Motown Monday ~ Trouble Man ~ Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye wrote every single song on this films soundtrack. He not only composed, produced and arranged them but along with the vocals he played the drums, keyboards & piano for the songs. Sadly the title track would ultimately epitomize his life at its conclusion.

One very talented yet tormented soul that has been very missed not only by the fans of the city who enjoyed his early works with Motown, but by the entire music world.

Ironically his father who defined in every respect what a truly troubled man could destroy from start to finish accomplished exactly that. Marvin the son would have been so much better off if his own father had abandoned him at birth. It usually works the other way around but not in this case. His father made sure his demons became his sons and a beautiful being was damaged before his life even began.

Trouble Man was always in his way.

Marvin Gaye: vocals, drums, keyboards, piano
Trevor Lawrence: alto, tenor and baritone saxophone
Dale Oehler: horns
Gene Page: strings
Bob Ragland: piano, strings
James Anthony Carmichael: horns

 

I come up hard, baby
But now I’m cool
I didn’t make it, sugar
Playin’ by the rules

I come up hard, baby
But now I’m fine
I’m checkin’ trouble, sugar
Movin’ down the line

I come up hard, baby
But that’s okay, cause
Trouble man
Don’t get in the way

I come up hard, baby
I’m in for real, baby
Gonna keep movin’
Gonna go to town

I come up hard
I come up, gettin’ down
There’s only three things
That’s for sho’
Taxes, death and trouble, h’oh!

This I know, man, is
This I know, sugar
Girl, ain’t gon’ let it sweat me, baby

Got me singin’
Yeah! Yea-aah!
Hoo-ooo-ooo

Come up hard, baby
I had to fight
Took care of my bid’ness
Wit’ all my might

I come up hard, awful hard
I had to win
Then start all over
And win again

I come up hard
But that’s okay, ’cause
Trouble man
Don’t get in my way
Hey, hey!

I know some places
And I see some faces
I’ve got the connections
I dig my directions
What people say, that’s okay
They don’t bother me, oh yeah

I’m ready to make it
Don’t care what the weather
Don’t care ’bout no trouble
Got myself together
I feel the kind of protection
That’s all around me

I come up hard, baby
I be for real, baby
With a trouble minds
Movin’, goin’ to town

I come up hard
I come up, gettin’ down
There’s only three things fo’ sho’
Taxes, death and trouble

Ooh, this I’ve known, baby, ooo!
This I’ve known, baby
Ain’t gon’ let it sweat me, baby
Woo!

‘I’m on the ground, yeah, yeah!’

Woo, I come up hard
But now I’ve cooled
I didn’t make it, baby
Playin’ by the rules

Come up hard, baby
Now, I’m fine, I’ve
Checkin’ trouble, sugar
Hey, movin’ down the line

 

“If you cannot find peace within yourself, you will never find it anywhere else”                                 Marvin Gaye