Marvin Gaye (feat. Wale)

The song “Marvin Gaye” by Charlie Puth featuring Meghan Trainor is a straightforward and playful ode to sexual intimacy, using the name of the iconic soul singer as a euphemistic verb. The core message is a direct invitation to “get it on,” drawing a clear parallel to Marvin Gaye's famously sensual 1973 hit, “Let's Get It On.” The lyrics also allude to another of Gaye's songs, “Sexual Healing,” with the line, “You got the healing that I want.” By turning the singer's name into an action, Puth and Trainor create a modern, somewhat coy, but unmistakable reference to lovemaking. The song's meaning revolves around mutual attraction and the joyful, consensual decision to be physically intimate. It’s presented as a fun, romantic, and exciting proposition between two people. The use of “Marvin Gaye” is intended to evoke a specific mood—one of classic, soulful, and passionate romance, suggesting that their encounter will be timeless and deeply felt, much like Gaye's music itself. The song avoids deep complexity, focusing instead on the chemistry and shared desire between the two singers, who are ready to shut out the rest of the world and connect on a physical and emotional level.

The song unfolds as a direct and flirtatious invitation between two people, using the legendary soul singer Marvin Gaye as a verb for lovemaking. It begins with the male singer, Charlie Puth, setting a suggestive scene. He proposes they “Marvin Gaye and get it on,” directly referencing Gaye's iconic song “Let's Get It On.” He sees a desirable “healing” in his partner, a cure for his longing that he believes can be found in their physical connection. The lyrics suggest an exclusive, private world for the two of them, with a “king-size” bed they don't have to share with anyone else. He encourages openness and vulnerability, urging his partner not to keep secrets and framing their encounter as a “Kama Sutra show and tell.” There’s an acknowledgment of the powerful, almost magnetic pull he feels from her eyes, which he describes as so subtle yet captivating that he finds himself willingly in “trouble.”

When Meghan Trainor joins in, she responds with equal enthusiasm and confidence. Her verse continues the theme of mutual desire. She tells him he has her undivided attention and that he needs to be courageous and make his move. She playfully asserts her own standards, mentioning she has to be “the only girl” and that he needs to treat her like a “queen.” Her lyrics echo the sentiment of being completely enthralled, describing his love as something she can't escape. The chorus is then repeated as a shared declaration, reinforcing their mutual agreement to spend the night together, inspired by the sensual atmosphere of Marvin Gaye's music. The song essentially captures a moment of intense attraction and the decision to act on it, using the cultural shorthand of Marvin Gaye's music to signify a classic, soulful, and passionate romance. The narrative is simple and focused: two people are attracted to each other and decide to embrace that intimacy fully, from dusk until dawn.

Charlie Puth co-wrote “Marvin Gaye” with Julie Frost, Jacob Luttrell, and Nick Seeley, and also produced the track. The idea for the song came to Puth on his first day in Los Angeles. He was at a coffee shop on Cahuenga Boulevard when a melody and beat came to him, which he started tapping out with his foot and hands. He spontaneously came up with the line, “Let's Marvin Gaye and get it on,” which became the central hook. Puth, who grew up listening to and being inspired by Marvin Gaye and Motown records, wanted to create a modern song with a soulful feel. The song was initially not a duet. The collaboration with Meghan Trainor happened after they met at a party. Puth played the demo for her, and she immediately loved it, suggesting it should be a duet and asking to be the female vocalist. According to Puth, Trainor learned the entire song in just one day, and they recorded her part in a single take. The song was released on February 10, 2015, as Puth's debut single and the lead single from his EP Some Type of Love, and later, his debut album Nine Track Mind.

The song follows a simple and consistent rhyme scheme, primarily using couplets (AABB) within its verses, such as “ourselves” with “else” and “yourself” with “tell.” This straightforward structure makes the lyrics easy to follow and adds to the song's catchy, pop-oriented nature. The chorus employs a near rhyme with “on” and “song.” The rhythm is upbeat and danceable, driven by a simple drum pattern that Puth reportedly conceived by clapping and tapping his foot. The tempo is moderate, fitting the feel-good, doo-wop style. The lyrical rhythm is conversational and syncopated, playing against the steady musical beat, which gives the vocal delivery a playful and relaxed feel. The interplay between the male and female vocal lines creates a rhythmic dialogue, enhancing the conversational theme of the song. The song is primarily in the key of E major and maintains a consistent rhythmic feel throughout, except for the modern, trap-influenced breakdown in Trainor's verse, which provides a brief rhythmic shift.

“Marvin Gaye” employs a retro musical style, drawing heavily from 1950s and 1960s doo-wop and Motown soul music. This is achieved through its chord progression, which is a classic I-vi-IV-V pattern similar to many hits of that era, its simple and catchy melody, and its prominent vocal harmonies. Charlie Puth himself described the song as “soulful pop with a little bit of hip-hop undertone.” The production intentionally blends this throwback sound with modern elements. For instance, a “bass-booming” breakdown with a “hard-ass distorted 808” was included during Meghan Trainor's verse to give the Motown sound a contemporary 2015 feel. Lyrically, the song's main technique is allusion, with its title and chorus directly referencing Marvin Gaye and his music. The turning of a proper noun into a verb (“Let's Marvin Gaye”) is a notable instance of anthimeria, which makes the lyric memorable, though it was criticized by some as being clumsy. Puth's vocal delivery is smooth with a yearning quality, while Trainor provides a confident and playful counterpoint, and their harmonizing is a key feature of the track.

“Marvin Gaye” was a significant commercial success and served as Charlie Puth's breakout debut single, establishing him as a new artist in the pop scene. The song performed exceptionally well on international charts, reaching number one in the UK, France, Ireland, and New Zealand, and peaking at number 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It has been certified 3x Platinum in the United States by the RIAA. The music video, which depicts a stuffy high school prom turning into a make-out session under the song's influence, gained considerable attention. The song's most talked-about moment came from Puth and Trainor's live performance at the 2015 American Music Awards, which ended with a prolonged and passionate kiss, sparking widespread media coverage and speculation. Despite its commercial success, the song received mixed to negative reviews from critics, who often found the central lyric “Let's Marvin Gaye and get it on” to be awkward or cringeworthy. Nevertheless, the track solidified the retro-pop sound associated with both Puth's early work and Meghan Trainor's musical persona.

The primary and most potent symbolic element in the song is the use of “Marvin Gaye” as a verb. This acts as a central metaphor for sexual intimacy. By saying “Let's Marvin Gaye and get it on,” the singers are not just referencing the artist but are invoking his entire legacy of soulful, romantic, and sensual music. Marvin Gaye’s songs, particularly “Let's Get It On” and “Sexual Healing,” are cultural touchstones for romance and seduction. Using his name is a shorthand to create a specific atmosphere—one that is classic, passionate, and deeply emotional. The act of “Marvin Gaye-ing” is therefore framed as more than just a physical act; it's a romantic experience with a timeless, soulful quality. The lyric “You got the healing that I want” is a direct metaphorical reference to Gaye’s song “Sexual Healing,” equating physical intimacy with a form of emotional and physical restoration. Another playful metaphor is the line “It's Kama Sutra show and tell,” which reframes their intimate encounter as a fun, educational, and open experience, stripping away secrecy for a more adventurous approach to lovemaking.

The most significant recurring phrase is the hook and title line, “Let's Marvin Gaye and get it on.” This phrase is repeated throughout the song in the chorus, acting as the central theme and call to action. Its repetition firmly establishes the song's main idea and makes it incredibly memorable. This motif functions as a euphemism for sex, connecting the act to the romantic and sensual legacy of the singer Marvin Gaye. Another recurring lyrical motif is the reference to Gaye's music, with lines like “Just like they say it in the song” and “You got the healing that I want,” which allude to “Let's Get It On” and “Sexual Healing” respectively. Musically, the song is built on a recurring I-vi-IV-V chord progression, a staple of doo-wop and pop music, which gives the track its classic, nostalgic feel and structural consistency. The call-and-response vocal dynamic between Puth and Trainor is another recurring structural element that reinforces the theme of mutual desire and conversation.