Fun Music Information -> Marvin Gaye

This is the most recent information about Marvin Gaye that has been submitted to amIright. If we have more information about Marvin Gaye, then we provide a link to the section where it appears (the actual page whenever possible).

Our newest site, amIwrong has an albums order quiz where you need to put this performer's albums in order of release.

Misspellings and other Alternate Names:

These are the alternate spellings of the performer's name we've had to correct in submissions to amIright.

Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, Marvin Gaye/Jr. Walker & the all-stars/James Taylor, Marvin Gaye and Tami Terrell

Music Jokes:

Do you know the last thing Marvin Gaye's father asked him?
'Hey Marvin, wanna hear my new 45?'

Submitted by: Jerry

What were Marvin Gaye's last words?
"I heard it throught the carbine."

Submitted by: Rockin' Ed

Band Name Origins:

Larcen Tyler is wrong. Marvin Gaye put an E on the end of his name to further distance himself from his father, whom he hated and who later shot him dead. Submitted by: No, One Nose!
As a child he was constantly taunted about his name, so when he started performing, he added the letter 'e' to his last name. Submitted by: Larcen Tyler

Performer Pseudonyms:

Also known as: Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr.. Submitted by: Novac

Also known as: Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr.. Submitted by: motown

Song Titles Not Used as Lyrics:

Song Name	Comments & Submitter Name
"Inner City Blues"	Make me wanna holler and throw up both my hands! - Joe H

Better Names for Current Songs:

Original Song Name	New Song Name	Submitter Name
"I've Had Enough Grapefruit Wine "	"I Heard It Through The Grapevine"	Susan M.

Use a Song Title to Answer a Different Song:

Song & Band Name	Song & Band Name	Comments & Submittor Name
"Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted"	"I Want You," Marvin Gaye	Kathy
"Think"	"Too Busy Thinkin About My Baby," Marvin Gaye	Kathy
"I Know There's Something Going On"	"What's Going On?," Marvin Gaye	Marvin challenges Frida with a question. - Peter
"Who Are You?"	"Mustang Sally," Marvin Gaye	Kathy
There are additional songs titles that answer other songs available.

Add a Letter To a Song Title:

"Goth To Give It Up" originally "Got To Give It Up"

Stephanie Craddock

"Goat To Give It Up" originally "Got To Give It Up"

Stephanie Craddock

"How Sweet It Is To Be Gloved By You " originally "How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You"

Peter

Change a Letter In a Song Title:

"How Sweet It Is (To Be Lived By You)" originally "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)"

Mr. X

"How Sweet It Is (To Be Moved By You)" originally "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)"

Mr. X

"How Sweat It Is (To Be Loved By You)" originally "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)"

Mr. X

"Sexual Dealing" originally "Sexual Healing"

Serafina

"Rot To Give It Up" originally "Got To Give It Up"

Stephanie Craddock

There are additional song titles with a letter changed available.

Song Parody Recordings:

Feb 25 "Smelt You on the Bus Line" by Below Average Dave a parody of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye

My third most popular parody redone with a far more professional finish and overall sound, oh yeah and you may notice that midi track is gone. badave.com: (mp3) (Comments)

Song Parodies:

Original Song Name	Parody Song Name	Parody Author
"I've Heard It Through The Grapevine"	"I've Heard He Had A Concubine"	Tokusou Sentai Blessranger
"I Heard It Through The Grapevine"	"I Swerved Right Through The Grapevine"	Alvin Rhodes
"I Heard It Through The Grapevine"	"I Surged Right Up That Great Vine"	Alvin Rhodes
"Heard It On The Grapevine"	"I Broke It During Half-Time"	the_conqueror_of_parodies
"Lets Get It On"	"Lets Get A Bong"	Malcolm Higgins
"Heard It On The Grapevine"	"Posted It On YouTube"	Phil Alexander
"I Heard it Through the Grapevine"	"Smelt You on the Bus Line (Extra Stank Edit)"	Below Average Dave
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine"	"I'm Waiting On the Bus Line"	Michael Pacholek
"I Heard It Through The Grapevine"	"I'm Living On The Breadline"	Jason
"I Heard it Through the Grapevine"	"I Got Sick on a Cruise Line"	Tony Wiseguy
There are additional song parodies available.

Untapped Commercial Ideas:

Song Name	Product	Submittor
Let's Get It On	Viagra	AVKing
Sexual Healing	Viagra	Sara
Sexual Healing	STD Clinic	BobyBird 7:18
Sexual Healing	Vibrator Company	Harry May
I've Heard It Through The Grapevine	Wine	Matt Donnelly

Bad Choices for On Hold Music:

Song Name	Company/Organization	Submittor
Sexual Healing	Sex Addicts Anonymous	Sarah
Sexual Healing	STD Clinic	Ash
I Heard It Through The Grapevine	Any Newspaper	Libby
Sexual Healing	The Masters and Johnson Institute	Chrismo
Let's Get It On	Sex Addicts Anonymous	soul

Duets Not Yet Performed:

First Band/Song Name	Second Band/Song Name	New Song Name	Submittor
Only God Knows Why Kid Rock	You Are the Way You Are Marvin Gaye	Only God Knows Why You Are The Way You Are	Mark
Poor Poor Pitiful Me Linda Ronstadt	Mercy Mercy Me Marvin Gaye	Poor Poor Mercy Mercy Pitiful Me! This person really loves to beat himself up!	Paul Warren
Tired Of Sex Weezer	Sexual Healing Marvin Gaye	Tired Of Sexual Healing Is it still healing when one grows tired of it?	Karen Little
Mama Tried The Everly Brothers	Sexual Healing Marvin Gaye	Mama Tried Sexual Healing	Marian
There are additional duets that haven't been done yet available.

If Groups Combined, Their Names Might Be :

Gaye Pride

Marvin Gaye combined with Charley Pride

Not something you see too much of in country or classic soul circles...

Submitted By: neptunevsmars

Gaye & Strait

Marvin Gaye combined with George Strait

Submitted By: crazydon

Misheard Lyrics:

"Sexual Healing" Misheard Lyrics: Sexual feeling Original Lyrics: Sexual healing	"Sexual Healing" Misheard Lyrics: Baby I got sick this morning Mosquitos swarming inside of me Baby I think I'm capsizing The waves are rising and rising Original Lyrics: Baby I got sick this morning A sea was storming inside of me Baby I think I'm capsizing The waves are rising and rising
"I Heard It Through The Grapevine" Misheard Lyrics: I heard it through the break of time. Original Lyrics: I heard it throught the grapevine.	"What's Going On?" Misheard Lyrics: To bring some Muppets here today. Original Lyrics: To bring some lovin' here today.
There are additional misheard lyrics available.

Misheard Lyrics Story:

"I Heard It Through The Grapevine"

Misheard Lyrics:

I hurdled through the grape vine.

Original Lyrics:

I heard it through the grapevine.

Story about this misheard lyric by: Patsy Meck

After making fun of me for mangling some of the new songs, my teenage son, Billy, walked through the house singing 'I hurdled through the grape vine'. It was finally MY time to laugh!

There are additional misheard stories available.

Song Parody Fragments:

"Sexual Healing"

Better Lyrics:

Baby, I can't wait for you to ovulate

Original Lyrics:

Baby, I can't wait for you to operate

Submitted by: Gwyndlebuckets

"I Heard It Through The Grapevine"

Better Lyrics:

I hurt it through the grapevine

Original Lyrics:

I heard it through the grapevine

Submitted by: was

Repetitive Lyrics:

"Ain't No Sunshine"

The Repetitive Lyrics:

I know

Why They're Repetitive:

This is repeated 16 times! Oh, my!

[Ed's note: In the Bill Withers' version it is repeated about 28 times, and sounds MUUCH better!]

Submitted by: sXe LeXi 5X2

Nonsensical Lyrics:

"What's Goin' On"

The Nonsensical Lyrics:

Tell me what's goin' on, and I'll tell you what's goin' on,

Why They're Nonsensical:

A great Marvin recording, but if you tell me what's goin' on, why would I bother telling you what's goin' on? You'd already know, right? That's why you were able to tell me in the first place.

Submitted by: Jeff Stambo

Inappropriate Lyrics:

"Ain't Too Proud To Beg"

The Inappropriate Lyrics:

If I could sleep on your door step all night and day/Just to keep you from walking away

Why They're Inappropriate:

What this dummy doesn't realize is that she could always leave by the back door

Submitted by: little Jen

Band Name Anagrams:

Maine Gravy Submitted by: Vince Phillips

It's a Down-East sauce!

Songs That Are Banned:

"Sanctified Pussy"

The title of Marvin Gaye's song "Sanctified Pussy" is changed to "Sanctified Lady" for a 1985 posthumous album release, "Dream Of A Lifetime".

Submitted by: Peter

Song Title Spoonerisms:

"Hexual Sealing" originally "Sexual Healing"

Using a hex to seal something?

Submitted by: U. Carrie Oats

Upbeat Songs With Depressing Lyrics:

"Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)"

The Lyrics:

Rockets, moon shots
Spend it on the have nots
Money we make it
Fore we see you take it
Oh, make you wanna holler

Why:

In the early 1970's, "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" was the last of the three major and pop hits by Marvin Gaye that addressed social issue (following on the heals of "What's Going On" and "Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)"). Again, it has a terrific uptempo beat, but the lyrics might be enough to make you depressed (much of what Marvin Gaye sang about social ills in the song still resonates to today) or at the very least make you "wanna holler".

Submitted by: Peter

"Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)"

The Lyrics:

Ah, mercy, mercy me,
Ah, things ain't what they used to be, no, no
Where did all the blue skies go?
Poison is the wind that blows from the north and south and east.

Why:

The following up to Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" was "Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)" song that hit into the Top 10 of the charts on the second year after President Nixon declared the first Earth Day in April 1970 (that would be April 1971). In many regards Marvin Gaye was taking up the strains started by Rachel Carson's book about the environment, "The Silent Spring" from the early 1960's about stating what was happening to the environment, or what humans were allowing or doing to the environment, and in some respects Gaye is the precursor to former Vice President Al Gore's global warming advocacy (Al Gore probably was impressed with "Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology) and I wouldn't be surprised if Gore has the song programmed on his i-pod). It had an uptempo beat as did "What's Going On" but with all the ills happening to the environment it did leave one perhaps a little depressed, although hopefully wanting to do some action to solve the problems. In the late 1980's, Robert Palmer would cut a remake of the tune.

Submitted by: Peter

There are additional Upbeat Songs With Depressing Lyrics available.