Marvin Gaye  - Sexual Healing

First performance: 12/06/2003


Coverinfo

Bruce used the song only once as a snippet:
 
 
2003-06-12 AOL Arena, Hamburg, Germany 

Bruce sings a snippet of the song during Mary's place as a tribute to Patti Scialfa. Mary's Place includes The Monkey Time, Soothe Me, Sexual Healing and Baby, I've Been Missing You.
 
 
  
 

Songinfo

"Sexual Healing" is a song recorded by American singer Marvin Gaye from his album Midnight Love (1982). It was his first single since his exit from his long-term record label Motown earlier in the year, following the release of the In Our Lifetime (1981) album the previous year. In the winter of 1981, Marvin Gaye had relocated to Ostend, Belgium, following the end of a European tour amid financial difficulties with the Internal Revenue Service and the end of his second marriage. Struggling with depression and cocaine addiction, Gaye had agreed to move to Ostend on the advice of longtime resident Freddy Cousaert. While in Ostend, Gaye began to curb his drug use and recover from his depression, partaking in Ostend's beaches. Gaye also began cutting ties with his longtime recording label, Motown, following the release of In Our Lifetime, an album the musician did not declare to be finished. He declared that he would never record with the label ever again after he accused the label of betraying his creativity. 
 
 
 

Other cover versions

Bruce on the artist

2021-10-13 SiriusXM Studio, New York City
Bruce plays the song again during The 'From My Home to Yours' series Episode 29, themed "Let's Talk About Sex".
Bruce: " And here's the great one, Marvin Gaye, with the greatest song ever written on today's topic. " 
 
 
2020-04-24 SiriusXM Studio, New York City
Bruce plays this song during his second 'From His Home to Yours'
Bruce: "Well, there's one thing I know: There are going to be some babies made over these next few months. … I'm gonna grease the wheels right now with one of the sexiest records ever made, by one of the sexiest men who ever lived." ...Marvin Gaye ! bringin it to you ...Telling you what to do...: Men get home with woman, women get home with a man...and let the good times roll "
   
 
According to the BBC's 'Desert Island Discs ' one of the 8 songs, Bruce would take to a desert Island is one of Marvin Gaye's songs: What's Going On (1971)
 
Inspired by the witnessing of police brutality and violence during an anti-war demonstration, Marvin Gaye’s soulful protest song illustrated to Springsteen that music can have a message:
 
Bruce Springsteen and Kirsty Young in conversation: 
"This entire record [the What’s Going On album], from start to finish, is a masterpiece. It was sultry and sexual while at the same time dealing with street level politics. That had a big influence on me. Along with the idea that it was a concept record without being cursed by that name. It was a record that had a thread you can follow from the first song to the last and it created a world that you could walk into and then come back out of. But bring along with you things that you learned and energy and a source that you’d found for living." 
  

Lyrics

Oh, baby now let's get down tonight
Ooh baby, let's get down tonight
Baby
Baby let's get down tonight
Ooh
Baby, I'm hot just like an oven
Ooh
Baby now let's get down tonight
Baby, I'm hot just like an oven
I need some lovin'
And baby, I can't hold it much longer
It's getting stronger and stronger
And 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
Baby, I'm hot just like an oven
I need some lovin'
And baby, I can't hold it much longer
It's getting stronger and stronger
Baby, I got sick this mornin'
A sea was stormin' inside of me
Baby, I think I'm capsizin'
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
You're my medicine, open up and let me in
Darling, you're so great, I can't wait for you to operate
You're my medicine, open up and let me in
Darling, you're so great, I can't wait for you to operate
Baby, open up and let me in
It's getting stronger and stronger
Baby, open up and let me in
I can't wait for you to operate
I can't wait for you to operate, baby
I can't wait for you to operate
Baby, open up and let me in
I can't for you to operate