Ed Sheeran “Thinking Out Loud” to Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”?
The two songs have similar chord progressions – I-iii-IV-V for “Let’s get it on” compared to I-I6-IV-V for “Thinking out loud” – played with the same syncopation where the second and fourth chords each come in half a beat early. The iii and I6 chords have the same bass note, so all the bass notes of the two chord progressions are the same (relative to the key that each song is played in) and are played with the same syncopation.
It’s common for hundreds of pop songs to have the same chord progression. The best example is the song “Four Chords” by the Axis of Awesome, a medley of dozens of songs with the same chord progression. But is this combination of chord progression and syncopation distinctive enough that it amounts to Ed Sheeran copying Marvin Gaye?
The oldest song with an I-I6-IV-V chord progression played with this syncopation is “Do You Love Me?” by the Contours. It’s significantly faster than Ed Sheeran and Marvin Gaye’s songs, but if you slow it down, it does sound a lot like “Thinking Out Loud.” “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and the News is another example. There are more that I can’t think of.
If Ed Sheeran copied Marvin Gaye, then Marvin Gaye first copied the Contours (or quite possibly an even older song). Someone should let Ed Sheeran’s lawyers know.
How similar is Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” to Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”?
I don’t see the similarities when I look at it sounding the same, but I can see the similarities and a mood changer. They’re both fantastic songs that can change the mood just within the first 10 seconds of it being on.
How similar is Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” to Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”?
Different chords, different melodies, and different lyrics. Yes, ideas are borrowed, but it’s not total song theft and not worth a $100k lawsuit.
It’s wild, mainly when “sounds similar” based on false promises.
How similar is Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” to Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”?
Don’t start anything won’t be anything. These two songs sound nothing like each other, two different grooves. Thinking Out Loud is him talking about how he feels about her, and Let’s Get It On says what it was meant to say: WOW, you’re reaching for the sky on this one.
How do bad musicians like Maroon 5 and Ed Sheeran become so popular?
This question made me cringe highly. This was what I thought right away after I read it, “Ah great, here comes that grumpy, stuck-up guy on the Internet again who wants to talk or rant about how untalented and crappy modern mainstream singers and musicians can be” – and this comes from someone who loves genres such as rock’ n’ roll, folk rock, blues, heavy metal, and oldies even until this day.
Contrary to what you think, Maroon 5 and Ed Sheeran are far from the definition of ‘bad musicians.’ These guys might not write complex lyrics, shred their guitars like your favorite metal axe god, or sing with a powerful voice like Freddie Mercury or Luciano Pavarotti (who are both some of my famous singers), but that does not mean these guys are musically bad – they can perform well live and have recorded some of the most memorable pop songs in the last 5–10 years. Before you give me the highly cliched image and AutoTune argument, I want to emphasize that you do not make it to the music industry without some form of talent – all that stuff is not going to help you in the long run if you have zero skills in music in the first place. If both Maroon 5 and Ed Sheeran were untalented musicians, they would not have made it to the top of the charts because a good look will only last for a while. Contrary to what some people think, AutoTune will not transform a terrible voice into a pleasant one (it only corrects pitches but does not change an awful tone or wrong delivery).
It is okay if mainstream pop is not your thing, but that does not make the musicians and songwriters within the genre terrible themselves. There is a big difference between ‘bad’ and ‘not my cup of tea.’ Besides, music is never about competition – it is about expressing yourself and sharing it with those who want to listen to its strengths and limitations.
What do you think of Ed Sheeran?
Eighty thousand people are sitting in absolute reverence to watch a ginger guy weave magic with his guitar.
That’s Edward Christopher Sheeran for you.
Those are stills from his concert. This guy makes emotions come alive.
His life in brief;
For me, his life story is nothing short of hard-hitting motivation. From being the bespectacled ‘weird’ ginger kid with stuttering issues to outselling so many, the ginger kid came a long way.
When he was 9, his dad brought him The Marshall Mathers LP, and he remembered every word in there, and his stutter was gone.
By the age of 12, he was writing his lyrics. Soon, he came to London for music, meeting different people to collaborate with them.
He performed live in pubs and all sorts of small venues. In 2009 alone, he performed 300+ live shows.
And never, nowhere did his self-confidence waver. Here’s an example;
(And now those big plans are being executed!)
Fast forward some years, this guy collaborated with Marshall Mathers himself multiple times, Taylor Swift, Andrea Bocelli, Beyonce, and so many more, not to mention singing a song for Hobbit. (I see fire)
And now the Yorkshire boy got 4 Grammy awards, too.
Sheeran’s lyrics make him my favorite singer. They aren’t just lyrics; they are stories straight from the heart, every one of which embraces imperfections into perfections.
Here are some of his beautiful lyrics :
Should this be the last thing I see, I want you to know it’s enough for me,
‘Coz all that you are is all that I’ll ever need…
-Tenerife Sea
I hope that I see the world as you did,
I know a life with love is a life that’s been lived,
So I’ll say hallelujah…
-Supermarket flowers
I could go on and on, but why read the lyrics when you can hear the ecstasy?
Q: What do I think of Ed Sheeran? (If it’s not clear by now)
A: He is the best contemporary musician, an absolute genius of a singer and songwriter!
Regards,
A Sheerio.
What’s so great about Marvin Gaye?
Marvin Gaye is a classic example of a musician who was confronted with an age-old dilemma: Continue to make easily palatable yet lucrative pop music, or make artistic music that challenges and enlightens the listener yet might not turn a profit. Against the advice of his record label, he chose the latter path when he released What’s Going On, an album that contains some of the most incredible soul music the world has ever heard.
Through the 1960s, Marvin Gaye made a name for himself as one of the critical hitmakers at Motown Records. After “How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You” became a smash success in 1964, Gaye enjoyed six years of hit singles, including six songs that reached No. 1 on the R&B charts:
- “I’ll Be Doggone” (1964),
- “Ain’t That Peculiar” (1964),
- “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing” (1968)
- “You’re All I Need To Get By” (1968)
- “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (1968) was also his first song to reach No. 1 on the pop charts.
- “Too Busy Thinking Bout My Baby,” (1969)
Despite his accomplishments, Gaye felt compelled to make music that broke the restrictive mold of the Motown machine. The Detroit-based label, run by Berry Gordy, was a factory for R&B/Soul music, churning out one hit after the next. Unfortunately, every song they released followed a precise blueprint. Gordy had an eye for discovering talent and an ear for hit music, so he preferred that his acts follow a proven formula for success. He did not welcome the piece that broke the mold.
When Gaye recorded What’s Going On, Gordy disapproved of it. Everything about this album went against the Motown formula.
- Instead of the lightweight songs Gaye made on earlier albums like United and I Heard It Through The Grapevine!, What’s Going On was a weighty, socially conscious record that tackled topics like The Vietnam War, drug abuse, innercity violence, unemployment, injustice, and social oppression.
- Instead of radio-friendly tunes with an easy tone, he wrote melancholy songs like “Save the Children,” which feels even more urgent and passionate since Gaye was a victim of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father.
- Motown albums were not designed to have continuity but played like a random singles collection. What’s Going On is a concept album about a Vietnam veteran returning home to an America he doesn’t recognize (taken from the perspective of Gaye’s brother, Frankie, who had recently returned from Vietnam). The songs flow into one another – sometimes without a break – and the ideas in each piece relate to each other.
- Motown songs are always written in neat bars and verses. On What’s Going On, Gaye has many moments where his lyrics are practically unscripted. It feels more like he’s speaking from the heart as a preacher or spoken word poet rather than a singer on record.
- Gaye completely abandoned the traditional “Motown sound.” He ditched the double drum kits in favor of bongo drums and congas. He ditched the “call and response” format. He seldom used tambourines. His album sounded unlike everything else on Motown.
- Gaye also changed his image. He went from being a clean-cut guy who wore suits to a bearded guy who wore t-shirts and jeans.
Gordy warned Gaye that if the album flopped, it could spell the end of his career because he risked alienating his fan base. Despite this, Gaye fought until Gordy released it.
What’s Going On was released to universal acclaim. It was a critical and commercial success now hailed as an essential classic. It became the top-selling album for Motown Records, cemented Gaye’s status as one of the visionary musicians of his generation, and paved the way for other Motown artists to dabble in making more serious, socially aware music. The album’s success gave Gaye the artistic freedom to release another classic record, 1973’s Let’s Get It On, this time featuring a set of erotically themed songs that pushed the boundaries of pop music.
What’s Going On an even greater triumph is that Marvin Gaye’s personal life was in total disarray when he made the album. He endured a terrible about of depression, partly caused by the death of his favorite collaborator, Tammi Terrell (her brain tumor was first discovered when she collapsed into his arms on stage in the middle of a performance). By 1970, his marriage to Anna Gordy (Berry’s sister) was falling apart, he was addicted to cocaine, he faced significant financial problems due to back taxes owed to the IRS, and he was suicidal. He made one of the most excellent L.P.s in rock history despite all these things- or perhaps because of them. It took real courage to make this album.
Who is Ed Sheeran?
Ed Sheeran (Edward Christoph Sheeran) is a solo singer who writes terrific songs for other groups and himself. He has a beautiful voice, and he has got the sense to write a meaningful song. He has written and sung many very famous songs.
What do you think of the song, Thinking Out Loud, by ed sheeran? How would you interpret it?
It is a beautiful song that celebrates love.
While most songs about love focus on searching for love or yearning for a lost pet or about a heart broken in love, here is a song that seems like a reasonably realistic fairy tale.
When your legs don’t work like they used to before
And I can’t sweep you off of your feet
Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love
Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks
Here is a sort of love that is not skin deep. The words give a clear picture of the lovers growing old. He accepts the inevitability of fragility and emaciation that comes with age. And losing his ‘charms’ as he ages, he wonders if she will remember and love him just as she does now.
Honey, I will love you till we’re 70
And baby, my heart can still fall as hard at 23, oh
I’m thinking about
How people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe with just a touch of a hand
, I fall in love with you every single day
I want to tell you I am
So baby, now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your head on my beating heart
I’m thinking out loud
Baby, we found love right where we are
He is thinking out loud – daydreaming and fantasizing about the time he had spent/would like to spend with the girl he loves. I always imagine the guy and the girl cuddling together, and the guy looks at the girl and smiles silently as the last line of the chorus plays in the background. There is a sense of an uncertain future juxtaposed with the objective/ideal present.
When my hair’s all grey, and my memory fades
And the crowds don’t remember my name
When my hands don’t play the strings the same way
I know you’d still love me the same
The questions he posted in the first verse are answered here. He feels sure of her love even when he is old and grey. Fulfilled love makes one an optimist.
Because baby, your soul
It can never grow old; it’s evergreen
And baby, your smile’s forever in my mind and memory
Oh, I’m thinking about
How people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe it’s all part of a plan
And I’ll keep on making the same mistakes
Hoping that you’ll understand
He is still thinking out loud, letting his thoughts run away with the possibilities their future holds. He is sure that age would not change his love for her. Possibly, he is skeptical about how something as intense as his passion worked out for him in some strange yet seemingly planned manner. And consciously or otherwise, he also accepts that he’s prone to old and new mistakes. But it is a part of life as nobody is perfect; he knows he isn’t and probably doesn’t expect her to be perfect either (but is inclined to believe that she is).
People search for love in all directions, in all places, in all faces, but Ed and her Lover found it right where they were, wherever that might be. And he hopes never to lose it.
P.S. – I interpret it in another way. For me, the song resonates with a kind of love that is true but distant and, hence, unbearably out of reach. You love someone, and they love you back, but you can only love each other from an unbridgable distance you can look past but cannot cross. I find a slight melancholic strain as well in the song. He loves her and will always love her, but he can only think aloud about how he could’ve expressed and shared his love with her.
Somehow, the song also reminds me of Keats’ ‘Ode to a Grecian Urn’:
Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss,
Though winning near the goal, do not grieve;
She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss,
Forever wilt thou love, and she be fair!
Moments that seem perfect and fulfilling become simultaneously temporary (because fleet-footed time never stops) and permanent (because its memory is vividly etched in the mind). The moment is stretched into infinity, and at that genuine moment in time, they have found love. Again, certainty of a moment against the uncertainty of eternity (not in the strict sense of the word).
What is the song Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran about, and why does it use Marvin Gaye’s beat?
It’s about considering your life with a lover in the future. It deals with a man imagining how he and his lover will feel when they’re 50 years older and that his love is so strong he will feel the same.
As for the lawsuit, the people who control the estate of Marvin Gaye stated that “the combination of the chord progression and the harmonic rhythm used in Thinking Out Loud is substantially similar to that in Let’s Get It On, and thus infringes the work (Let’s Get It On).”
They have a similar groove and chord progression. So do thousands of songs. The i iv v chord progression, often called a 12-bar, is so often used on songs that you could find countless versions from the 1920s to the present.
I found a YouTube clip that put LGIO and TOL together, and it could be a more flawless mix. So there’s little in common. The judge in the case thought that, too.
Is Marvin Gaye a better singer than a lot of the current singers we have today?
I often ignore subjective questions; there’s no definite answer. And in my sixties, I don’t actively seek new music like I did 40–50 years ago. Not to mention that radio has become so fragmented by genre and marketing demographic that it no longer serves that purpose in the way it once did. But that’s a whole other story. I hear some young singers with a lot of talent, just not as many, but that’s partly because I’m not looking for them as much.
That said, Gaye was hugely talented. His clear tenor conveyed a wide range of emotions, often complex and subtly layered. His duets, especially with Tammi Terrell, are outstanding for the interplay and emotional bonding conveyed. His writing and production skills were second to no one. The complexity and ultimate tragedy of his personal life informed his lyrics, and he expressed great depth of feeling, mainly uplifting and seemingly without bitterness.
So, he left considerable shoes to fill.
Is Ed Sheeran in love with Taylor Swift?
No, Ed & Taylor are very close friends, but no romance is involved in their relationship. Ed has spoken about why he & Taylor are not dating, and he said, “I don’t know, I guess..if I have to say, too tall for my taste.” after he ambiguously explained before, he did not have a good enough reason. He is one of Taylor’s best friends & is somewhat known as her wingman. So, keep it at that: Ed & Taylor are excellent friends.
Where is Ed Sheeran?
Ed Sheeran is Back!
He told the interviewer on BBC Radio’s biggest weekend that he was meant to perform the new single on that day but could not, but the news is he is back!.
He will be out with his new album after four years.
What is your opinion of the album “Vulnerable” from Marvin Gaye?
The album is pure genius. Marvin explores the ups and downs of love with a sophistication that only he can bring. I often put this album on repeat during a long bath, and you can feel the emotions— for example,” Why Did I Choose You (Alternate Version). I also think the album was appropriately named as Marvin shares his own raw emotions, thus putting himself in a “vulnerable” space.
Was Marvin Gaye gay?
Marvin Gaye was Gay, but he also appears to have been exclusively heterosexual.
Yes, I am being intentionally obtuse.
I mean that the Prince of Motown was born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr, with no e in his surname. When he began his career as a recording artist, he added an e to the end of his surname, much like Sam Cook(e) had done before him.
In Marvin’s case, the choice to change the spelling of his last name seems to have been an attempt to distance himself from both a general association with homosexuality (the dude was making sexy dance music in the disco era) and his overbearing psychotic father who shared his name (and who—spoiler alert—would go on to murder him a few seasons later in the series finale). Adding the e was part of his transformation as an artist.
As for sexual orientation, I think Marvin Gaye’s could generally be summarized as “swimming in pussy.” If the dude had any interest in exploring sexuality with other men, we’ll never really know because the waiting list of women hoping to fuck him was just too damn long. There is, however, nothing I am currently aware of that stands as any evidence that he was anything but straight.
So, to return to my obnoxiously obtuse opening sentence, while Marvin Gaye was indeed Gay (in the same sense that Tom Robinson is Thomas), there is no evidence whatsoever that he was homosexual.
Note: I only answered this question because I wanted to make that joke, but now I realize that doomsday is right upon me. You see, the only reason I even saw this question is that just a few minutes ago, I opted to answer the question Is Zebra Katz gay? and the Quora algorithm said to itself, “This man loves answering questions about whether or not celebrities are gay! Let’s give him more!!”
I shudder to think what will happen to my feed now that I have answered this one. It will be a dark and dismal valley of questionable celebrity sexuality for a while now.
Nonetheless, in the interest of saving myself some work, here is my assessment of whether other prominent pop-culture figures are gay or not:
Joe Biden: Nope, not gay.
Donald Trump: Gawd, no!
Kamala Harris: Keep wishing, ladies, she’s straight.
Mike Pence: Robots don’t have sexual orientations.
Justin Bieber: Possibly a lesbian in disguise.
BTS: I think K-Pop has its letter by now.
Pete Buttigieg: Hell yeah!
Cory Booker: Hey, a guy can dream, right?
Okay, I will quit before this answer gets any more obnoxious than it already is.
Thanks for reading.
Footnotes
Do you still listen to Marvin Gaye?
The mark of any good music is that it resonates well after its first release. When I first heard this in 1971, Inner City Blues was about the ghettos and bleak economic situations of inner-city America and the emotional effects these have on inhabitants. Flash forward 48 years later; those themes are still present in many inner cities of the nation. Combining this with Trump’s divisive racial rhetoric, Inner City Blues still resonates as well now as it did back then. This is why I will always listen to Marvin Gaye. His message still rings true.
What is the Marvin Gaye song “What’s Going On” about?
Marvin was very depressed and quit music before he recorded this album. It’s clearly about Vietnam with the lines’ picket lines picket signs.
The album “What’s Goin On’ is a departure from his earlier Motown-influenced records into a more soulful, scat jazz sound with darker topics.
Who was the best vocalist, Marvin Gaye, Teddy Pendergrass, David Ruffin, or Sam Cooke?
I like David Ruffin best because I like the songs more, but they are all excellent singers and artists. I used to do a karaoke version of Marvin’s What’s going on in Australia in the 90s. I don’t think they had heard anything like that before, including my voice.
What are the differences between Taylor Swift’s Love Story and Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud?
They have a million differences, but here are some of them.
1st-they are different genres
2nd-The instrumental
love story-banjos, fiddle, mandolin, and guitar
thinking out loud-mostly just guitar
3rd-The story
love story Swift’s mother, Andrea, has previously said that she wrote the songs in 20 minutes after her parents disapproved of her dating someone, comparing her and that guy to Romeo and Juliet
Thinking out loud- Thinking out loud is about the idea of growing old with someone and the feelings of love and commitment that come with that. The lyrics suggest that he wants to spend the rest of his life with the person he loves and that he thinks aloud about how he feels.
4th-writers and producers
Taylor Swift herself and Nathan Chapman produced the original (2008 version) of Fearless, but the re-record of the love story was produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff and written by Taylor Swift herself
While Thinking Out Loud was created by a completely different producer called Jake Gosling and written by Ed Sheeran and Amy Wadge, so, personally, other than being love songs and having guitar as a primary instrument, the two pieces have nothing else in common. 🙂
When did Ed Sheeran get married?
How did Ed Sheeran become so popular?
This question made me cringe highly. This was what I thought right away after I read it, “Ah great, here comes that grumpy, stuck-up guy on the Internet again who wants to talk or rant about how untalented and crappy modern mainstream singers and musicians can be” – and this comes from someone who loves genres such as rock ’n’ roll, folk rock, blues, heavy metal, and oldies even until this day.
Contrary to what you think, Maroon 5 and Ed Sheeran are far from the definition of ‘bad musicians.’ These guys might not write complex lyrics, shred their guitars like your favorite metal axe god, or sing with a powerful voice like Freddie Mercury or Luciano Pavarotti (who are both some of my famous singers), but that does not mean these guys are musically bad – they can perform well live and have recorded some of the most memorable pop songs in the last 5–10 years. Before you give me the highly cliched image and AutoTune argument, I want to emphasize that you do not make it to the music industry without some form of talent – all that stuff is not going to help you in the long run if you have zero skills in music in the first place. If Maroon 5 and Ed Sheeran were untalented musicians, they would not have made it to the top of the charts because a good look will only last for a while. Contrary to what some people think, AutoTune will not transform a terrible voice into a pleasant one (it only corrects pitches but does not change an awful tone or wrong delivery).
It is OK if mainstream pop is not your thing, but that does not make the musicians and songwriters within the genre terrible themselves. There is a big difference between ‘bad’ and ‘not my cup of tea.’ Besides, music is never about competition – it is about expressing yourself and sharing it with those who want or are interested in listening to its strengths and limitations.
How did Ed Sheeran become so popular?
Ed Sheeran is a singer-songwriter-musician, aka artist. He is dominating all the charts with his new album Divide, and it has already become the biggest-selling album of 2017 so far. People can connect with him; this is what makes him so popular. Let me explain what I mean by a connection.
Ed Sheeran is a storyteller. Pointing to one feeling to another, lyrics tell you a story. A story that you can connect with. Every single time. He can creatively convey his message with few words, as you listen to them even when you don’t want to. Fans enjoy their own different stories/memories linked to his songs.
Ed owns a beautiful voice. The voice that can melt one’s heart. Listen to his studio album or live performance; he always does justice. Though his recordings are excellent, I like to watch his live performances even more. He takes a guitar and loop pedal, plays music, layers them, and sings along. No auto-tunes, background dancers, or backup sound. He sings melodiously. The way he sings each word, with the right emotions, blows your mind.
Ed is a cool guy, soft-spoken but playful. You could see this in his interviews and his albums. He’s so open and genuine about what he says. He doesn’t try too hard and looks comfortable. He is very confident with his stuff. He knows what he wants. He doesn’t think and makes you laugh. When you watch his interviews, you will feel he is my kind of person and massive at the same time. He’s just a relatable person for whom people would say, “Hey! I want to hang out with that guy.”
Ed is versatile. You can’t define a genre of music for him. Listen to plus, multiply, or divide. He tries different types of sounds; they all did well and are still in one’s memory. He just does his own thing. He doesn’t try to impress his critics and crowd; he is just himself.
Ed is an influential guy. A homeless artist to the top artist. Strangely, you can relate with a celebrity with a story and words you can connect with. He once said that he was not born talented. He has been wearing glasses ever since. He had a stutter. He cannot hear fully from an ear. But He did practice a lot to reach this level. He never followed his contemporary artist. He never compromised his image (you may observe this from his interviews when he was one year old to 6 years old in his industry). You might not like his music, but you can appreciate the work he puts into everything he does. He could silence an entire arena by being on a stage with his guitar and didn’t need anything else. I think that’s another thing people respect about him. He leaves everyone with a smile on their face.
How similar is Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” to Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”?
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