Trouble Man

Album: Trouble Man (1972)
Charted: 7
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Mr. T is Cold Hard Steel!" said the tagline for the 1972 Soul Cinema Classic film, Trouble Man. The movie, however, is not remembered for the streetwise detective played by Robert Hooks but for the stellar soundtrack composed and produced by Marvin Gaye. The bluesy title track peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1973 and later inspired the biography title Trouble Man: The Life and Death of Marvin Gaye by Steve Turner.
  • When Charles Pettigrew first met Eddie Chacon on a New York subway train, the latter was clutching a copy of Marvin Gaye's Trouble Man. Impressed, Pettigrew struck up a conversation with Chacon and the pair later started performing together. As Charles & Eddie, the pair enjoyed a worldwide hit in 1992 with "Would I Lie To You?"
  • This song plays a part in the 2014 movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier, where the character Falcon recommends the Trouble Man soundtrack to Captain America so he can catch up on what he's missed in the world. The song plays in the final scene. The song also appears in the films Se7en (1995) and Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017).

Comments: 2

  • T. Nicole from Louisville, KyThe song is also featured in the opening and closing scenes of the 2006 motion picture "Four Brothers," a remake of "The Sons of Katie Elder" and which stars Mark Walberg, Tyrese Gibson and Andre Benjamin.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 10th 1972, "Trouble Man" by Marvin Gaye entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #81; and seven weeks later on January 28th, 1973 it peaked at #7 {for 1 week} and spent 12 weeks on the Top 100...
    It reached #4 on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
    His next release, "Let's Get It On", would peak at #1 on both the Top 100 and R&B Singles chart...
    Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. passed away on April 1st, 1984; the day before his 45th birthday...
    May he R.I.P.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren of KansasSongwriter Interviews

In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind."

Songs Discussed in Movies

Songs Discussed in MoviesSong Writing

Bridesmaids, Reservoir Dogs, Willy Wonka - just a few of the flicks where characters discuss specific songs, sometimes as a prelude to murder.