What’s Going On | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: Emaj9 E6/9 | Emaj9 E6/9 :||
Verse 1
| Emaj9 | Emaj9 | C#m7 | C#m7 |
Mother, mother. There’s too many of you crying.
| Emaj9 | Emaj9 | C#m7 | C#m7 |
Brother, brother, brother. There’s far too many of you dying.
| F#m9 | F#m9 |
You know we’ve got to find a way.
| B13sus4 | B13 |
To bring some lovin’ here today, yeah.
Verse 2
Father, father. We don’t need to escalate.
You see, war is not the answer. For only love can conquer hate.
You know we’ve got to find a way.
To bring some lovin’ here today.
Bridge 1
| F#m7 | B9 | F#m7 | B9 |
Picket lines and picket signs. Don’t punish me with brutality.
| F#m7 | B9 |
Talk to me, so you can see.
Chorus 1
||: Emaj7 | C#m7 | Emaj7 | C#m7 :||
Oh, what’s going on (What’s going on). What’s going on (What’s going on).
Yeah, what’s going on (What’s going on). Oh, what’s going on (What’s going on).
Chorus Tag
||: Cmaj7/A | Cmaj7/A :|| x4
Right on, baby. Right on, baby. Right on.
||: B13 | B13 :||
Du dee do…
Verse 3
Mother, mother. Everybody thinks we’re wrong.
Oh, but who are they to judge us. Simply ’cause our hair is long.
Oh, you know we’ve got to find a way.
To bring some understanding here today.
Bridge 1
Picket lines and picket signs. Don’t punish me with brutality.
Come on talk to me, so you can see.
Chorus 2
What’s going on (What’s going on). Yeah, what’s going on (What’s going on).
Tell me what’s going on (What’s going on). I’ll tell you, what’s going on (What’s going on).
Chorus Tag
Ah, right on, baby, right on. Right on, baby.
Du dee do…
Outro
||: Cmaj7/A | Cmaj7/A :|| x4
Ah, Right on, baby, right on. Right on, baby.
||: B13 | B13 :||
Du dee do…
What’s Going On Chords: Exploring the Harmony and Extensions
In the key of E, What’s Going On achieves its smooth sound primarily through the use of big, but natural chord extensions.
Let’s break down these chords, starting with the intro.
Intro
We begin with an Emaj9 chord, which transitions to an E6/9 chord towards the end of the bar, creating a subtle shift before the progression repeats.
You’ll find the TAB for these chords in the linked lesson: What’s Going On – Guitar Lesson with TAB. The parts will vary depending on whether you’re playing solo (acoustic) or with a band.
Verse
In the verse, we stick with the Emaj9 and E6/9 chords, alternating between them more frequently. Although I considered calling this an Emaj13, I opted for the Emaj9 for simplicity. Likewise, the transition between C#m7 and C#m can be tricky, but it’s best to keep it straightforward in the chord chart, and save the finer details for the TAB.
The verse also introduces a II – V progression with F#m9 and B13 chords. On the keyboard, you could play F#m11 followed by F#m13, but on guitar, we simplify by using sus4 and then adding the 3rd to create a similar effect. Again, the TAB will guide you through this.
A great electric guitar technique here is to go between Emaj9 and E6/9, and between C#m and C#m7, with plenty of movement. As we reach F#m9, we hold that for the B13sus4—both share similar notes, with just one note change to transition into the B13.
Here are the full chords for the verse:
| Emaj9 (I) | Emaj9 | C#m7 (VI) | C#m7 |
| Emaj9 | Emaj9 | C#m7 | C#m7 |
| F#m9 (II) | F#m9 |
| B13sus4 (V) | B13 |
For acoustic guitar, we need to be more creative with the bass notes. There’s TAB for this too. We move between extensions like Emaj7, E6/9, and Emaj9 to create movement, compensating for the lack of a full band.
Bridge
Next, we have the bridge. This section is similar to the end of the verse but with smaller extensions, such as F#m7 and B9. Each chord lasts for one bar, like this:
||: F#m7 (II) | B9 (V) :|| x3
On electric guitar, the bridge will sound different from an acoustic version.
Chorus
The chorus starts similarly to the verse but with one chord per bar and smaller extensions, using just Emaj7 and C#m7.
Finally, the chorus tag marks the first departure from the key of E major. Here, we see a modal interchange from E Ionian to E Aeolian as we play a Cmaj7/A chord.
If you want to improvise over this section, try using an A Dorian scale or a C Lydian scale. These two modes share the same notes but will prompt you to target different intervals.
Having explored both electric and acoustic approaches to What’s Going On in the TAB lesson, this chord chart serves as a helpful reminder of the progressions.
What’s Going On Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
If you’d like to download this chart, here’s a PDF: What’s Going On chord chart PDF.
This chart was created using iReal Pro—here’s the file: What’s Going On iReal Pro. With the iReal Pro app, you can easily change the key.
Since this is such a great tune to practise soloing over, try using the app’s backing track feature. That way, you can work on your solos in all 12 keys.
What’s Going On TAB | Course Preview
There’s TAB for both an electric and acoustic arrangement in the course.
As a preview, here’s the intro for electric.
The Greatest Album Ever? How What’s Going On Defined an Era and Marked Motown’s End
What’s Going On (1971) was Marvin Gaye’s 11th studio album and marked a turning point in his career. After years of working under Berry Gordy’s watchful eye in Detroit, Marvin had grown tired of being told what to do. This album was the first he produced himself, collaborating closely with the musicians he knew better than most—Motown’s house band, The Funk Brothers.
Having spent a decade recording together in Hitsville, they had helped create some of the greatest music ever made. In many ways, What’s Going On was the peak of this era. Later recognised as the greatest album of all time (Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Albums list, 2020), it not only represented the pinnacle of Motown but also the end of an era.
Released in May 1971, the album arrived just months before the legendary hit factory closed its doors in early 1972, with a simple note left behind: “No work today.” While Motown continued its operations in California, most of the musicians didn’t follow—and things were never the same again.
What’s Going On Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: What’s Going On (Marvin Gaye) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
