- And You Thought It Would Fail: According to Rolling Stone, Berry Gordy was reluctant to release “What’s Going On,” thinking the protest lyrics were too commercially risky and the scat singing made it feel out of date.
- Harsher in Hindsight: "God Is Love" (which features the lines "Don't talk about my father, 'cause God is my friend") can be this considering Gaye was killed by his father.
- The titular track "What's Going On" with the lines "Father, father, we don't need to escalate" for the reason above.
- As can the quietly sung prayers such as "Mercy, Father" throughout "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)".
- Tear Jerker: Almost the whole album, really. "Flyin' High (in the Friendly Sky)" can be particularly affecting for people who have known drug addicts, while the big singles ("What's Going On", "Mercy Mercy Me", "Inner City Blues") are haunting both musically and lyrically. Even the more optimistic songs on the album can be tear jerkers in a Tears of Joy kind of way.
- Values Resonance: For better or worse, the socio-political issues Gaye sings about have continued to be, if not become more, relevant since 1971.
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