A Deeper Look at Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues"

There are few songs that have the ability to make billboard charts, let alone transcend time and space. However, the late Marvin Gaye did just that when in 1971 he released a song called "Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holla)." This song is personal to me for a number of reasons. Aside from having some of the funkiest production ever (by the aptly named, Funk Brothers), the lyrics themselves are incredibly poignant. Even though the song was released before I made my appearance on the Earth, Marvin was onto something when he belted out these heartrending lines. Perhaps he was clairvoyant, because many of the following lyrics still hold true to this day...

Verse 1

"Rockets, moon shots----Spend it on the have nots
Money, we make it---Fore we see it, you take it...
Oh, make you wanna holla, the way they do my life
Make me wanna holla, the way they do my life
This ain't livin', this ain't livin'"

Over the years, it seems that our government has been more intent on discovering life on other planets, than on discovering ways to save lives here on Earth. Our congressional leaders have much experience in telling us how far in debt this country is. Yet there seem to be endless billions funneled into the space program. There is something wrong with a country that sends dozens of people to outer space, but neglects to feed the millions who are hungry and poor.

Verse 2

"Inflation, no chance---to increase finance
Bills pile up, sky high----send that boy off to die...'"
(repeat chorus)

Despite many thoughts to the contrary, the war in Iraq is still in effect and going strong. During Marvin Gaye's time, the emphasis was on the thousands who died in the Vietnam War. Today, this country is faced with inflating gas prices, while dealing with the consequences of a war that many opposed to begin with. No, the numbers of Americans who have died in Iraq is nowhere near the number of Vietnam casualties. But the sentiment of Gaye's words in this song are strongly echoed by recent years' events.

Verses 3 & 4

"Hang ups, let downs---Bad breaks, set backs
Natural fact is---I can't pay my taxes...'"
(repeat chorus)
"Crime is increasing---trigger happy policing
Panic is spreading---God know where we're heading...'"
(repeat chorus)

I would imagine that these lines in particular were very personal to Marvin Gaye. And perhaps there is a bit of foreshadowing in his "I can't pay my taxes..." line, because in 1979, Gaye himself endured some serious tax problems. He filed for bankruptcy and then moved to Hawaii.

The lines referencing increasing crime are most applicable today, especially with the advancement of technology; internet crimes, identity theft, and child predators are prevalent today. Additionally, there have been increasing instances of "trigger happy" policemen gunning down (and tasering) innocent victims. So in a sense, nothing has changed.

This song ends with a musical "tribute" to another of Marvin Gaye's popular songs, "What's Goin' On", and then gracefully fades out after several more seconds. The song is beautifully arranged, with the lyrics putting the icing on the proverbial cake. Marvin Gaye may not have had any idea what kind of world he would eventually leave behind. But his sense of where society was headed is certainly right on point.