The things you realize far too late (or, simply, later than you thought)...

Proving once again that I don't always have my COMPLETE attention on the task at hand or song in air, I just realized that "Mercy Mercy Me" by one of my biggest heroes, Marvin Gaye, is about the environment.

Even though its full title is, "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)".....yeah. Hmmmm. At any rate, regardless of my ability to clue in at the appropriate time, this simply makes me love him all the more. What a visionary, to sing a song with such a message in 1971.

The full lyrics (although truth be told, without his voice singing them, they are far less powerful):

Oh, mercy mercy me
Oh, things ain't what they used to be
No, no
Where did all the blue sky go?
Poison is the wind that blows
From the north, east, south, and sea
Oh, mercy mercy me
Oh, things ain't what they used to be
No, no
Oil wasted on the oceans and upon our seas
Fish full of mercury
Oh, mercy mercy me
Oh, things ain't what they used to be
No, no
Radiation in the ground and in the sky
Animals and birds who live nearby are dying
Oh, mercy mercy me
Oh, things ain't what they used to be
What about this overcrowded land?
How much more abuse from man can you stand?
My sweet Lord
My sweet Lord
My sweet Lord

I love this man so much, even though I never met him. But just look at that face. Sometimes you can just tell.