...THE ONION SONG... by Marvin Gaye & Tammy Terrell
--------------------...............................

*from 'Easy' (1970)*

*N.B* (Although the song is credited to,
Tammy Terrell, the singer was so sick,
During the recording, due to a brain tumor,
That Valerie Simpson sang the lead instead).


*CAPO 1st FRET*

(Original Key: G#)


Chorus 1:

    G        G7     C     C/B Am
The world is just a great big onion.

(Marvin):

             G
And pain and fear,
         Em                  Am  D
Are the spices that make you cry.
            Gmaj7           G7
Oh, and the only way to get rid,
        C     C/B Am
Of this great big onion.
(Valerie):
      Bm7   Em   Am
Is to plant love seeds,
         F        C
Until it dies, uh huh.

Verse 1:

(Marvin):

    G
Hey world!
         F         C      G
We got a great big job to do.
F      C       G
 Yeah, we need you,
          F    C       G       G7
And every-body pull us through.

Bridge 1:

(G7)
 Don't you know we've,
       C
Got to clean up this place,
    Cdim               Em
And reach for a higher goal, yeah.
                  A7
(Valerie): Yes we do now.

         G
We gotta be headstrong,
      Em
About rightin' the wrong,
           F
And make a mountain,
         D
Of happy souls, oh,
         D7
(Marvin): Oh...

Chorus 2:

    G        G7     C     C/B Am
The world is just a great big onion,

(Marvin):

    G
And I don't care,
         Em                  Am
It's the face people like to wear.
                  D
(Valerie): Yes it is now.

            Gmaj7           G7
Oh, and the only way to get rid,
        C     C/B Am
Of this great big onion;
(Valerie):
Bm7    Em     Am
 Every single soul's,
                F
Got to do their share,
C
 Uh huh.

Verse 2:

(Marvin):

        G
So come on,
      F        C     G
Let's knock on every door.
F          C
 Tell them love,
       G
Is the answer,
F
 Whether they're,
C        G    G7
 Rich or poor, oh yeah.

Bridge 2:

             C
For we don't care,
                     Cdim
What you do, how you look,
               Em
Or your status claim, baby.
          A7
(Valerie): No no.

        G
Because brothers and sisters,
Em
 From now on,
   F                    D         Eb
Is gonna be everybody's name, oh, oh.

*KEY CHANGE*
------------

Chorus 3:

    G#       G#7    C#    C#/C C#m
The world is just a great big  onion.

(Marvin):

             G#
And pain and fear,
        Fm                   Bbm  Eb
Are the spices that make you cry.
          Eb
(Valerie): Yes it is.
            G#maj7          G#7
Oh, and the only way to get rid,
        C#    C#/C G#m
Of this great big  onion;

Coda:

(Valerie):

      Cm    Fm   Bbm
Is to plant love seeds,
(Marvin): Now everybody,
       Cm    Fm   Bbm
Got to plant love seeds.
(Valerie): Come on and,
Cm     Fm   Bbm
 Plant love seeds,
                   F#    C#
(Marvin): Until it dies.

Outro:

    Ab       Ab7
The world is just,
  C#    C#/C Ab
A great big  onion.


CHORD DIAGRAMS:
---------------

   G       G7      C       C/B     Am      Em

 EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE
 320003  323000  x32010  x20010  x02210  022000

   D      Gmaj7    Bm7     F      Cdim     A7

 EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE
 xx0232  3x443x  x24232  133211  xx1212  x02223

   D7      Eb      G#      G#7     C#     C#/C

 EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE
 xx0212  6654xx  466544  464544  x46664  x3666x

   G#m     Fm      Bbm     Cm      F#

 EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE  EADGBE
 466444  133111  x13321  x35543  244322


Tabbed by Joel from cLuMsY, Bristol, England, 2007
(clumsyband@hotmail.com)