Can I Get a Witness

Marvin Gaye

About Can I Get a Witness

"Can I Get a Witness" is a song composed by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland and produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier as a non-album single for American recording vocalist Marvin Gaye, who issued the record on Motown's Tamla imprint in September 1963.


Year:
2006
91 
#1

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Listen everybody, especially you girls
Is it right to be left alone
While the one you love is never home?
I love too hard, my friends sometimes say
But I believe, I believe
That a woman should be loved that way
But it hurts me so inside
To see her treat me so unkind
Somebody, somewhere tell her it's unfair

Can I get a witness?
Can I get a witness?
Can I get a witness?
Somebody

Is it right to be treated so bad
When you've given everything you had?
Even tossin' in my sleep
'Cause I haven't seen my baby all week
Now, you chicks do agree
That this ain't the way love's supposed to be
Let me hear, let me hear you say yeah, yeah

Up early in the morning with her on my mind
Just to find out all night that I've been cryin'
But I believe a woman's a man's best friend
So I'm gonna stick by her till the very end
But she causes so much misery I forget how
Love is supposed to be
Somebody, somewhere, tell her it ain't fair

Can I get a witness?
I want a witness
Witness, witness
Witness, witness

Everybody knows, especially you girls
Love can be sad
But I have a love that's twice as bad
Now all you chicks agree
That this ain't the way its's supposed to be
Let me hear you, let me hear you say yeah, yeah

I want a witness
I want a witness
I want a witness
I want a witness

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Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr., was an American singer-songwriter and musician whose career spanned more than two decades. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., he was the son of a storefront minister of a local Pentecostal church sect and grew up singing gospel in church revivals as a young child. Gaye branched out into secular music as a teenager, joining the doo-wop group The Marquees, after returning from an honorable discharge from the United States Air Force, before the group was hired by Harvey Fuqua to be Harvey & The Moonglows. Following the band's separation in 1960, Gaye began working as a session drummer for the Detroit music label, Anna, before signing with Motown Records in 1961, adding an "e" to his s… more »

8 fans

Written by: Edward Jr. Holland, Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


5 facts about this song

Song Composition
1. "Can I Get a Witness" was written by Eddie Holland, Brian Holland, and Lamont Dozier, a formidable team that had a significant impact on the Motown sound. The trio is also famous as Holland-Dozier-Holland. 2. The song was released under the Tamla label, which is a subsidiary of Motown Records.
Performance and Release
3. "Can I Get a Witness" is not only associated with Eddie Holland but became more popular through the version covered by Marvin Gaye. 4. The Marvin Gaye version of the song was released in September 1963 as a single extracted from his third solo studio album "In The Groove" (later re-titled "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"). 5. Gaye's version was a major success and peaked at number 22 on the Hot 100 and number 3 on the R&B charts.
Cultural Impact
6. The song's upbeat sound and spirited performance have made it a favorite among fans, being used in several films and commercials over the years. 7. The Rolling Stones recorded a noteworthy cover of "Can I Get a Witness" on their debut album, having been fans of the original Marvin Gaye version.
Recording and Arrangement
8. The original version of "Can I Get a Witness" by Marvin Gaye was completed in Hitsville U.S.A (Studio A) on July 17, 1963, and was produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier. 9. The Funk Brothers were the backing band during the recording of Marvin's version, best known for having worked on numerous Motown Records' hits.
Legacy
10. Marvin Gaye's version of "Can I Get a Witness" has since been recognized as one of the highlights of his early career and is often included in compilations of his greatest hits. 11. Several artists such as The Rolling Stones, Dusty Springfield, Rod Stewart, and the British band Thee Hypnotics have covered "Can I Get a Witness", highlighting the song's influence across different music genres.

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    "Can I Get a Witness Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/12950633/Marvin+Gaye/Can+I+Get+a+Witness>.

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    Can I Get a Witness

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1963

    Billboard #22


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