the lyrics, helps connect the album’s production and intent
to the hopeful call by civil rights activists for social equity.
Beginning with both a melodic saxophone intro and background vocalists
emulating party chatter, “What’s Going On” tells the story of a Vietnam veteran
returning from war. The soldier, who has seen so much death and destruction,
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26!
returns to America only to see his own country suffering from violence and
brutality. With lyrics like, “Brother, brother, brother, there’s far too many of you
dying,” and “War is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate,” the singer
protests America’s involvement in the war and its unjustified deaths and violence.
However, the lack of specificity in his lyrics — “war” in general rather than the
Vietnam War specifically — allows Gaye to link the foreign war with America’s
own social war. His lyrics create a fluid space between the two battles, asserting
that only love can end the Vietnam War and heal the African-American
community.
34
As the song continues, other social issues are addressed, including
police brutality and the act of peaceful protest. To fully understand the poignant
messages within the album, there must be an in-depth view of the lyrics of
“What’s Going On.”
Lyrics
Renaldo Obie Benson of the Motown group The Four Tops began writing
lyrics to “What’s Going On” after witnessing a peaceful protest that ended in
violent police brutality. After Benson gave him the song to record, Gaye was
given full creative control of the lyrics.
35
An outline of the lyrics and their meaning
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34
Scott Sigmund Gartner and Gary M. Segura, “Race, Casualties, and Opinion in the
Vietnam War,” The Journal of Politics 62, no. 1 (2000): 117, Accessed February 18, 2019.
www.jstor.org/steenproxy/stable/2647600.
35
Ben Edmonds, What’s Going On? Marvin Gaye and the Last Days of the Motown
Sound (UK: Canongate, 2001), 97.
!
27!
provides a deeper understanding of the song’s connection to the Civil Rights
Movement (Figure 3.1). The lyrics discuss issues of war and police brutality, but
also calls for action by the way of peaceful protest.
The first verse introduces some of the themes later explored in greater
detail as the album progresses. The lyrics incorporate the subject of family by
beginning each phrase with a different family member – “mother, brother, father.”
Gaye pleads for a solution to the violence of war with the line, “You know we’ve
got to find a way to bring some lovin’ here today.” Spreading love and
understanding is a recurring message in the song and will remain a central
theme throughout the album. In the second verse, the singer proclaims war is not
the answer and suggests peaceful protest with the idea that only love can
conquer hate. Gaye then repeats the final line from verse 1 – “You know … here
today” – furthering the importance of love within the context of the album.
The lyrics in the chorus depict classic protest symbolism, “Picket lines,
and picket signs.” As it occurred in Benson’s experience, the protest is
interrupted when Gaye rhythmically states “Don’t punish me with brutality.” The
chorus attempts to provide a solution to the violence through a call for
communication (“talk to me”).
!
28!
Figure 3.1: “What’s Going On,” Lyrics and Topics
Lyrics Topics
Verse 1:
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.
Family
Unjust deaths in Vietnam
war
Verse 2:
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.
Main theme: Love can
conquer hate
Chorus:
Picket lines, and picket signs /
Don’t punish me with brutality.
Talk to me so you can see /
What’s goin’ on / Yeah, what’s goin’ on /
Ah, what’s goin’ on.
Peaceful protest
Communication
Verse 3:
Mother, mother /
Everybody thinks we went wrong.
Oh, but who are they to judge us /
Simply ‘cause our hair is long?
You know we’ve got to find a way /
to bring some understanding here today!
Younger generation is
oppressed but hopeful
Chorus:
Picket lines, and picket signs /
Don’t punish me with brutality.
Come on talk to me so you can see /
What’s goin’ on / Yeah, what’s goin’ on /
Tell me what’s goin’ on / I’ll tell you what’s goin’ on.
Affirms that “what’s going
on” is a statement rather
than a question
The final verse brings back some familiar lyrics from verse 1, “Mother,
mother …” but approaches new issues as well. Gaye asks the question, “Who
!
29!
are they to judge us simply ‘cause our hair is long?” Long hair, specifically in
1960s and ‘70s African-American culture, was associated with rebellion, pride,
and empowerment.
36
The verse concludes with the repeated but slightly altered
line, “We’ve got to find a way to bring some understanding here today.” A subtle
difference from the first verse, the word “love” is replaced with “understanding.”
As seen in Figure 3.1, the second chorus contains some added lyrics, which
affirm the song’s title is in fact a statement, not a question (“I’ll tell you what’s
going on”).
The lyrics in “What’s Going On” tell a story of racial injustice, the brutality
of war, and attempt to provide a solution: for people to open their eyes to these
injustices and strive to communicate, love, and understand one another. These
include some of the main themes in the album, which are addressed in different
ways in the remaining songs. Now, with a deeper understanding of the lyrics, an
analysis of form, harmony, and melody will illuminate the song’s meaning and
relationship to the Civil Rights Movement.
Form
The form of “What’s Going On” amplifies the messages within the lyrics.
Gaye and orchestral arranger David Van DePitte organize the sections in unique
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36
Anthony Synnott, “Shame and Glory: A Sociology of Hair,” The British Journal of
Sociology 38, no. 3 (1987): 398, Accessed February 18, 2019.
www.jstor.org/steenproxy/stable/590695.
!
30!
ways and connect each section with multi-layered vocals and instruments.
Though he uses conventional songwriting techniques as discussed in Chapter 1,
Gaye presents the song in a unique way to enhance the storytelling theme.
Figure 3.2 summarizes the form of the song. By strategically placing party chatter
and solo material (Fontaine’s saxophone intro and Gaye’s vocal scatting) at the
beginning (Intro), middle (Bridge), and end (Bridge/Fade out), the song weaves in
and out of consciousness, so to speak. The two bridge sections also explore
different modes, further contrasting with the vocalized sections. The party chatter
could be interpreted as a metaphor for community. Interlaced between moments
of violence and hatred, the community can offer much needed respite from social
turmoil and play an important role in connecting society.
Figure 3.2: Form of “What’s Going On:” AABCABC
0:00 0:21 0:49 1:18 1:41 2:09 2:38 3:01
Intro
Verse 1
(A)
V2 (A)
Chorus
(B)
Bridge
(C)
V3 (A)
Chorus
(B)
Bridge(C)
Party
chatter
E: I - -
Mother,
mother
There’s
too…
|: I | vi :|
ii | V
Father,
father
We
don’t…
Same
as V1
Picket
lines
And
picket…
|: ii | V :|
I | vi
Party
chatter
iv - - - -
V
Mother,
mother
Everybody…
Same as V1
Picket
lines
And
picket…
Same as
1
st
Chorus
Party
chatter
iv - - - - ||
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31!
Rather than ending on the catchy chorus melody, “What’s Going On”
concludes with the more unstable harmony of the bridge. This focuses attention
on the album as a whole, rather than the single itself. Ending with a chord other
than the tonic denies the listener resolution and creates an unstable feeling. This
provides an opportunity to seamlessly flow into the next song, furthering the
concept of the song cycle.
The form of “What’s Going On” is representative of the struggle African
Americans were going through during the Civil Rights Movement. The messages
of injustice and inequality are brought to light in each verse. The chorus depicts
the act of peaceful protest and communication but also discusses the brutality
occurring in the Vietnam War and within America’s own system of justice. The
bridge represents the masked, unstable feeling in America’s fragile society. This
unstable section is presented in the middle and again at the end of the song,
resulting in an unresolved feeling of discomfort that implies permanence. This
feeling will be resolved as the album continues, but the song itself attempts to
show the constant struggle in the fight for civil rights.
Harmony
Similar to many pop songs, “What’s Going On” contains a repetitive
harmonic progression. The verse and chorus revolve around the familiar diatonic
chords (Imaj7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7). Jon Fitzgerald discusses this common harmonic
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32!
trend in Soul music, “[There were] links to gospel tradition and a preference for
repetitive chord sequences, as well as sensitivity to the smooth, stepwise
instrumental voicings inherent in such progressions. This liking for recurring
sequences extends beyond these songs featuring prominent rhythmic/choral
motifs.”
37
The verse uses diatonic chords with added sevenths in this well-known
progression (Figure 3.3A).
38
Figure 3.3A: Verse harmonic progression
Roman Numerals
||: Imaj7 | // | vi7 | // :|| ii7 | // | V7 | // |
Jazz symbols
||: Emaj7 | // | C#m7 | // :|| F#m7 | // | B7 | // |
This twelve-bar section explores a characteristic pattern of “tonic-to-non-
tonic,” which is indicative of an open structure.
39
In an open structure, the
harmony constantly moves away from the tonic, slowly building intensity. The
chorus, however, turns the harmony on its head (Figure 3.3B). Rather than
repeating the tonic-to-submediant progression (Imaj7 – vi7), the harmony in the
chorus builds on the dominant.
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37
Jon Fitzgerald, “Motown Crossover Hits 1963-1966 and the Creative Process,” Popular
Music 14, no. 1 (1995): 7, Accessed February 3, 2018. http://www.jstor.org.steenproxy.sfasu.edu:
2048.
38
Most popular music harmony is annotated by lead sheet or jazz symbols (B7). In my
analysis, I also use Roman Numerals (V7) in order to show chord function and progression.
39
David Temperley, The Musical Language of Rock (New York: Oxford University Press,
2018), 163.
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33!
Figure 3.3B: Chorus harmonic progression
Roman Numerals
||: ii7 | V7 :||(3X) ||: Imaj7 | vi7 :||
Jazz Symbols
||: F#m7 | B7 :||(3X) ||: Emaj7 | C#m7 :||
The repetition of predominant leading to dominant (ii7 – V7) can be
viewed as a prolongation of the dominant, which eventually resolves when Gaye
sings the lyrics “What’s goin’ on.” While the verse moves from tonic to dominant,
the chorus uses the pattern “non-tonic-to-tonic,” which results in a satisfying
closed structure. The harmonic rhythm becomes slightly faster, changing chords
every measure, rather than every other measure. With the increased harmonic
rhythm and the inclusion of background singers, the chorus has an increased
energy level. Temperley discusses this phenomenon: “Choruses typically feature
a higher level of energy activity than verse—in terms of vocal register,
instrumental texture, and implied loudness.”
40
These techniques are used
frequently throughout the album in order to intensify the messages within the
choruses.
The most interesting aspect of the harmony, however, is presented in the
section following the chorus. In the bridge, where party chatter replaces melody
and lyrics, the harmony borrows from the parallel minor and sustains an Am
chord, or iv. The A minor melody in the string section increases in volume and
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40
Temperley, The Musical Language of Rock, 170.
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34!
range and is reinforced by the bass pedal. The temporary shifting from the E
Ionian mode to the E Aeolian represents the mindset of the confused and
disoriented Vietnam veteran (Figure 3.4). The suddenness of this modal change
along with the added textures of background singers, Gaye’s scatting, and the
orchestral melody reinforce the contrast between the bridge and the rest of the
song.
Figure 3.4: Modulation from Chorus to Bridge in “What’s Going On,” mm. 21-28
After eight measures in the disoriented haze of party chatter, the harmony
returns to the original key by stepping up to the dominant of the original key, B7.
The resolution of the tonic (Emaj7) occurs when Gaye begins the third verse
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35!
using familiar lyrics, “Mother, mother …” After the final verse, the chorus is
repeated and returns to the A minor bridge section. The song easily transitions
without pause to the following song, “What’s Happening Brother,” using the same
chord.
As I have mentioned previously, Gaye employs Jazz harmonies
throughout this album in a variety of ways. While extended chords were quite
uncommon in most Motown hits, “What’s Going On” utilizes seventh and ninth
chords throughout the entire song (Figure 3.3A and B). Another similarity with the
genre is the instrumentation. The guitar and piano establish the harmonic
progression using syncopated rhythms and extended chords. The rhythm section
(bass and percussion) keeps a constant groove with strong accents on beats 2
and 4. The horn section (trumpets, trombones, saxophones) plays a major role in
both Jazz and this album. Finally, Gaye’s vocal style, specifically the scatting
section in the bridge, is reminiscent of past Jazz singers. The genre had a strong
influence on Gaye, and style elements resurface in a variety of ways as the
album continues.
Melody
Eli Fontaine’s improvised saxophone melody begins the song and
provides an excellent set up for the overall sound (Figure 3.5). The melody
revolves around the seventh and ninth scale degrees. The rhythm is syncopated,
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36!
but the melody remains smooth and connected. Not represented in the
transcription are the bends (or rising microtonal lead-ins), which are applied to
each long note. This technique can be heard in Gaye’s vocal style throughout the
song as well.
Figure 3.5: Saxophone intro to “What’s Going On,” mm. 1-4
Gaye’s vocal style and range in “What’s Going On” is quite diverse. The
song begins in Gaye’s soft mid-range but as it goes on, his intensity grows. In the
chorus, Gaye sings in a higher register with a rougher texture. Then, in the
bridge, Gaye hovers above the mix with a smooth falsetto. These different levels
in Gaye’s voice offer him a variety of intensity and range. As I have noted earlier,
however, there are other melodies present within the instrumentation, specifically
in the bass line. James Jamerson’s bass line is a melodic interpretation of the
harmonic foundation. At certain points within the melody, Gaye’s vocal line and
Jamerson’s bass line match rhythmically and melodically (Figure 3.6). It is
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37!
noteworthy that these matches are at the beginning of each sub-phrase, resulting
in a more unified sound.
Figure 3.6: Vocal and bass melodies in Verse 1 of “What’s Going On,” mm. 5-12
*Boxed notes signify when notes match rhythmically/melodically.
Another interesting melodic feature occurs in the chorus (Figure 3.7). The
vocal melody ascends to the C# with each repetition. However, when Gaye sings
the hook, “What’s goin’ on,” the pitches descend to the tonic, E. This could be an
indication that the phrase, “What’s goin’ on” is not asking a question, but rather it
is making a statement. The second chorus confirms this with the words, “I’ll tell
you what’s going on,” as noted earlier in the lyrical analysis.
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38!
Figure 3.7: Vocal melody in the Chorus of “What’s Going On”, mm. 17-24
This section also contains a busier bass line. Jamerson includes non-chord tones
such as the G naturals in m. 18 and the C natural passing tones in mm. 17, 19,
and 21. The bass line is also much more rhythmically active until it reaches the
half note in m. 23. These effects are implemented to build intensity to the peak of
the chorus.
The melodic rhythm is one of the most prominent characteristics of Gaye’s
vocal style. His syncopated entrances are reminiscent of Jazz and Blues singers.
As exemplified in the chorus melody (Figure 3.8) the word “what’s” always occurs
on the up beat of 4. This anticipatory statement of the song’s title could imply a
sense of Gaye’s urgency in addressing social issues of the time.
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39!
Figure 3.8: Upbeat entrances in the Chorus of “What’s Going On”, mm. 21-26
Another important melodic element not illustrated in the transcription is the
background vocals. Gaye recruited help from the female Motown singers, The
Andantes, and even some members from the NFL’s Detroit Lions to simulate the
party chatter throughout the song.
41
Gaye can also be heard as a background
singer displaying “dazzling virtuosity by overdubbing (building sound track by
track onto a single tape) his own voice three or four times to provide his own rich
harmony, a technique he would employ for the rest of his career.”
42
The melody
written in my transcription is more present in the mix, but his backgrounds accent
certain sections by adding different harmonies and rhythmic variations.
43
One of the most important melodic lines in this song is presented in the
bridge. The string section plays a legato melody in A minor (Figure 3.9). Similar
to the opening saxophone line, the string melody highlights the seventh and ninth
scale degrees. In the Am chord the seventh scale degree is G (mm. 32 and 34)
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41
Michael Eric Dyson, Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye
(New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2004), 64.
42
David Ritz, “Marvin Gaye,” Encyclopedia Britannica, Accessed January 14, 2019.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marvin-Gaye.
43
Edmonds, What’s Going On, 67.
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40!
and the ninth scale degree is B (mm. 27, 31, 33, and 34). Given what we know of
the historical context within which the song was written, this minor melody could
be interpreted as Gaye’s attempt to allude to a looming presence of injustice in
America. The same melody reappears several times throughout the album,
working to thread an apprehensive theme throughout.
Figure 3.9: String melody in the Bridge of “What’s Going On,” mm. 27-38
Conclusion
“What’s Going On” employs a variety of musical gestures to accompany
evocative lyrics. A slightly unorthodox layout of the form within the song
enhances the story line of the Vietnam veteran while also addressing the broader
topic of the social injustices occurring in 1960s America. The harmonic
progression is reminiscent of another predominantly African-American genre,
Jazz. This nod to the past could be Gaye’s way of implying the issues addressed
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throughout the album, such as racism and inequality in America, have not
changed as much as they may appear. Finally, with the help of Van DePitte,
Gaye uses a memorable melodic line in order to tie the full album together. With
all of these musical tools, he is able to portray the flawed state of American
society while offering hope for a better future. As the album continues, more
subjects are addressed, and the music that accompanies them instills a
paradoxical sense of anger and hope.
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42!
CHAPTER 4
An Analysis of “What’s Happening Brother”
The second song on the album, “What’s Happening Brother,” continues
Gaye’s exploration of social instability and utilizes a variety of complex formal
and harmonic structures to articulate its message. The form is constructed in a
unique way with the inclusion of asymmetrical phrases and a variety of sections,
such as a prechorus, an instrumental break, and a four-bar coda. The harmonic
progression bounces between different tonal areas and avoids tonic resolution.
The melody utilizes the chromatic scale and highly syncopated rhythms. The
combination of these complex musical elements contributes to the song’s overall
message of tension, confusion, and anxiety within American society.
I have chosen to analyze this particular song for its abnormalities and
unusual composition as a commercial pop song. A strong rebellion from the
normal output of Motown, “What’s Happening Brother” incorporates chromatic
melodies, unstable tonal centers, and asymmetrical formal structures. A brief
lyrical analysis continues the storyline within the album. As the formal and
harmonic structures are more complex, more time will be devoted to these
sections. Finally, a section on melody will include topics of Gaye’s syncopated
entrances, vocal declamation, and chromatic lines.
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43!
Lyrics
Marvin Gaye wrote the lyrics to “What’s Happening Brother” with the
assistance of Motown songwriter, James Nyx. Gaye approached this song
through the eyes of his brother, Frankie Gaye, while Nyx applied his poetic
writing skills to enhance the story line. Frankie, who served three years in the
Vietnam War, sent his brother many letters of the horrors he had seen while
away at war.
44
With the lyrics, “War is hell, when will it end? When will people
start getting together again,” the subject protests the war and longs for a united,
peaceful society. Gaye addresses the issue of poverty with the line, “Money is
tighter than it’s ever been.” The lyrics and their meaning are outlined in Figure
4.1.
Unlike the statement of “What’s going on” in the first song, Gaye uses this
song’s title to ask the question, “What’s happening?” Nearly every line in the
song is a question, invoking a sense of confusion and uncertainty. The song tells
the story of a man retuning from and been changed by war. The violence he
experienced abroad forces him to approach American society with a new outlook.
He sees the same issues of poverty and brutality in America as those he
witnessed abroad and asks if “things are really getting better.” The subject faces
many difficulties upon returning home with lyrics like “Can’t find no work, can’t
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44
Edmonds, What’s Going On, 113.
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44!
find no job.” Gaye subtly connects the first two songs in the prechorus by
embedding the phrase “what’s going on” within the lyrics.
Figure 4.1: “What’s Happening Brother,” Lyrics and Topics
Lyrics Topics
Verse 1:
Hey baby, what you know good?
I’m just getting back, but you knew I would.
War is hell, when will it end?
When will people start getting together again?
Protests war
Encourages community
Verse 2:
Are things really getting better /
like the newspaper says?
What else is new my friend /
besides what I read?
Questions the positivity
after seeing wartime
Prechorus:
Can’t find no work, can’t find no job my friend.
Money is tighter than it’s ever been.
Say man, I just don’t understand /
What’s going on across this land.
Hardships for returning
veterans
“Land” refers to America
Poverty
Chorus:
Ah, what’s happening brother?
Yeah, what’s happening?
Reiterates previous
subjects
Prechorus 2:
Are they still getting down /
Where we used to go and dance?
Will our ball club win the pennant?
Do you think they have a chance?
And tell me friend /
How in the world have you been?
Uses distractions of
normal society to
forget perils of war
Reaches out to
friends/community
Chorus 2:
What’s happening brother?
I wanna know what’s in.
What’s happening brother?
Reiterates previous
subjects
Coda:
What’s been shakin’ up and down the line?
I wanna know ‘cause I’m slightly behind the times.
Tries to re-assimilate
to American society
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45!
An important message is approached in the section following the chorus.
As Michael Dyson notes, “When they focus on what their subject wants to catch
up on – dance spots, the baseball team’s pennant chances, social trends – Gaye
and Nyx underscore an awful effect of war: it disrupts life and robs one of the
pleasures and distractions that others take for granted.”
45
After a second
repetition of the chorus, the subject attempts to immerse himself back into
society once more by interrupting with, “What’s been shakin’…” The lyrics in
“What’s Happening Brother” portray the struggles of a veteran returning from
war, while also questioning the dysfunctional society to which he has returned.
Form
The form of “What’s Happening Brother” is composed in an interesting
way, specifically regarding phrase structure and non-repetitive harmonic
progressions (Figure 4.2). The twelve-bar introduction sets the tempo and groove
of the song. The two verses following the intro are strangely independent of one
another, as it pertains to melody and harmony. By exploring different tonal areas
and altering the melody, verses 1 and 2 share few similarities. After the second
verse, a prechorus is introduced before the statement of the chorus. The
differences between the prechorus and chorus are based on their complexities.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
45
Michael Eric Dyson, Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye
(New York: Basic Civitas Books, 2004), 64.
!
46!
The prechorus incorporates faster harmonic rhythm and a more rhythmically
active melody, while the chorus contains the title in the lyrics, a simple melody,
and a slower moving harmonic rhythm. Another way the prechorus builds
anticipation is by utilizing an asymmetrical phrase, containing only seven
measures. This asymmetrical phrasing combined with constant harmonic shifts
results in an unstable feeling surrounding the chorus. This seems appropriate as
the lyrics in the chorus repeatedly ask, “What’s happening?”
Figure 4.2: Form of “What’s Happening Brother”
0:00 0:29 0:49 1:09 1:26
Intro
Verse
Verse
Prechorus
Chorus
Ahh…
(12
mms.)
Am: i9 - -
/
Bbm: i9
Hey baby…
(8 mms.)
Cm: V7/V - V7 - i7 - -
/
Eb: vi7 - V7/V - ii7 -
V7
Are things…
(8 mms.)
Ab: ii7 - vii - I - - /
Eb: vi7 - V7/V - ii7 -
V7
Can’t find…
(7 mms.)
Eb: V7 - - - /
iv7 - iii7 -
vi7
What’s
happenin’…
(4 mms.)
IVmaj7 - V7
1:36 1:53 2:03 2:27
Prechorus
Chorus
Instrumental
break
Coda
Are they…
(7 mms.)
Eb: V7 - - - /
iv7 - iii7 - vi7
What’s happenin’…
(4 mms.)
IVmaj7 – V7
*instrumental*
(10 mms.)
Ab: Imaj7 - - - - -
What’s been…
(4 mms.)
Abm: i7 - - -
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47!
As mentioned in Chapter 1, the first chorus in a pop song generally moves
to another verse or bridge. This song strays from the norm, however, and moves
directly into another prechorus. By using the same asymmetrical structure as
before, the overarching structure becomes balanced. The seven-bar phrase
followed by a four-bar phrase (eleven measures) is repeated, resulting in a
symmetrical structure.
Following the second chorus, a ten-bar instrumental break is included,
featuring the background singers and Jamerson’s active bass line. In most
cases, the song would either fade out or simply come to an end on this stable
harmony. However, the song ends with an abrupt modal change (Ab major to Ab
minor) and a new melody in a four-bar coda. With the unusual phrase length and
odd placement of sections, this song contains an unconventional formal
structure. The second half of the song contains more unique elements: a back-to-
back prechorus-chorus section comprised of asymmetrical phrases, followed by
a key change, instrumental break, modal shift and a coda.
In a broader sense, the form could be interpreted as ternary, or ABA
(Figure 4.3). The intro and verses 1 and 2 make up the first section of the song
(A), using a constant shift in tonal areas. The bass line and background singers
are featured in the intro and Gaye’s syncopated melody takes over in the two
verses. The repeated prechorus-chorus section (B) establishes a more stable
tonal center, Eb, and creates a symmetrical phrase using asymmetrical sub-
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48!
phrases. The instrumental break and coda return the song to the harmonic
instability of the beginning (A), with a key change and modal change. As in the
first section, the bass line and background singers are featured in the
instrumental break and Gaye’s syncopated melody returns to end the song.
Figure 4.3: Overarching formal structure, “What’s Happening Brother”
A B A
Intro / Verse 1 / Verse 2
||: Prechorus / Chorus :||
Instrum. break / Coda
Unstable key areas
Am – Bbm – Cm – Eb –
Ab
Establishes key
Eb - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Key chg. – modal chg.
Eb Ab Abm
Harmony
“What’s Happening Brother” is much more chromatic than most pop songs
from this era. Several unexpected movements also can be found in the harmony.
The key modulates twice before the melody enters. The two verses toy with
tonality by constantly changing tonal areas. The song avoids tonic resolution and
concludes with an unexpected modal change. This unpredictability in the music
could be viewed as a metaphor for what the veteran is thinking as he returns to
see his own country in disarray. Like the avoided tonic resolution, the subject
continues to ask questions but never receives an answer. Figure 4.4 contains a
harmonic reduction.
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49!
Figure 4.4: “What’s Happening Brother” harmonic reduction
Intro
Chord: Am9 - - - - - - - Bbm9 - - -
RN: Am: i9 Bbm: i9
Verse 1
D7 – G7 – Cm9 - - Cm7/F – F7 – Fm7 – Bb7
Cm: V7/V – V7 – i9 Eb: vi7 – V7/V – ii7 – V7
Verse 2
Bbm7 – Gdim7 – Abmaj7 - - Cm7/F – F7 – Fm7 – Bb7
Ab: ii7 – viidim7 – Imaj7 Eb: vi7 – V7/V – ii7 – V7
Prechorus
Bb7 - - - - Abm7 – Gm7 – Cm7
Eb: V7 iv7 – iii7 – vi7
Chorus
Fm9 - - Bb7 - -
ii9 – V7
Prechorus
Bb7 - - - - Abm7 – Gm7 – Cm7
Eb: V7 iv7 – iii7 – vi7
Chorus
Fm9 - - Bb7 - -
ii9 – V7
Outro
Abmaj7 - - - - - - - - -
Ab: Imaj7
Coda
Abm7 - - -
Abm: im7
One of the more interesting aspects in this song is the idea of an absent
tonic. Though there are brief instances of implied tonics in verses 1 and 2, the
tonal center is never stabilized. Once the key of Eb is finally established in the
prechorus, the song never resolves to the tonic chord of Eb. Mark Spicer
discusses this phenomenon in popular music:
Songs with an absent tonic, an extreme case in which the promised tonic
chord never actually materializes. In each of these scenarios, the
composer’s toying with tonality and listener’s expectations may be
considered hermeneutically as a means of enriching the song’s overall
message.
46
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46
Mark Spicer, “Fragile, Emergent, and Absent Tonics in Pop and Rock Songs,” Music
Theory Online 23, no.2 (2017), Accessed September 13, 2017.
http://mtosmt.org/issues/mto.17.23.2/mto.17.23.2.spicer.html.
!
50!
The absent tonic in “What’s Happening Brother” certainly adds to the overall
meaning of the song. A man returns home from war but finds another place
entirely. Though there are several instances of the predominant-to-dominant
progression, the tonic is constantly avoided.
The harmony constantly evolves throughout the song and incorporates
extended chords in order to create a wider range. As seen in Figure 4.4, the
harmony in the introduction is composed of minor ninth chords, resulting in an
expanded harmonic texture. Beginning in the key that ended “What’s Going On,”
“What’s Happening Brother” establishes the A minor chord in the first eight
measures. As soon as the song seems comfortably established in this key, the
harmony moves a step up chromatically, modulating to Bb minor. Just four
measures in this key, the song modulates once more to C minor to begin the
verse. This uncertain harmonic movement in the intro could be seen as
foreshadowing for the unstable, constantly moving harmony in the sections that
follow.
Because of the constant fluctuation in tonal centers, the harmony in
verses 1 and 2 is by far the most intriguing. An outline of tonal areas in these
verses can be seen in Figure 4.5. Verse 1 begins in the key of C minor. This is
established with the progression (V7/V – V7 – i7). With this common
predominant-dominant-tonic progression, the harmony implies C minor as the
new tonal center. In the second half of verse 1, however, the song seems to
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51!
tonicize the relative major, Eb. With the progression (vi7 – V7/V – ii7 – V7), the
implication is that there will be a resolution to the tonic, Eb. The second verse,
however, denies any hope for a tonic chord. The progression that begins verse 2
(ii7 – viidim7 – Imaj7) tonicizes the key of Ab major. The second half of verse 2
transitions back to the key of Eb, using the same progression from verse 1. With
a change in tonal centers occurring every four measures, the music sounds
somewhat indecisive.
Figure 4.5: Verse 1 and 2 tonal areas
First half Second half
Verse
1
Cm: V7/V-V7-
i7
Establishes key:
Cm (relative
minor)
Tonic resolution
Eb: vi7 - V7/V -
ii7 - V7
Establishes
key:
Eb
No tonic chord
Verse
2
Ab: ii7-viidim7-
I
Establishes key:
Ab (IV)
Tonic resolution
Eb: vi7 - V7/V -
ii7 - V7
Establishes
key:
Eb
No tonic chord
The prechorus tonicizes Eb by sustaining the dominant (Bb7) for four
measures. The three measures that follow use a descending harmonic
progression to accompany the chromatic walk-down in the melody. The
progression (iv7 – iii7 – vi7) has a dark tone by utilizing the borrowed (iv7) chord
followed by consecutive minor chords. The chorus lasts only four measures and
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brings back the familiar predominant-dominant progression. With a G in the
melody, the first measure of the chorus has the appearance of a ii9 (Fm9). The
bass line ascends the scale to the Bb (V7). Once again, however, the resolution
is avoided.
The absent tonic in these sections causes the second iteration of
prechorus and chorus to build even more tension. Using the exact same
harmonic progressions, the second iteration is expanded upon with a more
rhythmically intense melody. In the instrumental break following the second
chorus, the Ab is tonicized. The Abmaj7 chord is sustained for ten measures,
resulting in temporarily stable tonic, reminiscent of the Am tonic chord in the
intro. The coda, however, disrupts this stability with a modal shift from Ab Ionian
to Ab Aeolian. The modal change at the end of the song is reminiscent of the
Picardy third in common practice music.
The rapid harmonic rhythm, constant key changes, and avoidance of tonic
resolution result in feelings of tension, instability, and confusion. These feelings
are consistent with the lyrics and the overarching storyline of the Vietnam
veteran. The constantly changing tonal center in the verses is accompanied by
chromaticism in the melody. The unique structure of the repeated prechorus-
chorus section builds on the dominant and affirms Spicer’s definition of “absent
tonics.” The emotions hinted at within the lyrics are purposely balanced with this
unique harmonic progression.
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Melody
The melody in “What’s Happening Brother” seems to accompany the
instability found in the formal structure and harmonic progressions. There are
some consistencies in melody, such as Gaye’s syncopated entrances and the
repetitive chorus melody. There are, however, far more inconsistencies such as
the melodic differences between each section. With the constantly changing
tonal areas, the melody travels seamlessly between different keys. Gaye’s vocal
declamation and syncopated entrances add to the feeling of instability. The
chromatic movement within the melody arises in the verse and prechorus
sections and is accompanied by borrowed chords in the harmony. These factors
are combined to create an uncomfortable sound that mimics the lyrics.
Syncopation, a common rhythmic feature in Soul music, is often used to
create tension until a significant arrival point on a downbeat. In “What’s
Happening Brother,” Gaye uses syncopation in an interesting way. Almost every
vocal entrance occurs one sixteenth rest after beats two or four. This rhythmic
feature is quite appropriate for the subject of the song, with the lyric, “I’m slightly
behind the times.” The few times the melody enters on a downbeat, however, the
lyrics seem to have more meaning. In verse 1, for instance, Gaye sings the line
“war is hell” on the downbeat of m. 17, creating a stronger emphasis on the lyric
(Figure 4.6). Notice the next entrance in the same measure, (“when will it end?”)
does not occur on a downbeat. The questioning nature of this lyric is accented by
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the slight hesitation in the rhythm. The only other non-syncopated entrances in
the song occur in the second prechorus (Figure 4.7). As discussed in the lyrical
analysis, this section had significant meaning regarding the effects of war on
returning veterans. The rare instances of downbeat entrances in the song add to
the effectiveness of these specific lyrics.
Figure 4.6: Rhythmic entrances in Verse 1, “What’s Happening Brother,”
mm. 14-19
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Figure 4.7: Strong beat entrances in Prechorus, “What’s Happening Brother”
mm. 38-44
An important factor of the melody lies in Gaye’s vocal declamation, which
helps to amplify the storyline in a variety of ways. As he did in “What’s Going
On,” Gaye recorded separate vocal tracks and interlaced them. These separate
tracks provide different versions of the melody, resulting in an ambiguous
interpretation. Gaye also uses voice fluctuations in order to emphasize certain
points in the melody. For example, in m. 45, while holding a non-chord tone (F)
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56!
Gaye uses wide vibrato to subtly move back and forth between F and G, the fifth
scale degree of the chord (Figure 4.8). This movement between non-chord tone
and chord tone could be viewed as balance between stability and instability in the
subject.
Figure 4.8: Voice fluctuation in Gaye’s vocals, mm. 45-47
Chromatic melodic lines in both vocals and bass of “What’s Happening
Brother” represent tension. The harmony accompanies the chromatic movement
in the melody by using borrowed and extended chords. The first instance of this
is found in the introduction as the key modulates up a step chromatically.
However, verses 1 and 2 showcase the extensive use of chromatic movement in
the melody. The vocal melody in verse 1 begins on an F# and descends
chromatically following a leap within the chord (Figure 4.9). The bass line also
implements chromatic movement in the same measure. Outlining a D7 chord,
Jamerson uses C# as a passing tone between the seventh and the root. As the
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57!
song continues, more chromatic movement surfaces in Gaye’s vocal melody. In a
descending chromatic pattern from Bb to F, the melody utilizes the seventh and
third scale degrees of the accompanying harmony (Figure 4.10A).
Figure 4.9: Chromaticism in Verse 1, “What’s Happening Brother,” mm. 11-13
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Figure 4.10A: Descending chromatic melody, “What’s Happening Brother,” mm.
16-21
Another instance of a descending chromatic scale occurs in the last three
measures of the prechorus. As it occurs in the verse, the harmonic progression
accompanies the chromatic melody, descending from Bb7 – Abm7 – Gm7 – C7.
The melody begins on C and descends chromatically to Bb. (Figure 4.10B).
Remaining consistent with the beginning of the song, Jamerson uses a chromatic
passing tone in m. 34. The chromatic descents in both melodic and harmonic
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lines evoke a sense of helplessness in the song’s subject, ultimately leading to
the question, “What’s happening brother?”
Figure 4.10B: Descending chromatic melody, “What’s Happening Brother,” mm.
32-35
These rhythmic and melodic elements serve to advance the story line and
remain stylistically consistent with the formal and harmonic structures in the
song. Though syncopation is common in many genres of music, the use of it in
“What’s Happening Brother” is unique regarding the consistency of syncopated
entrances and the strong lyrical moments on downbeats. Gaye’s vocal
declamation portrays a sense of confusion and urgency. Finally, the extensive
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chromaticism creates a tense environment that matches the story presented in
the lyrics.
Conclusion
Possibly the most musically unique song on the album, “What’s
Happening Brother” is arguably one of the first staunch rebellions against the
“Motown sound.” Asymmetrical phrase structures, unstable tonal centers, and
chromatic melodies all contribute to the defiance against the formulated pop
songs Gaye was once required to perform. These unique features are certainly
the product of Gaye’s mind, but the musical contributions made by the Funk
Brothers, Van DePitte’s orchestration, and the sound engineers are indisputable
in the completed product. The music accompanies the story of an uncertain
veteran returning to his dysfunctional country. The questions in the lyrics are
mimicked by the indecisive tonal centers and chromatic harmony and melody.
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CHAPTER 5
What’s Going On, The First Song Cycle of Soul
Chapters 3 and 4 provide close analyses of two selected songs. The
placement of certain sections, like the party chatter in “What’s Going On” and the
indecisive tonal areas in “What’s Happening Brother,” contribute to the unique
sound of the album. The influences and collaboration that went into the making of
the album creates a sound specific to the African-American community.
Broadening in scope, this chapter identifies musical and lyrical relationships that
work to connect the album as a whole. Through comparisons of the nineteenth-
century song cycle, the overarching formal and thematic connections strengthen
the analysis of What’s Going On.
In her book, Laura Tunbridge argues What’s Going On is the first Soul
concept album.
47
A concept album, such as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club
Band by The Beatles, features a cycle of songs “structured around a
predetermined musical or lyrical (or sometimes iconographic) idea.”
48
This album
structure, normally found in Rock music, shares traits with the song cycle in
common practice music. Reoccurring thematic, harmonic, and melodic ideas are
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
47
Laura Tunbridge, The Song Cycle (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010), 180.
48
Ibid, 169.
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common in both concept albums and song cycles. The main difference between
the two, however, is the authorship. A single composer, such as Robert
Schumann, would generally be the sole composer of a song cycle. Concept
albums, however, are created by a collaboration of people, including songwriters,
instrumentalists, engineers, and producers.
One of the strongest elements relating What’s Going On to a song cycle is
the musical transition between each song. Sound engineer Lawrence Miles and
producer Marvin Gaye pieced the album together using David Van DePitte’s
orchestral lines. In her analysis of What’s Going On, Tunbridge writes, “All the
songs are interwoven; once the lyrics of one have ended, the instrumental
backdrop melts into the next with no sound breaks or fadeouts (this had been
achieved by splicing the tracks together and then applying overdubs to the whole
album, rather than individual songs).”
49
These connections modulate to distantly
related keys in order to travel to the tonal area of the following song. Some of
these transitions contain reoccurring melodies that function as connecting
thematic material.
Reoccurring melodic material is a common feature in nineteenth-century
song cycles, including Robert Schumann’s Dichterliebe. Tunbridge writes,
“[Dichterliebe] deals with lost love, makes explicit tonal connections between
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
49
Tunbridge, The Song Cycle, 181.
!
63!
songs, and returns to earlier musical material toward its end.”
50
The return of
musical material is quite frequent in What’s Going On, specifically regarding Van
DePitte’s underlying string melodies and Gaye’s reoccurring vocal melodies. One
of the strongest melodic returns occurs on the album’s final track, “Inner City
Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler).” The end of the song incorporates a reprise from
the opening track, “What’s Going On,” utilizing similar melodic, harmonic, and
lyrical material to bring the song cycle to a satisfying close.
The lyrics help connect the music in order to unify the album around a
central message. As in the song cycles of Schumann, Gaye uses text painting
and common images to strengthen the overarching subject of the album, the
state of humanity. Though the lyrics specifically focus on African Americans
during the Civil Rights Movement, the message is to spread love and
understanding to all people. This comprehensive analysis of lyrical, formal, and
melodic structures within the album aims to strengthen the album’s connection to
the Civil Rights Movement.
Lyrical Connections
Several subjects recur throughout the nine songs in What’s Going On.
These pertain to different issues in American society, ranging from drug abuse
(“Flyin’ High in the Friendly Sky”) to destruction of nature (“Mercy, Mercy Me (The
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
50
Ibid, 10.
!
64!
Ecology)”) to poverty (“Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)”). Intertwined
within these messages, however, are songs with a more positive message. Gaye
recalls his Christian upbringing in songs like “God is Love” and “Wholy Holy.”
These gospel-influenced songs focus on the singer’s own religious beliefs while
preaching the message of spreading love to all. Every song, however, seems to
contain a central underlying message, that “love can conquer hate.” This phrase
appears in two different songs throughout the album and a final time with a slight
variation. As seen in Figure 5.1A, Gaye replaces the word “love” for “we” the last
iteration, incorporating the importance of family and community.
Figure 5.1A: Lyrical repetitions in What’s Going On
Song Lyrics Time
Track 1:
What’s Going
On
“You see war is not the answer.
For only love can conquer hate.”
0:57 - 1:05
Track 7:
Right On
“Love can conquer hate every time.
Give out some love and you’ll find /
Peace sublime.”
6:04 - 6:15
Track 8:
Wholy Holy
“We can conquer hate forever, yes we can.
Ah, wholy holy, Oh, Lord.”
1:51 – 2:10
The album also considers struggles faced by people living in poverty. A
common theme in the storyline of the album addresses people in poor
communities who often turn to drug abuse or violent aggression (“Make me
wanna holler / Throw up both my hands”). Four songs are connected with similar
!
65!
subject matter in Figure 5.1B. African Americans in 1960s Detroit were
commonly forced to live in underdeveloped, poor communities. Thomas J.
Sugrue writes of how “the ‘street corner society’ of African American men
became one of the most potent symbols of the ‘culture of poverty’” and how “the
picture of chronic black joblessness became a tool that reinforced the politics of
racial domination.”
51
Gaye criticizes this flawed system with these poignant lyrics.
Figure 5.1B: Topic similarities in What’s Going On
Song Lyrics Subject Time
Track 2:
What’s Happening
Brother
“Can’t find no work,
can’t
find no job my friend.
Money is tighter than it’s
ever been.”
Poverty
1:10 – 1:20
Track 3:
Flyin’ High
(In the Friendly Sky)
“Well I know I’m hooked
my friend,
To the boy who makes
slaves out of men.”
Drug abuse
2:48 – 3:04
Track 7:
Right On
“Some of us feel the
icy wind of poverty
blowing in the air.”
Poverty
1:28 – 1:35
Track 9:
Inner City Blues
(Make Me Wanna
Holler)
“Money, we make it.
‘Fore we see it,
you take it.”
Poverty
Political
discrimination
0:52 – 1:00
Finally, What’s Going On touches on the subject of global negligence and
destruction. The song “Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)” is fully devoted to this
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
51
Thomas J. Sugrue, The Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar
Detroit (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2005), 120-121.
!
!
66!
subject with lyrics like “What about this overcrowded land? How much more
abuse from man can she stand?” Another song, “Save The Children” approaches
the topic as well with the lyrics, “Who really cares? Who’s willing to try to save a
world that’s destined to die?” While the other songs focus on more local issues,
the lyrics in these songs take the album’s message to a global level. Each song
represents a specific story, but all contribute to the overarching theme of the
album. People must overcome the struggles of hatred and discrimination with
love and understanding.
Formal Connections
One important element in the cyclical nature of What’s Going On is its
overall formal structure. In Figure 5.2, a form chart of the album includes each
song’s formal structure and key areas. As seen in the figure, every song begins
with an intro of varying length to seamlessly connect one song to the next.
Outros and codas are also used in order to transition to the following song. The
difference between the two lies within the musical material. Outros use previous
melodic and harmonic material to conclude the song, while a coda introduces
new material. Non-vocal sections, such as the bridges, outros, and instrumental
breaks, frequently showcase a specific instrument or section and often
incorporate reoccurring melodies.
!
67!
Figure 5.2: Form Chart for What’s Going On
Song Form Key
SIDE A:
1) What’s
Going On
Intro – Verse1 – Verse2 –
Chorus – Bridge – Verse3 –
Chorus – Bridge
E
2) What’s
Happening
Brother
Intro – Verse1 – Verse2 –
Prechorus – Chorus – Prechorus – Chorus –
Instrumental break – Coda
Eb
3) Flyin’ High (In
the Friendly Sky)
Intro – Verse1 – Chorus –
Verse2 – Chorus – Coda
Gm
4) Save the
Children
Intro – Verse1 – Verse2 – Chorus –
Bridge – Coda
Am/C
5) God is Love
Intro – Verse1 – Verse2 –
Chorus – Verse3
Eb
6) Mercy, Mercy
Me
(The Ecology)
Intro – Verse1 – Verse2 – Verse3 – Verse4 –
Instrumental break (sax solo) – Outro
E/F
SIDE B:
7) Right On
Intro – Verse1 – Chorus – Bridge –
Verse2 – Verse3 – Instrumental break –
Bridge – Outro
Gm
8) Wholy Holy
Intro – Verse1 – Verse2 –
Chorus – Verse3 – Chorus
C
9) Inner City
Blues
(Make Me
Wanna Holler)
Intro – Verse1 – Chorus – Verse2 – Chorus –
Instrumental break – Verse3 – Chorus –
Verse4 – Chorus – Instrumental break –
“What’s Going On” reprise – Coda
Ebm/
Db/
Dbm
The figure also reveals some similarities in the verse-chorus structures.
Several songs (“God is Love,” “Mercy, Mercy Me,” “Right On”) incorporate three
or more verses, and only one statement of the chorus. This song format is
unusual because the chorus is presented only once, unlike the several iterations
in many other pop songs. The verses present the strongest subject matter in the
lyrics and tend to focus more on the groove rather than the melody. The constant
!
68!
percussive groove combined with the syncopated bass line creates a cyclical
pattern within these individual songs.
Another interesting element in What’s Going On is the succession of key
areas throughout the album. Modulation and modal shifts are used at the
beginning and end of each song in order to transition smoothly to the next.
52
Key
relationships can be seen diagrammed on a staff in Figure 5.3. One of the more
intriguing relationships has to do with the movement to distantly related keys.
The album begins with “What’s Going On” in the key of E major and though
”What’s Happening Brother” never arrives on a tonic chord, the tonal center is
Eb. This descending chromatic movement is mirrored in the last two songs of
Side A, “God is Love” (Eb) and “Mercy, Mercy Me” (E).
Figure 5.3: Key Areas in What’s Going On
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
52
An example of this can be seen in Appendix A and B, the last measures of “What’s
Going On” and the intro of “What’s Happening Brother.”
!
69!
Melodic Connections
Melodic recurrence also contributes to the unity of the album. The most
obvious is the string melody found in the bridge of “What’s Going On” and the
introduction of “What’s Happening Brother.” The melody, seen in Figure 5.4,
resurfaces twice more as the album continues, occurring in pivotal places.
53
The
third appearance of the melody occurs in “Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)” the
final song on Side A. This has the effect of a cadential feature, as there is a
pause between Side A and Side B. The final occurrence of the melody appears
in the last song on the album, “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler).”
Played on the saxophone, this melody concludes the album, bringing its lyrics
and recurring musical features full circle. Figure 5.5 shows the locations of the
melody within the individual songs and the album itself.
Figure 5.4: String melody used as connecting material in What’s Going On
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
53
In this time period, most albums were recorded on a 33 1/3 LP vinyl record. This type
of record is played on two sides, Side A and Side B.
!
70!
Figure 5.5: Melodic connections in What’s Going On
Song Connecting Material Location in song
Track1:
What’s Going On
String Melody
Bridge / 1:41 – 2:08
Bridge / 3:01 – 3:56
Track 2:
What’s Happening Brother
String Melody
Intro
0:00 – 0:31
Track 6:
Mercy, Mercy Me
(The Ecology)
String Melody
Instrumental break
2:14 – 2:35
Track 9:
Inner City Blues
(Make Me Wanna Holler)
String Melody
(Played by
saxophone)
Coda
4:55 – 5:16
A melodic similarity between the first two songs can be found in the
chorus of “What’s Going On” and the prechorus of “What’s Happening Brother.”
Gaye incorporates the album’s title, What’s Going On in both songs (Figure 5.6A
and 5.6B). This repetition of the lyrics is enhanced by similar rhythmic patterns,
with the word “going” occurring on strong beats in both occasions. This feature of
returning rhythmic and melodic motifs contributes to the overall connectivity of
the album.
!
71!
Figure 5.6A: Rhythmic similarities in “What’s Happening Brother” mm. 34-35
Figure 5.6B: Rhythmic similarities in “What’s Going On” mm. 57-60
Finally, the most powerful melodic connection occurs at the opening and
closing of the album. The last track, “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)”
ends with a reprise melody from the first song, “What’s Going On.” Though the
melody and lyrics remain the same, the reprise adds expressive piano and
Gaye’s soaring falsetto. As “Inner City Blues” seems to fade out on the
instrumental break, the reprise begins with a modulation to Db major. Gaye sings
expressively with rubato, “Mother, mother. Everybody thinks we’re wrong. Who
are they to judge us simply cause we wear our hair long?” Reminiscent of the
!
72!
bridge in the first song, the mode shifts to Db minor. Bongos, piano, saxophone,
and Gaye’s scatting are all that remains as the album comes to a close.
Conclusion
There are several components that make Marvin Gaye’s album, What’s
Going On, an important album in American music history. The powerful
messages within the lyrics continue to remain relevant even today, focusing on
many problems that continue to plague American society, including racial
discrimination, police brutality, flawed political systems, and the struggle for
equality for all people. The collaboration of musical elements that make up
What’s Going On contain many elements from African-American music history,
such as the highly syncopated rhythms and the Blues influenced melodies.
Though Gaye sings of specific issues associated with his time, the music
connects the album to different points in American history. Jazz harmony is
consistent within the album, allowing Gaye to pay homage to African-American
musicians like Nat King Cole. Gospel traditions, such as call-and-response and
emotional vocal declamation, show the importance of love within the context of
the album. Finally, influences of Rock and the Blues are heard in the formal and
melodic structures within the album.
With his powerful song cycle, Marvin Gaye reminds his listeners that only
love can conquer hate. The music helps to advance the overarching story using a
!
73!
broad range of stylistic features, including modal changes, asymmetrical formal
structures, and reoccurring melodic material. The album bounces between
subjects of struggle (“Inner City Blues”) and hope (“Save the Children”). This
balance between celebration and confusion, love and hate, hopefulness and
hopelessness, mirrors the progression of the Civil Rights Movement.
!
!
74!
Discography
Cooke, Sam. “You Send Me,” 30 Greatest Hits: Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964.
Recorded March 1, 1951 – November 16, 1964. ABKCO. Released June
17, 2003. 92642, CD.
Gaye, Marvin. The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye. Recorded 1961. Tamla
Records, TM-221, LP.
______. That Stubborn Kinda Fellow. Recorded 1963. Tamla Records, TM-239,
LP.
______. Marvin Gaye: Recorded Live on Stage. Recorded 1963. Tamla Records,
TM-242, LP.
______. When I’m Alone I Cry. Recorded 1964. Tamla Records, TM-251, LP.
______. Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells – Together. Recorded 1964. Motown
Records, MT-613, LP.
______. Hello Broadway. Recorded 1964. Tamla Records, TM-259, LP.
______. A Tribute to the Great Nat King Cole. Recorded 1965. Tamla Records,
TM-261, LP.
______. How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You. Recorded 1965. Tamla Records,
TM-258, LP.
______. Moods of Marvin Gaye. Recorded 1966. Tamla Records, TM-266, LP.
______. Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston: Take Two. Recorded 1966. Tamla
Records, TM-270, LP.
______. “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” In The Groove. Recorded 1968.
Tamla Records, TS-285, LP.
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______. That’s The Way Love Is. Recorded 1969. Tamla Records, TS-299, LP.
______. M.P.G. Recorded 1969. Tamla Records, TS-292, LP.
______. What’s Going On. Recorded 1971. Tamla Records, 530 022-1, LP.
Moonglows, The. “Ten Commandments of Love.” Look! It’s The Moonglows.
Recorded 1959. Chess Records, LP-1430, LP.
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APPENDIX A
Transcription of “What’s Going On”
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What's Going On
Chorus
Bridge
String Melody
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83!
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Verse
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Bridge
(Fade out)
!
86!
APPENDIX B
Transcription of “What’s Happening Brother”
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4
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D 7
-
What's Happening Brother
Melody
Bass
Intro
Verse 1
!
87!
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you know good?
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Π!
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will it end?
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20
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says?
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What's Happening Brother
Verse 2
!
88!
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25
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What else is new
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my friend
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be sides
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28
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what I read?
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Π!
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it's ev er been.
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33
Π!
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der stand what's go ing on ac ross
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this land Aah
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What's happ enin' bro ther?
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- -
What's Happening Brother
Prechorus 1
Chorus
!
89!
&
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38
Π!
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What's happ enin?
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where we used to go and dance?
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pen ant, do ya think they have a chance?
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m7
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45
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how in the world have you
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been?
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48
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What's Happening Brother
Chorus
Prechorus 2
!
90!
&
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51
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55
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58
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61
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and down the line? I
.
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63
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wan na know 'cause I'm slight ly be
.
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˙
hind the times
.
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w
w
- - -
What's Happening Brother
Coda
Instrumental break
Background vocalists
!
91!
VITA
Jacob Barnhill received his Bachelor in Music Education from Stephen F.
Austin State University in May 2014. During his undergraduate program, Jacob
attended many conferences involving music education and saxophone
performance. Following graduation, he pursued a music career, and gained a
newfound appreciation for music theory. In August 2016, Jacob entered the
Graduate School of Stephen F. Austin and received the degree of Master of
Music in May 2019.
Permanent Address: 2210 Alumni Dr
Nacogdoches, TX 75965
Style Manual:
Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and
Dissertations. 8
th
ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2013.
This thesis was typed by Jacob C. Barnhill