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:
1974
2:54
153 
#2

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer

Ah ah listen everybody (body), specially you girls (girls)
Is it right to be left alone when 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 you treat me so unkind
Somebody somewhere tell her it ain't fair

Can I get a witness (Can I get a witness)
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
Somebody (Can I get a witness)

Is it right to be treated so bad when you give her everything you had
Keep on talking in my sleep 'cause I haven't seen my baby all week
Now you kids you all agree is that the way it's supposed to be
Let me hear you, let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah

Up early in the morning with her on my mind
Took to find it out all night I been cryin'
But I believe a woman's a man's best friend
I'm gonna stick by hr till the very end
Well she causes so much misery how's a gal supposed to be
Somebody somewhere tell her it ain't right

Can I get a witness, can I get a witness
(Can I get a witness), I want a witness
(Can I get a witness), witness, witness
(Can I get a witness), witness, witness
(Can I get a witness)

Everybody knows especially you girls
That a love can be sad but my beloved's twice as bad
Now you kids do all agree that ain't the way it's supposed to be
Let me hear you, let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah

I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
Yeah, I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
Somebody (Can I get a witness)

Is it right to be treated so bad when you give her everything you had
Keep on talking in my sleep 'cause I haven't seen my baby all week
Now you kids you all agree is that the way it's supposed to be
Let me hear you, let me hear you say yeah, yeah, yeah

I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
I want a witness (Can I get a witness)
Witness, witness, yeah, I want a witness

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer


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

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    401     10

    Top Hot 100 Songs 1963

    Billboard #22


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