marvin gaye, “wholy holy”
from: What’s going on, 1971
“Ah, wholy holy
Come together
Wholy holy
People we all gotta come together
’Cause we need the strength, power, all the feeling
Wholy holy
Oh Lord, come on get together, one another
Wholy holy
Wholy holy
Wholy holy we should believe in one another (believe in Jesus)
Jesus left a long time ago, said he would return (believe it)
He left us a book to believe in
In it we’ve got a lot to learn
Oh, wholy holy (oh Lord)
We can conquer (yes we can) hate forever (oh Lord)
Wholy (wholy holy, wholy holy)
We can rock the world’s foundation (Yes we can)
Everybody together, together in a wholy
We’ll holler love love love across the nation (Oh, oh)
Wholy holy, all together in wholy
We proclaim love, our salvation
Ooh, ooh”
When this record came out and I got the feel of its spirit, I would put it on and always listen to it from beginning to end. I got to know it as one gigantic and mesmerizing song cycle. I can remember several years after its release that it brought spring into our house and we played it over and over. But “Wholy Holy” specially separates itself. The pace is spectacular, making quietly an emotional oasis. An admonition for higher behavior in which the string section provides a resting place for we weary human beings. Timeless and down in the trenches of wonder.
