Part I:
To gain a deeper understanding of how these themes reoccur in Soul music, you will play the full video of Marvin Gaye performing "What's Going On" for a benefit in 1972 (the song was released the previous year, in 1971) When the President of Motown Berry Gordy first heard the track, he did not want to release the song. He generally wanted Motown artists to steer clear of making political statements. But Gaye insisted and prevailed. Gaye’s lyrics to this song were partly inspired by stories from his younger brother, Frankie Gaye. Frankie had returned from a three-year tour of duty in Vietnam and would often share with his older brother about the atrocities he had seen there.
After watching the video, and listening to the song, answer the following.
- What historical events do you think are addressed in “What’s Going On”? Do you see any links with the events described in the Gallery Walk?
- Refer back to the Handout 2: Marvin Gaye Lyric Comparison As Marvin Gaye stated, “With the world exploding around me, how am I supposed to keep singing love songs?” What did he mean by this?
Part II:
You will be listening to the song, "Freddie's Dead," written, and performed by an artist named Curtis Mayfield. This song was originally released in 1972 for the soundtrack of the film Super Fly. The song depicts a character in the movie that meets his untimely death after dealing drugs.
Carefully read Handout 5: “Freddie’s Dead” Lyrics. Play the video of Curtis Mayfield performing “Freddie's Dead” in 1973. Based on the song and the lyrics, answer the following:
- Where do you think Freddie lives? From the text of this song, what do you think his life is like?
- Does this song make you think of a particular historical event from the Gallery Walk?
- Consider Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.” How are these songs similar? How are these songs different? Think about their musicality, along with their message and tone.
Part III: Summary
Chuck D was the founder and leader of the groundbreaking Hip-Hop group Public Enemy. Listen to a clip from 2008 of Chuck D discussing the influence of Curtis Mayfield and "Freddie's Dead". After listening to Chuck D's interview...
- Describe the impact of “Freddie’s Dead” on African-American communities living in urban America, according to Chuck D.
- As Chuck D states, “It was almost like [Curtis Mayfield] was the soundtrack to our everyday lives.” What do you think he means by this?
