Listening Framework
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
Instruments Used
- Vocals (lead, layered & backing vocals)
- Bass Guitar
- Drums
- Piano
- Horns
- Strings
- Percussion (congas)
Vocal or Instrumental
- Vocal
Acoustic or Electronic
- Acoustic
Performance
- This is a live studio performance, creating a more authentic atmosphere which greatly contributes to the context of the song.
- The song has many dynamic changes, most notably through Marvin Gaye's vocals but can also be noticed when the string sections come in.
Music Theory
- The most notable dynamic shift in 'What's Going On' is in the chorus, where the vocals become more intense, the strings start and the backing vocals become more pronounced.
- The tempo is constant throughout the song. It is recorded at quite a slow BPM, giving the song a calm and laid-back atmosphere.
- The vocal melodies explored in the song are very free-flowing and almost conversational which may make the listener feel more connected with the singer.
- Despite being quite a popular song, 'What's Going On' does not follow a conventional song structure (like 8 bar blocks). As aforementioned, the way the song is structured makes it feel very free-flowing and conversational, fitting the laid-back atmosphere and the meaningful lyrics.
- The song is in the key of E major, and primarily revolves around the E major scale.
> The chords in the verse include Emaj7 (Imaj7), C#m7 (vim7), F#m7 (iim7), A/B (IV) and B13 (V13).
> The chords in the chorus include F#m7, A/B, Emaj7 and C#m7, which are almost the exact same chords as the verse. Despite this, the arrangement feels becomes more developed at this point through the more powerful vocals, string sections and more prominent backing vocals.
> The bridge chords feature Am7 (IVm7 in Em) and A/B. This is interesting as it seems the Am7 has been borrowed from the parallel minor (Em), a less common technique which can draw attention and spark interest in the chord progression if done right. In this situation, the Am7 (IV chord of E minor) resolves back to A/B, the IV chord in the key of E major.
+ Chords referenced from multiple different sources within ultimate-guitar.com.
- The song is in the time signature 4/4.
- 'What's Going On' has a basic yet undeniable groove, emphasised by the bassline and percussion instruments.
- The lyrics in this song are very meaningful and discuss issues at the time, like war and social oppression/discrimination. From the opening of the song, the lines 'Mother, mother, there's too many of you crying' and 'Brother, brother, brother, there's far too many of you dying' set the tone of longing for change and wanting to raise awareness about the injustices Marvin Gaye's society was experiencing at the time.
Technology
- Analogue technology has been used, which is very typical of songs written during this era.
- Vocal layering/overdubbing is very prominent in this song.
Historical Context
- 'What's Going On' was written in 1971 and aims to highlight the issues of its time, such as oppression/discrimination, war and possibly poverty. It accomplishes this by using emotive and descriptive language, like 'picket lines and picket signs' to demonstrate the protests that have become such a common occurrence. Marvin Gaye references the discrimination faced by his community, which may have been caused by widespread racism throughout America.
At the time it was written, the Vietnam War was also ongoing. The references to war are likely directed at this specific conflict.
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