Intertextuality-

Sexual Healing
By Marvin Gaye
Hou U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjlSiASsUIs
Introduction- Physical Intimacy as a Basic Human
Need
To form strong, long-lasting bonds, intimacy is
required to fulfil a human’s basic need: it’s what
human beings crave in order to create a safe,
loving and happy relationship, and intimacy is a
key ingredient. Furthermore, in humans, sex is a
primal urge. It is a part of an instinct that drives
us, just as it does any other animal or being, to
procreate and continue the species. For some, it
guides a lot of what they do.
 Sexual Healing

Intertextuality
Whenever blue teardrops are falling
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 heal 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
 Tone/Mood Structure
The song is organised like a poem and uses the
rhyme scheme AABB in the verses, ABAA in the
The song aims to ignite the inner desires of the
bridge and AABBCC in the chorus. This
listeners and makes the audience feel erotic.
consistent rhyming pattern creates a rhythmic
The text creates a sensual and calming
effect and smooth listening experience for the
atmosphere that allows the audience to sink
audience.
into the music and get in the mood.

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
Audience/
Purpose Famous music writer David Ritz wrote the song
for Marvin Gaye. Claiming that Gaye had been
viewing an obsessive amount of pornographic
comic books and was in rock bottom. So he
advised Gaye he needed "sexual healing". When
Ritz explained to Gaye what that meant, Gaye
told him to "write a poem" while Gaye came up
with the melody, for the purpose of healing
Gaye’s emotional stress from depression and
drug addiction. Mirroring Kathy’s purpose for sex.
 Sex in NLMG
Kathy H is a clone who is confined within the walls of Hailsham where she guided into
the life of becoming an organ donor. As the clones grow older and begin to experience
puberty, they come to realize that something they are in complete charge of and no one
can dictate is their own sex lives. when Kathy and her fellow clones first begin to
experience puberty and sexual urges, being infertile has a negative impact on the way
they view and have sex. They attempt to perceive sex in the same manner that humans
do, with care, respect, and caution; however, not being able to reproduce causes Kathy
to see sex as a game, and use it as a distraction from their lives as organ donors.
Reflecting Kathy’s desire for constant sexual healing, which is a treatment where a
person's inner turmoil and emotional pain is healed by sex.
 While Ishiguro’s title “Never Let
Content/ Me Go” suggests that the story
Theme will be about holding on,
namely to relationships and
memories, the story is also
Theme- Relationships & Personal
Growth
explores the value of letting
things go as a way to transform
In the song Marvin Gaye is singing about and mature. Showing human
sex and how he needs sexual healing when relationships between the
he is emotionally unstable. He calls a
clones and their personal
woman on the phone that can provide him
with the treatment that he needs. The main
growth
idea of the song is conveying sex as a basic
human need and is able to heal personal
and collective traumas.
 NLMG

Kazuo Ishiguro also utilize pathetic

fallacy to convey emotions of the
clones. For instance, prior to Ruth’s
completion, there was strong
foreshadowing and pathetic fallacy
Stylistic Device to prepare readers for her
inevitable death.
The writers of the song use personification to
convey the message of the need of sexual
healing when one is distraught. The text
Whenever blue teardrops personifies rain to be blue teardrops falling
are falling and emotional stability to be someone dear to
And my emotional stability the writer that has left, creating a pathetic
is leaving me fallacy that reflects Marvin Gaye’s emotional
distress when he lacks physical support.
Thank You