Flyin' High (In the Friendly Sky)

"Flyin' High (In the Friendly Sky)" is a 1971 song co-written and produced by singer Marvin Gaye, later issued as the third track on Marvin's lauded What's Going On album. The song continued a song cycle begun with the previous track, "What's Happening Brother" after that song ended with the lyric, "Cause I'm slightly behind the time", creating a moody and ominous sound punctuated by the singer's falsetto. Co-written with wife Anna Gordy and confidant Elgie Stover, the song talked about drug addiction, particularly heroin, as heard in the lyric, "I know I'm hooked my friend/to the boy who makes slaves out of men".

Related to the song, numerous Vietnam vets struggled with heroin addiction. Marvin later stated the song title was a ploy at an ad made by United Airlines ironically with the slogan, "flying in the friendly skies". The song would be sampled by several hip-hop musicians. Marvin sings both lead and background vocals on this song.

The song was originally recorded under a slightly different mix a year before as "Sad Tomorrows" which Gaye co-wrote by Fuller Gordy and Delores Wilkinson and featured background vocals by The Originals, with whom had big hits under Gaye's productions. Like the later version of the song, Marvin also sings totally in falsetto. The song also ends faster than the later version and that version was later put in remastered re-issues of What's Going On including the Deluxe Edition issue.

Personnel

Lead and background vocals by Marvin Gaye
Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
Produced by Marvin Gaye

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