In 1971, Marvin Gaye wrote the greatest lyric of the era. Bono would need more than ever 30 years later

Bono has repeatedly praised Marvin Gaye’s 1971 song ‘What’s Going On’, calling it the finest lyric of its era and one of pop’s greatest. The song’s appeal, he said, lies in how it combines political, spiritual and personal themes, a mix that also helped U2 move beyond its image as a solemn band.

Gaye wrote the song amid the Vietnam War and unrest in the US, drawing in part on his brother’s experience serving in Vietnam and violence in American streets. Bono recorded a charity cover in 2001, shortly before the 11 September attacks; he recalled that the song was widely played afterwards, until military action began and its anti-war lines took on a sharper edge. U2 also covered it on tour in the 1990s and recorded a live version for Spotify in 2017.