Everyone thinks they know this song. You hear those first three wah-wah notes—that iconic "da-da-da"—and you immediately think of candlelight, silk sheets, and perhaps a slightly cliché movie seduction scene. It’s become the universal shorthand for romance. But honestly? If you think Let’s Get It On is just a "baby-making" anthem, you’re missing the most fascinating, tortured, and beautiful parts of the story.
Marvin Gaye wasn't just trying to be a sex symbol. In fact, he was kind of terrified of it. When he walked into the studio in 1973, he was a man caught between the pulpit and the bedroom, struggling to reconcile a strict religious upbringing with a deep, pulsing physical desire.
The Religious Song That Changed Its Mind
Here’s the thing most people get wrong: the song didn’t start out being about sex. Not even close. Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the track with Marvin, originally penned it as a religious ode to life and moving forward. Townsend had just come out of rehab for alcoholism and was looking for a way to express his new lease on life. He wanted to "get on" with living.
Marvin, ever the Gemini, saw something else in the melody.
He was coming off the massive, world-altering success of What’s Going On. That album was political, heavy, and sanctified. He felt a huge weight to follow it up with something equally "important." But he was also falling in love. Specifically, he was becoming infatuated with Janis Hunter, the 17-year-old daughter of jazz icon Slim Gaillard.
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When Janis showed up at the studio, the energy changed. The lyrics shifted. Suddenly, "getting on with life" became "Let’s Get It On."
It wasn't a cynical marketing move to sell records. For Marvin, sex was a form of prayer. He famously wrote in the album's liner notes: "I can't see anything wrong with sex between consenting anybodies." In a world dominated by puritanical hangups, that was a radical statement. He believed that if God created the body, then the body’s pleasures were divine.
Breaking the Motown Machine
By 1973, Marvin Gaye had earned the right to do whatever he wanted, but it wasn't easy. He had to fight Berry Gordy for the creative control to make What’s Going On, and that victory gave him the leverage to turn Let’s Get It On into a funk-heavy, emotionally raw masterpiece.
The recording sessions at Hitsville West in Los Angeles were legendary. Marvin didn't just sing; he layered his voice into a literal choir of Marvins. If you listen closely to the title track, those background harmonies aren't just there for texture. They are complex, multi-tracked arrangements that bridge the gap between doo-wop and the "quiet storm" R&B that would dominate the 80s.
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The Players Behind the Groove
The sound wasn't just Marvin. You've got the Funk Brothers—the engine room of Motown—providing that deep, sticky pocket.
- James Jamerson and Wilton Felder on bass (depending on the track).
- Eddie "Bongo" Brown adding that essential percussion.
- Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin providing the signature guitar licks.
The title track hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 8, 1973. It didn't just sit there; it fell to number two and then climbed back to number one again. It eventually sold over four million copies in its first couple of years, becoming the biggest hit Motown had ever seen at the time.
Beyond the Title Track: The Deep Cuts
While the world focuses on the single, the album Let’s Get It On is a cohesive journey through longing. It’s actually quite a sad record if you listen to the subtext.
Take "Distant Lover." It’s arguably one of the greatest live performance songs in history (the version on Marvin Gaye Live! is essential listening). It captures a sense of separation and heartbreak that cuts through the "sex symbol" persona. Then there’s "Just to Keep You Satisfied," a song where Marvin essentially eulogizes his failing marriage to Anna Gordy. It’s brutal. It’s honest.
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He was using these sessions to process his own life in real-time. He was literally recording his divorce and his new infatuation simultaneously.
Why We Are Still Talking About It
In 2026, the influence of this album is everywhere. You hear it in the vulnerability of artists like SZA or the retro-soul stylings of Leon Bridges. It’s the blueprint for how to be masculine and sensitive at the same time.
There’s also the legal legacy. You might remember the massive copyright battle involving Ed Sheeran’s "Thinking Out Loud." The heirs of Ed Townsend sued, claiming the "harmonic progressions" and "rhythmic elements" were ripped from Let's Get It On. Sheeran eventually won, but the case proved one thing: the DNA of Marvin's 1973 hit is so deeply embedded in pop music that it’s almost impossible to write a soulful ballad without bumping into it.
How to Actually Listen to Let’s Get It On
If you want to experience why this record is a landmark, don’t just put it on as background music while you're doing the dishes.
- Find the Deluxe Edition: Specifically the one with the 1970 "The David Van DePitte Sessions." You can hear the transition from the What's Going On era into the funkier, more libidinous sound of '73.
- Isolate the Vocals: Search for the acapella tracks online. Hearing Marvin’s multi-tracked harmonies without the band reveals the sheer architectural genius of his vocal arrangements.
- Read the Lyrics as Poetry: Forget the groove for a second. Look at the desperation in "If I Should Die Tonight." It’s a man looking for salvation in another person.
The tragedy of Marvin Gaye is that he never really found the peace he was singing about. He was shot and killed by his father in 1984, just miles away from where he recorded these hits. But Let’s Get It On remains his most human moment. It’s the sound of a man trying to be whole—to be both a spirit and a body—and for 31 minutes and 36 seconds, he actually pulls it off.
To truly understand the legacy, start by listening to "Distant Lover" (the studio version first, then the '74 live version) to hear the difference between the man in the booth and the icon on the stage.