Here, My Dear Lyrics
Dedicated to you
Although perhaps I may not be happy
This is what you want
So I conceded
I hope it makes you happy
There's a lot of truth in it, babe
I don't think I'll have many regrets, baby
Things didn't have to be the way they was, baby
You don't have the right to use the son of mine
To keep me in line
One thing I can't do without
Is the boy whom God gave to both of us
I'm so happy, oh, for the son of mine
So here it is, babe
I hope you enjoy, reminisce, be happy
Think about the kisses and the joy
But there were those other moments too
The times that were cloudy and grey
Bad
But you taught me that was life
May love ever possess you
May peace come into your life
Always think of me the way I was
Ha, I was your baby
This is what you wanted
Here, dear, here it is
Here, my dear, here it is
About
The ultimate divorce record, Marvin Gaye recorded Here, My Dear as part of his alimony obligations to Anna Gordy. He initially intended to record a crap album, but his intense emotions soon bled through to the record. Gaye initially held back the record, fearing it was too personal, and was nearly sued for invasion of privacy by Gordy.
Although the album was initially a commercial failure, it has subsequently been critically acclaimed as a masterpiece.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
Here, My Dear’s influence has only grown with time as artists such as Nas, Beyonce and Jay-Z have all released records reflecting on divorce and the trials of marriage.
Nas’s most recent album, Life is Good, was influenced by Here, My Dear and the legendary MC even noted that he got Jay-Z listening to the Marvin Gaye album for inspiration.
“I thought Here, My Dear was brave, beautiful, honest, scary and daring. I remember putting several artists on to it, from Maxwell to Jay-Z,” he recalled. “I couldn’t imagine what Marvin was going through when he was recording it. And I couldn’t imagine me being in a similar position, years later…when I started working on the record, I tried to avoid [getting too personal]. The timing was just calling for me to not avoid all the shit that was going on out there. It was like a 10,000-ton gorilla in the room watching me. This is the way I got it off of my chest. This album talks about life, love and money. It talks about the fact that marriage is expensive. Life Is Good represents the most beautiful, dramatic and heavy moments in my life.” – Nas
- 1.Here, My Dear
- 4.Anger
- 8.Sparrow
- 9.Anna’s Song
