Release date: 1971
"Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)", often shortened to "Inner City Blues", is written by Gaye and James Nyx Jr., the song depicts the ghettos and bleak economic situations of inner-city America and the emotional effects these have on inhabitants.
The song helped Gaye make history by being one of the few artists to have three or more Top 10 songs off Billboard's Pop Singles chart peaking at #9 and one of the first to have three consecutive #1 hits on Billboard's R&B Singles chart where it stayed for two weeks. Although not certified by the RIAA at that time, all three releases from the What's Going On album gained Gold status by selling over 1,000,000 copies in the United States.
Album: What's Going On
LYRICS
Rockets, moon shots
Spend it on the have-not's
Money, we make it
Before we see it, you take it
Oh, make you want to holler
The way they do my life
Make me want to holler
The way they do my life
This ain't living, this ain't living
No, no baby, this ain't living
No, no, no
Inflation no chance
To increase finance
Bills pile up sky high
Send that boy off to die
Make me want to holler
The way they do my life
Make me want to holler
The way they do my life
Hang ups, let downs
Bad breaks, set backs
Natural fact is
I can't pay my taxes
Make me want to holler
And throw up both my hands
Yeah, it makes me want to holler
And throw up both my hands
Crime is increasing
Trigger happy policing
Panic is spreading
God knows where we're heading
Mother, mother
Everybody thinks we're wrong
Who are they to judge us
Simply because we wear our hair long
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