Ergo, the Ogre

It’s time once again for Jim Adam’s Song Lyric Sunday! This week we are to choose a song that mentions doctor, cure, heal, treat or drugs. I’ve chosen Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye.

The Story

“Sexual Healing” is a song recorded by American singer Marvin Gaye from his seventeenth and final studio album, Midnight Love (1982). It was his first single since his exit from his long-term record label Motown earlier in the year, following the release of the In Our Lifetime (1981) album the previous year. It peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 (Gaye’s final top 10 hit) and is listed at number 198 on Rolling Stone’s list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.^[1] “Sexual Healing” is written and composed in the key of E-flat major and is set in time signature of 4/4 with a tempo of 94 beats per minute.^[2]

The story has been disputed on how the lyrics to “Sexual Healing” were devised. Ritz claims that Gaye had been viewing sadomasochism comic books and advised Gaye he needed “sexual healing”.^[7][10] When Ritz explained to Gaye what that meant, Gaye told him to “write a poem” while Gaye came up with the melody.^[7][10] However, Gaye’s closest friends dispute this.^{[citation needed]}

In an interview with HUMO in 1994, Cousaert claimed the only songwriters were Gaye and Brown and stated Ritz’s contribution was the title.^[11] In Frankie Gaye‘s memoirs, My Brother, Marvin, the singer’s brother claimed Ritz had told him, “not only are you sexy, your music is healing,” inspiring Gaye to write the lyrics himself.^[12] Gordon Banks told The Atlantic in 2012 that the conversation between Gaye and Ritz had nothing to do with Marvin’s S&M collection but because Gaye had been intrigued by Amsterdam‘s red light district, to which Ritz replied that Gaye needed sexual healing but said he had nothing to do with the creation of the song.^[13] Odell Brown stated he never met Ritz and assumed Ritz was just there for an interview for Rolling Stone.^[7] Though Gaye himself acknowledged Ritz for coming up with the song title, Ritz sued Gaye for $15 million for partial credit.^[14] Though Ritz was eventually credited after settling with Gaye’s estate following his death, his case was dropped due to insufficient evidence in 1983.

Sexual Healing” has been described as a post-disco,^[15] soul^[16] and funk song.^[17] It begins with a deep bass drum followed by “tinny” handclaps, “ticky” snare, and “tishy” hi-hats generated by a Roland TR-808 drum machine.^[18] The first vocal sounds are of whispers, recorded by singer Harvey Fuqua, an early mentor of Gaye who assisted him in production of the song and its parent album, Midnight Love. Fuqua whispers, “Get up” and “Wake up” four times respectively before the sounds of a rhythmic keyboard. Afterwards, Gaye sings an ad-lib before the first verse.

The song ends with Gaye repeating the chorus line. As it fades out, Gaye can be heard singing, “please don’t procrastinate, it’s not good to masturbate.”^[19]

***

On April 1, 1984, Gaye intervened during a fight between his parents at their home in Western Heights, Los Angeles. Gaye’s father, Marvin Gay Sr., subsequently shot and killed him; it was the day before Gaye’s 45th birthday.^[5][6] Gay Sr. later pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter, receiving a six-year suspended sentence and five years of probation. Institutions have posthumously bestowed Gaye with such awards and honors as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award; a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; and inductions into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.^[7]

The Lyrics

Get up, get up, get up, get up
Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up

Oh, baby now let’s get down tonight

Ooh baby, I’m hot just like an oven
I need some lovin’
And baby, I can’t hold it much longer
It’s getting stronger and stronger

And when I get that feelin’
I want sexual healin’
Sexual healin’, oh baby
Makes me feel so fine

Helps to relieve my mind
Sexual healin’ baby, is good for me
Sexual healin’ is something that’s good for me

Whenever blue teardrops are fallin’
And my emotional stability is leavin’ me
There is something I can do
I can get on the telephone and call you up, baby

And honey, I know you’ll be there to relieve me
The love you give to me will free me
If you don’t know the thing you’re dealin’
Ohh I can tell you, darling, that it’s sexual healin’

Get up, get up, get up, get up
Let’s make love tonight
Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
‘Cause you do it right

Baby, I got sick this mornin’
A sea was stormin’ inside of me
Baby, I think I’m capsizin’
The waves are risin’ and risin’

And when I get that feelin’
I want sexual healin’
Sexual healin’ is good for me
Makes me feel so fine, it’s such a rush
Helps to relieve the mind, and it’s good for us

Sexual healin’, baby, it’s good for me
Sexual healin’ is something that’s good for me
Well, it’s good for me and it’s so good to me, my baby, ohh

Come take control, just grab a hold
Of my body and mind, soon we’ll be makin’ it, honey
I’ll be feelin’ fine
You’re my medicine, open up and let me in
Darlin’, you’re so great, I can’t wait for you to operate

(Healing, my darling)
I can’t wait for you to operate
When I get this feelin’
I need sexual healin’
Oh when I get this feelin’
I need sexual healin’
I gotta have sexual healin’, darlin’
‘Cause I’m all alone
Sexual healin’, darlin’
Till you come back home
Please don’t procrastinate
It’s not good to masturbate.

The Video