“I Want You”

Lust, Recklessness, and Love: Marvin Gaye’s sultry confession in “I Want You” is the ultimate musical red flag and sound reason for never dating an artist.

Artist – MARVIN GAYE

Song – “I Want You”

Album – I Want You (1976)

My weakness for talent is unnerving!… And as Diana Ross put it so harmoniously in her Love Hangover, “If there’s a cure for this/ I don’t want it, I don’t want it”. That’s why I fell so irremediably in love with another Motown artist. First confession in a possibly long series: the idea of never dating music artists first occurred to me after listening to Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You”.

Something quivers inside of me when I think about Marvin Gaye. And don’t get me started on that vocal range projected through an irresistible, dazzling smile. That man was blessed all around. The other side of the coin was a troubled personal life plagued with problems, such as drug abuse, broken relationships, disruptive behaviour, and an unapologetic recklessness in his love life. Quick note: if you’re going to cheat and make it widely public, it’s unwise to marry your boss’s older sister. Or any member of the family, for that matter. 

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Why am I bringing up Marvin Gaye’s personal life here? Because of his seductive hymn to love – or whatever Marvin was feeling at the time – “I Want You”. With the wrong tone, interaction, and environment, those words can score highly on the creepiness scale. However, Marvin Gaye’s voice suppresses my survival instincts! I can play that record the whole day, every day, and won’t feel a slight sense of discomfort or weirdness. The melody and his soul-piercing voice are the main ingredients of a musical love concoction that has stood the test of time.

“I Want You” is as seductive as it is problematic

The lyrics can be problematic, and it doesn´t take much to prove it. Imagine someone you don’t know very well or aren’t attracted to, or even a complete stranger. Now, picture them saying this out of the blue: “I want you – the right way/ I want you”. What does it mean “the right way”, here? There’s so much room for interpretation! Or is there? Let’s continue: “It’s too bad, it’s just too sad, you don’t want me now/But I’m going to change your mind, someway, somehow, oh baby”. Why am I getting “stalker” vibes right now? 😬 What is really unsettling to me is that Marvin Gaye’s voice washes these vibes away. See, this is the first red flag that supports my theory: never date an artist! And don’t go around scaring people by saying things like that, even if you are an artist. Sorry, but you’re not Marvin Gaye!

Musical excellence, intimacy, and a real-life drama

“I Want You” is enmeshed in a real-life drama. There’s a reason why I feel so comfortable with the lyrics and the way Marvin sings them: he had an intimate (and I believe very consensual) relationship with the person to whom he dedicated those verses. Every note echoes an insatiable desire drenched in lust. But more on that later. First, the track, its melody and Marvin’s hypnotising voice.

When was the last time you listened to “I Want You”, if ever? For me, the magic starts with that intro. No one creates intros like that anymore. There’s a science to it: the build-up, the expectation, how it slowly and surreptitiously creeps into your body and makes you tremble with emotion. This song is a soft whisper into someone’s ear, where passion, love, and a desperate craving become audible and entangled in a straightforward message: I want you, but I want you to want me too. 

“I Want You” is not a love letter. It’s a relationship manifesto where the policy is clearly issued. Is that the right way? It’s Marvin’s way, and I love listening to it despite the lingering feeling of intrusion into a private conversation and an intimate scene. There are no secrets here, and the message couldn’t be more direct and urgent. My mind and body feel that urgency and revel in excitement. “I Want You” is a raw emotional echo that multiplies in the depths of my soul. My advice: allow yourself to be vulnerable, give in and enjoy. This is probably also a good time to remind you never to date an artist, especially Marvin Gaye!

Now, do you remember the real-life drama I mentioned above? If you already know about the story, then go directly to the comments and share your thoughts about “I Want You”. If you’re unaware of what happened and are one of those music fans who loves to know all about an artist beyond the music, hold on to your screen because it’s time for the juicy part.

Uh-Oh… Here comes the drama

I Want You comes after Let’s Get It On. Got it? That’s exactly what happened: Marvin Gaye released Let’s Get It On in 1973, and I Want You came out three years later. This was actually a long break between albums, considering that Marvin was releasing at least one every year since 1961. What both albums have in common is the behind-the-scenes drama. While recording Let’s Get It On, Marvin met 17-year-old Janis Hunter. Boom! One of the most passionate, obsessive, and troubled relationships of his life begins. 

Meanwhile, Marvin Gaye was still married to Anna Gordy, Berry Gordy’s older sister. Yes, that Berry Gordy who founded Motown Records and was, technically, Marvin’s boss. Not surprisingly, the divorce was messy and very costly to Marvin – have you heard about Here, My Dear? When it comes to spilling the beans about nasty breakups, Adele has nothing on Marvin Gaye! 

I suspect Marvin’s recording I Want You in front of Janis and dedicating the entire album to her also didn’t bode well for him. Anyway, let’s look at the timeline: Marvin Gaye and Janis Hunter had two children in 1974 and 1975 (busy bees!), and I Want You came out in 1976; the following year, Anna Gordy and Marvin Gaye got divorced, the singer married Janis Hunter… and they lived happily ever after! Actually, no. That marriage was another time bomb that finally blew up in 1981. 

So much drama behind “I Want You”!… Is there more?

There’s so much more to say about Marvin Gaye and Janis Hunter’s whirlwind and tumultuous romance… But that would be a whole new post. So, if you’re incredibly curious to learn more about it, you can always look at Janis’ memoir, After the Dance: My Life with Marvin Gaye (HarperCollins). I might do the same, just to confirm if the ‘real’ stories are as salacious as the rumours. 

With or without the memoir, I advise you to listen to the whole I Want You album in one go. The title track is the opening act of an enthralling and elegantly explicit experience. In the end, you get the musical version of an unmade bed with damp, crumpled silk sheets. 

Do you need more reasons for not dating an artist? You’ll find it here aplenty. Check the other blog posts for the answers, and leave a comment if the topic is about one of your favourite songs or artists.