Songwriting Advice
Marvin Gaye - What’s Going On Song Lyric Breakdown For Songwriters
One song. A city of feeling. A masterclass in saying big things in small lines. If you write songs and you have not sat with Marvin Gaye's What's Going On like it is your childhood diary then fix that. This guide wrecks the song in a good way. We pick it apart line by line, extract the writing DNA, explain music terms, and give you concrete exercises so you can use the same moves in your own songs.
Quick Links to Useful Sections
- Why What's Going On still matters for songwriters
- Quick timeline and context for non historians
- Structure overview
- Line by line lyric breakdown
- Opening lines and immediate stakes
- Refrain and the power of repetition
- Imagery and objects
- Shift to plural perspective
- Rhyme, meter, and prosody
- Melodic economy
- Harmony and chord palette
- Arrangement and production moves that sell the lyric
- Vocal performance and narrative persona
- How the song balances message and music
- What every songwriter can steal from What's Going On
- Line edits and rewriting examples for songwriters
- Prosody clinic with real examples
- Rhyme strategies that feel natural
- Arrangement templates you can steal
- Template A: Intimate Suite
- Template B: City Prayer
- How to write a song that asks a question the listener wants to answer
- Common mistakes writers make when trying to be topical
- Exercises to practice the What's Going On method
- Exercise 1: The Question Jar
- Exercise 2: Domestic Interrupt
- Exercise 3: Repetition as Ritual
- Production notes for demos and final mixes
- How to adapt the lessons for other genres
- Rights and responsibility note for songwriters studying classics
- FAQ
This is for songwriters who want tools not trivia. Expect nitty gritty prosody checks, rhyme anatomy, alternate chord palettes, arrangement notes, and singer specific staging tips. We will also explain every acronym and term so you do not need a music theory passport. Read this like a blueprint and steal like an artist.
Why What's Going On still matters for songwriters
Released in 1971, Marvin Gaye's What's Going On announces itself as both intimate and civic. It sounds like a prayer and a protest at once. For writers the record is a masterclass in three things that rarely co exist with such grace: simple language, layered perspective, and melodic restraint. If you want lyrics that carry weight without sounding like a lecture study this song.
- Direct voice that still leaves room for image.
- Repetition used as argument rather than as filler.
- Arrangement and lyric work as a single storytelling engine.
Quick timeline and context for non historians
Marvin wrote and recorded the song during a time of political unrest, the Vietnam War, and racial tension in America. He was responding to news and to personal events. Context matters because the song is not a slogan. It is a sequence of human questions. The city noise, the siren, and the newsroom are all invisible characters in the lyric. For writers that matters because it models how to turn current events into small human pictures.
Term explainer: Motown is the record label based in Detroit that built a sound factory for hits. Motown is also a cultural machine. The term soul describes a style of music that mixes gospel intensity with secular themes. Both matter for how Marvin shapes performance and arrangement.
Structure overview
The song is not a verse chorus verse chorus thing that smacks you over the head with a hook. It breathes. Its form is a suite of motifs and returns. For songwriting study think of it as a series of question and answer modules. The lyric frames the same question repeatedly and uses musical texture to shift the answer. As writers you can copy the approach without copying the exact form.
- Intro vocal motif and sax washes that set mood
- Verse 1 asks the central question in first person
- Refrain repeats the question with small variation
- Bridge or middle sections supply imagery and broaden the view
- Final repeats and vocal improvisation that deepen meaning
Line by line lyric breakdown
We are going to look at major chunks rather than transcribe every word. If you do not have the lyric in front of you pause and get it. Treat the lyric like evidence at a crime scene. Our job is to identify the fingerprints.
Opening lines and immediate stakes
The song opens with a whisper of a question. That first line is a clearing of the throat. It is small but brave. The writer does not explain. He asks. Asking is a lyric move that creates access. Instead of telling the audience how to feel the songwriter invites them into the uncertainty. That is a huge writing cheat code.
Songwriting lesson: Start with a question when the emotional center is confusion or moral doubt. A question is a form of humility. It makes your listener want to answer.
Refrain and the power of repetition
The main phrase repeats. Repetition is dangerous because it can become lazy. Here repetition becomes ritual. Each repeat slightly alters tone. Sometimes change is musical only. Sometimes change is lyrical only. The effect is cumulative. Repetition becomes a drum of insistence. It moves from a personal ask to a near universal plea. That is what makes it feel like a civil prayer.
Term explainer: Prosody means matching how words naturally stress in speech with musical accents. Marvin's repetition is prosodic gold because the stress of each lyrical word lands exactly where the band wants it to land.
Imagery and objects
Marvin scatters small domestic images between the big question lines. These details are quiet. They do not scream. They imply. That is the technique. Use small details to continue the argument without interrupting it. A single object can do the work of ten lines of commentary because objects imply cause and consequence.
Relatable scenario: Imagine trying to explain the state of the world to your friend while making coffee. You cannot occupy a megaphone and a kettle at the same time. Those small moments are what grounds the big question in a ten dollar coffee and a cracked mug. That is what the song does emotionally.
Shift to plural perspective
At points the lyric moves from I to we. That shift widens the lens and alters responsibility. As a songwriter watch those switches like a hawk. They tell the listener who owns the grief. Moving to we asks the listener to share the weight. It is an invitation to community. It is also a way to escalate the stakes without changing vocabulary.
Rhyme, meter, and prosody
Marvin's writing avoids fancy rhymes. He prefers near rhymes, internal rhymes, and rhythmic echoes. The effect is conversational music, not poetry class. Do not confuse simplicity with lack of craft. The lines are edited to land where the melody wants them. That alignment is prosody in action.
- Internal rhyme example: short phrases that contain echoing vowel sounds
- Near rhyme example: words that share vowel or consonant family but are not exact rhymes
- Cadence: the shape of the sentence as it falls into music
Songwriting exercise: Take a news headline and rewrite it as a two line lyric with no perfect rhyme. Focus on keeping natural speech stresses landing on musical downbeats. If it feels like you are acting when you read it then fix the prosody until it sounds like conversation sung.
Melodic economy
Marvin does not throw melodramatic leaps at every emotional turn. He reserves big melodic gestures for key emotional lines. The rest stays in a comfortable range. This restraint gives those bigger moments life. If everything is dramatic nothing is dramatic.
Writing tip: Map your melody into three energy levels. Low energy for narration, medium energy for question, high energy for pleading. Assign lyrical turns to those levels and stick to them. You can borrow this from Marvin to create songs that breathe.
Harmony and chord palette
The original arrangement sits in a soul and jazz informed palette. There are lush chords, suspensions, and gentle modal flourishes. If you want to mythbust a belief: you do not need a complicated jazz vocabulary to create a similar emotional space. What you need is harmonic motion that does not resolve too quickly. That keeps the ear slightly hungry and engaged.
Term explainer: A suspension is a chord tone that delays resolution to the next chord. It creates tension without sounding anxious. Modal borrowing means taking one chord or scale fragment from a related mode to color a passage differently. Both techniques are handy for songwriting because they manipulate expectation.
Practical chord idea: If you write in C major try borrowing an F minor chord for a bar before returning to C major. The minor color briefly complicates the emotional landscape. Use that when your lyric moves from personal line to universal question.
Arrangement and production moves that sell the lyric
What's Going On is arranged like a conversation. Brass and strings comment. Background vocals answer like an audience. The drums are patient. The bass walks in a human way. For songwriters this teaches a simple rule. Let the arrangement act like punctuation. A soft flute line is a comma. A horn blast is an exclamation point.
Relatable scenario: You are telling a story at a party. When you land the funny bit you let the room laugh. The room's reaction is part of the story. In songwriting, the arrangement is the room. Use it to validate or contradict the lyric.
Vocal performance and narrative persona
Marvin does something rare. He sounds like the person who called his mom and then got on the record. His voice is at once raw and controlled. That creates trust. Listeners believe him because he sounds like he is thinking out loud. For your songs practice singing lines like you are answering a direct question from a friend. That kind of intimacy is portable across genres.
Exercise: Record one line as if you are whispering it across a diner table. Record the same line as if you are announcing it to a stadium. Compare. Choose the version that best serves the lyric. Often the whisper will be more honest.
How the song balances message and music
Many writers fear being didactic. They think message and music do not belong together. Marvin shows that if you let music carry emotion and lyrics carry image then message can arrive without sounding preachy. The arrangement softens argument. The melody softens accusation. The result is a persuasive song that does not lecture.
Writerly trick: Use a small domestic image after a political sentence. The switch grounds the argument in real life so listeners are less likely to put up defenses. Think of it as emotional diplomacy.
What every songwriter can steal from What's Going On
- Ask before you declare. Start songs with a line that invites rather than demands.
- Use repetition as ritual. Repeat a line until it becomes a communal chant not a chorus fill.
- Scatter quiet objects. Use everyday items to make the political personal.
- Reserve melody lifts. Give the big notes meaning by not overusing them.
- Let arrangement be punctuation. Use instruments to comment on the lyric like a narrator.
Line edits and rewriting examples for songwriters
Below are examples of how to take a blunt line and convert it into something in the spirit of Marvin. We show the original blunt take then an edited take showing image, prosody, and economy.
Before: The world is in chaos and I am worried.
After: Sirens learn our street by name. I watch the same news twice.
Before: People are dying and nobody cares.
After: They stack up bodies on the screen like boxes no one claims.
Before: We should do something about the war.
After: Do we march or do we sing to the men in the towers who will not hear us?
Technique note: The after versions use specific images and verbs. They avoid abstract moral pronouncements. That gives the lines room to breathe musically and emotionally.
Prosody clinic with real examples
Prosody fails when strong spoken stresses land on weak musical beats. It creates a jarring feel. Here is how to test and fix it.
- Speak the line at normal speed and mark the stressed syllables.
- Tap the beats of your song and map stresses onto beats.
- If a stressed syllable falls on an offbeat either rewrite the line or move the melody so the stress lands on a downbeat or sustained note.
Example diagnosis: The line I need to know is heavy with a stress on need and know. If the melody places need on a fast eighth note and know on a half note the line will land oddly. Fix by choosing alternative phrasing like I need to hear or Let me hear it now so the stress pattern aligns with the melody.
Rhyme strategies that feel natural
What's Going On rarely leans on neat couplet rhymes. Instead it uses internal echo and vowel color to create cohesion. If you want modern sounding rhymes avoid forcing end rhymes. Use slant rhymes that create internal resonance.
Slant rhyme explainer: Slant rhyme means two words that almost rhyme. Think heart and hard. They share sonic traits but are not identical. Slant rhyme feels less sing song and more conversational. Use them when you want honesty over neatness.
Arrangement templates you can steal
Here are two arrangement maps inspired by What's Going On that you can adapt to your own songs. Use them as blueprints not templates to copy note for note.
Template A: Intimate Suite
- Intro: sparse pads and a lead vocal motif
- Verse 1: low drums, warm bass, vocal close mic
- Refrain: add background vocal harmony, small horn stab
- Verse 2: add soft strings or vibraphone for color
- Bridge: vocal overdubs and percussion changes, a moment of release
- Final section: extended vocal improv, horns answer the voice, fade on repeated phrase
Template B: City Prayer
- Cold open: ambient street sound sample then immediate vocal line
- Verse: rhythm guitar and walking bass
- Chorus like refrain: multi voiced background that echoes the lead
- Middle eight: instrument solo that feels like a sigh
- Outro: sparse vocal and single instrument repeating key phrase
How to write a song that asks a question the listener wants to answer
Technique steps
- Write your central question in plain speech. This is your seed. Keep it under ten words.
- Find one domestic image that contrasts with the size of the question. Place it next to the question in the lyric.
- Create a musical motif that repeats under the question. It should be simple and singable on vowels.
- Use a supporting vocal or instrument to answer the question once in the song. Let the answer be partial not total.
Example seed: Where is the love going. Domestic image: the radio plays yesterday names. Musical motif: two note descending interval repeated. The result is a song that feels like it is asking for permission to keep loving in troubled times.
Common mistakes writers make when trying to be topical
- Over explaining Fix by trusting images and the listener intelligence.
- Using slogans Slogans are persuasive but they are not intimate. Replace broad claims with tight objects and actions.
- Melodic shouting If every line is the loudest line the song becomes one tonal block. Use restraint for impact.
Exercises to practice the What's Going On method
Exercise 1: The Question Jar
Write 12 real questions you would text your friend about the state of the world. Pick the best one. Write a two line chorus around it. The chorus must include one concrete object. Time limit five minutes.
Exercise 2: Domestic Interrupt
Draft a verse about a public event. Every second line must include an everyday object like a coffee mug, shoe, or a lightbulb. Keep the lines short. Edit for prosody.
Exercise 3: Repetition as Ritual
Write a phrase of three words that expresses the heart of your song. Repeat it seven times with small musical or lyrical variations each time. Record. Listen for emotional accumulation.
Production notes for demos and final mixes
When you demo this kind of song keep the vocal intimate. Record with a close mic and one room mic to have options. Background vocals should not fight the lead. Use them as crowd members not lead singers. Low end should be warm and supportive. Avoid heavy compression on the vocal that robs nuance. Let breath and small cracks remain. They are the song's honesty.
Term explainer: Compression is a mixing tool that reduces dynamic range. Too much makes everything sound flat. Use gentle compression to glue but not to erase expression.
How to adapt the lessons for other genres
The central moves travel well. If you write folk make the arrangement acoustic and let the question sound like a campfire ask. If you write R B keep the lush harmonies and take the phrase into melisma sparingly. If you write hip hop use the repetition as a chorus chant and let verses be more direct with rhythmic speech. The core is content and economy not instrumentation.
Rights and responsibility note for songwriters studying classics
Learn from great songs. Do not copy them. If you use a lyrical phrase or a melodic hook that is recognizably lifted you risk legal issues and creative stagnation. Study arrangement and technique. Use the concepts not the exact words or melodies. This is how influence looks like craft and not theft.
FAQ
What is the main lyrical technique used in What's Going On
Marvin uses repeated questioning, specific images, and subtle shifts from first person to collective voice. The effect is a balance of personal voice and communal concern.
Can I write a topical song without sounding preachy
Yes. Keep your language concrete and your melody intimate. Use small objects to ground big ideas. Let the arrangement soften the argument by adding musical commentary rather than argument.
What chords should I use to get a similar feeling
Use lush extended chords, gentle suspensions, and occasional modal borrowing. For example in C major try C major 7, F major 7, D minor 7, and borrow an F minor 7 for color. You do not need to copy the original progression to get the emotional effect.
How do I practice prosody like Marvin
Record yourself speaking lines at normal speed. Mark the stressed syllables. Tap the beat of your song and align stresses to strong beats or sustained notes. Rewrite lines until the stresses land naturally.
Is the song more important for its lyric or arrangement
They are equal partners. The lyric gives the idea. The arrangement tells you how to feel it. The song succeeds because both parts serve the same question. As a songwriter learn both crafts or partner with someone who does not make the same mistakes you do.
