mercy mercy me by marvin gaye is about a man about to be executed by the electric chair.
what is mercy mercy me by marvin gaye about?
a man about to be executed by the electric chair
"mercy mercy me (the ecology)" was the second single from marvin gaye's 1971 album, "what's going on". following the breakthrough of the title track's success, the song, written solely by gaye, became regarded as one of popular music's most poignant anthems of sorrow regarding the environment. led by gaye playing piano, strings conducted by paul riser and david van de pitte, multi-tracking vocals from gaye and the andantes, multiple background instruments provided by the funk brothers and a leading sax solo by wild bill moore, the song rose to number 4 on "billboard"'s pop singles chart and number one for two weeks on the r&b singles charts on august 14 through to august 27, 1971. the distinctive percussive sound heard on the track was a wood block struck by a rubber mallet, drenched in studio reverb. the song also brought gaye one of his rare appearances on the adult contemporary chart, where it peaked at number 34. in canada, "mercy mercy me" spent two weeks at number 9.
mercy mercy me (the ecology)
marvin gaye has been called "the number-one purveyor of soul music". in his book "mercy mercy me: the art, loves and demons of marvin gaye", michael eric dyson described gaye as someone "...who transcended the boundaries of rhythm and blues as no other performer had done before." following his death, "the new york times" described gaye as someone who "blended the soul music of the urban scene with the beat of the old-time gospel singer and became an influential force in pop music". further in the article, gaye was also credited with combining "the soulful directness of gospel music, the sweetness of soft-soul and pop, and the vocal musicianship of a jazz singer." his recordings for motown in the 1960s and 1970s shaped that label's signature sound. his work with motown gave him the titles "prince of soul" and "prince of motown." critics stated that gaye's music "...signified the development of black music from raw rhythm and blues, through sophisticated soul to the political awareness of the 1970s and increased concentration on personal and sexual politics thereafter." as a motown artist, gaye was among the first to break from the reins of its production system, paving the way for stevie wonder. gaye's late 1970s and early 1980s recordings influenced contemporary forms of r&b predating the subgenres quiet storm and neo-soul.
marvin gaye