On the 1st April 1984, Marvin Gaye was shot dead by his father (a minister) in his bedroom in Los Angeles after intervening in an argument between his parents. The bullet pierced his heart and Gaye was fatally wounded. Gaye was regularly abused by his father as a child, he was whipped and beaten, later he attempted suicide three times and suffered from manic depression. A tragic end to such an original talent – a sweet-voiced songwriter, drummer and producer ruined by a terrible childhood, psychological issues and drugs, murdered by his own father.

Inner City Blues was the third single off Gaye’s classic album, What’s Going On, the song reached No.9 on the US chart – the third Top Ten single in a row. It’s lyrical content co-written with James Nyx (a songwriter and janitor for Motown records) again showed Gaye’s political views and social conscience. The album reached No.6 on the US charts and is heralded as one of the greatest Soul albums of all time.

Dah, dah, dah, dah
Rockets, moon shots
Spend it on, the have nots
Money, we make it
‘Fore we see it, you take it

Oh, make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
This ain’t livin’, this ain’t livin’
No, no baby, this ain’t livin’
No, no, no

Inflation, no chance
To increase, finance
Bills pile up, sky high
Send that boy off, to die

Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
Dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah

Hang ups, let downs
Bad breaks, set backs
Natural, fact is
I can’t pay my, taxes

Oh, make me wanna holler
And throw up both my hands
Yea, it makes me wanna holler
And throw up both my hands

Crime is, increasing
Trigger happy, policing
Panic, is spreading
God knows where, we’re heading

Oh, make me wanna holler
They don’t understand
Dah, dah, dah

Mother, mother
Everybody thinks we’re wrong
Who are they to judge us
Simply cause we wear our hair long

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Gaye

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_City_Blues_(Make_Me_Wanna_Holler)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What%27s_Going_On_(Marvin_Gaye_album)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Gaye_discography

l