Sexual Healing

Marvin Gaye

(Get up, get up, get up, get up)
(Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up)

Oh, baby now let's get down tonight (ba-ba-ba, bum)

Ooh baby, I'm hot just like an oven (heal me my darling, heal me my darling)
I need some lovin'
And baby, I can't hold it much longer (heal me my darling, heal me my darling)
It's getting stronger and stronger

When I get that feeling
I want sexual healing
Sexual healing, oh baby
Makes me feel so fine

Helps to relieve my mind
Sexual healing baby, is good for me
Sexual healing is something that's good for me

Whenever blue teardrops are fallin'
And my emotional stability is leaving me
There is something I can do
I can get on the telephone and call you up, baby

And honey I know you'll be there to relieve me
The love you give to me will free me
If you don't know the thing you're dealing
Oh I can tell you, darling, that it's sexual healing

(Get up, get up, get up, get up)
Let's make love tonight
(Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up)
'Cause you do it right

Baby, I got sick this mornin' (heal me my darling, heal me my darling)
A sea was stormin' inside of me
Baby, I think I'm capsizin'(heal me my darling, heal me my darling)
The waves are risin' and risin'

And when I get that feeling
I want sexual healing
Sexual healing is good for me
Makes me feel so fine, it's such a rush
Helps to relieve the mind, and it's good for us

Sexual healing, baby, it's good for me
Sexual healing is something that's good for me
Well, it's good for me and it's so good to me my baby, oh

Come take control, just grab a hold
Of my body and mind, soon we'll be making it, honey
I'll be feeling fine
You're my medicine, open up and let me in
Darling, you're so great, I can't wait for you to operate
(Heal me my darling)
(Heal me my darling)

I can't wait for you to operate

When I get this feeling (heal me my darling)
I need sexual healing
Oh, when I get this feeling (heal me my darling)
I need sexual healing
I gotta have sexual healing, darling (heal me my darling)
'Cause I'm all alone
I need Sexual healing, darling (heal me my darling)
'Til you come back home (heal me my darling)

Please don't procrastinate
It's not good to masturbate


Lyrics submitted by yuri_sucupira

Sexual Healing Lyrics as written by Marvin Gaye David Ritz

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Sexual Healing song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

24 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +2
    General Comment

    19 comments? 19 comments? This is Marvin Gaye's work, People. 19??? At its time in history, this was one sensual song. And it still is! "Open up and let me in" and "be there to relieve me" was big stuff back when this song hit the charts. Obviously a song about making love. What I like is he uses the word "love." It's not dishpan dirty like most of today's song...recreational sex minus true loving emotion. Gaye knew how to sing a LOVE song that was also sensual. What a great talent lost...

    TurnMeOnon November 08, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    My mom told me she heard that when Marvin Gaye and his ex-wife got divorced that, as part of the court settlement, she would receive all the money earned from his next single. Apparently he wrote this song and thought it was so stupid and that would completely bomb as a single and his ex-wife would end up not getting much money off of it. It actually did extremely well in contrast to what Marvin Gaye intended.

    Waves Of Delusionon December 27, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Verrrrry sexy song. I've always wanted to write a song like Sexual Healing but perhaps my lack of experience is the reason why... :p

    anyhoo this has to be one of my favourite songs

    marvin gaye is indeed the shyte.

    jam jamon January 17, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    masturbation. the ad libbing proves it.

    but you don't hear me tho! :)

    roger wilcoon May 14, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    lol sexy.......wonder how many babies were made during this song!!!

    Music4lifeon March 20, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Eddie Murphy sang a portion of this song in the movie "I Spy" during a funny scene where Owen Wilson's character was trying to woo his female colleague in a back room. Eddie Murphy: "Hey! Let me at least see the goods!" (after wilson's character turns off the eyes and ears piece).

    zacsteron April 15, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Haha man if that's true it's a complete bummer. This song is definitely one of his best. I just grabbed up his greatest hits for kicks and no doubt Marvin Gaye is the shit.

    UwASToLdWronGon January 02, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I love this song! Maxwell remix version of this song is hot 2! Anybody else heard it?

    Akson March 22, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I have the acapella of this song, He says, darling please dont procrastinate, Its not good to masturbate. Its very clear in the acapella of the song, There are also some other parts that must have been cut from the song. For example: "Baaaaaby, When i should be sleep at night, I stay up and read" LOL, seriously Marvin Gaye says that, I think its possible that most of this song was adlibbed. Maybe just the chorus and the baaaaaaaaaaby, and vocal melody were prewritten. I do like this song a lot though, Its sad that there are 50+ Marvin Gaye's greatest hits albums and probably more.

    soulfool88_1on May 05, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Waves Of Delusion ur mom is wrong about this song, but right about him making an album to pay his ex wife, this song was inspired by a writer interviewing him in is apartment in belgum and there was weird porn scattered all over and the reporter told him he needs "sexual healing" and i thought it would make a good song

    tigassbittieson May 25, 2005   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Album art
Page
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.