{{confuse|Chanson de l'Oignon}} {{More citations needed|date=February 2016}} {{Infobox song | name = The Onion Song | cover =The Onion Song.jpg |caption=Germany picture sleeve | alt = | type = single | artist = Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell | album = Easy<ref>{{cite web|title=www.allmusic.com|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/easy-mw0000204204|website=allmusic.com|accessdate=September 9, 2022}}</ref> | B-side = California Soul | released = October 1969 (U.K.); March 20, 1970 (U.S.) | format = | recorded = 1969, Detroit | studio = | venue = | genre = {{hlist|Soul|pop|Motown sound}} | length = | label = Tamla | writer = Ashford & Simpson | producer = Ashford & Simpson | prev_title = What You Gave Me | prev_year = 1969 | next_title = California Soul | next_year = 1970 | misc = {{extra_chronology | artist = Marvin Gaye | type = single | prev_title = How Can I Forget/Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got | prev_year = 1969 | title = The Onion Song | year = 1969 | next_title = California Soul | next_year = 1970 }} {{extra_chronology | artist = Tammi Terrell | type = single | prev_title = What You Gave Me | prev_year = 1969 | title = The Onion Song | year = 1969 | next_title = California Soul | next_year = 1970 }} }}

'''"The Onion Song"''' was a hit for soul singers Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1969.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |title=BBC Radio 2 - Sounds of the 60s with Tony Blackburn - Marvin Gaye |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3ZTcmtCpz0SYtwMWdnTsPyN/marvin-gaye |work=BBC}}</ref> It reached the top ten overseas, where it became Gaye & Terrell's biggest hit in the United Kingdom, entering the singles chart on 15 November 1969 and peaking at No.9 on 9 December.<ref name=":0" /> "The Onion Song" was a more modest hit in the U.S. where it peaked at No. 18 on the soul singles chart and No. 50 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref>{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=225}}</ref> Both the A-side and the B-side, "California Soul", were written by Ashford & Simpson.

==Background== The song was originally intended for the Supremes but reassigned to Gaye and Terrell. Recording began in January 1969 with the recording of backing tracks. Gaye recorded his vocal on March 15 with further sessions two days later at the Golden World studio. Terrell was in a wheelchair and only recorded a guide vocal according to Valerie Simpson who was present at the recordings. Gaye later acknowledged the voice heard was Simpson and that Motown were aware of this but kept Terrell’s name on the label due to her failing health and the financial implications of removing her name.<ref name="onion">{{cite book | last=Betts | first=Graham | title=Motown Encyclopedia | publisher=AC Publishing | date=2 June 2014 | isbn=978-1-311-44154-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RG_LAwAAQBAJ&q=gaye%2520terrell%2520onion%2520song%2520last%2520together&pg=PT403 | access-date=6 July 2025 | page=}}</ref>

Terrell died, aged 24, just prior to the song's release as a single in the U.S., on March 20, 1970 and it became her and Gaye's last official single together.<ref name=onion/>

The song's lyrics reflect social consciousness, opening with the claim that: "The world is just a great big onion, And pain and fear are the spices that make you cry" and continuing with advice that: ".. the only way to get rid of this great big onion, Is to plant love seeds until it dies".<ref>{{cite web | title=Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell - the Onion Song lyrics &#124; Musixmatch | url=https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Marvin-Gaye-3/the-onion-song }}</ref>

''Record World'' called the song "a groovy, bouncy tune."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Single Reviews|magazine=Record World|date=April 11, 1970|page=14|accessdate=2023-04-28|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/70/RW-1970-04-11.pdf}}</ref> ''Cash Box'' said it has a "brotherhood message with the rhythmic familiarity of past Marvin-Tammi hits."<ref>{{cite news|title=CashBox Record Reviews|date=April 11, 1970|page=20|accessdate=2023-04-19|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1970/CB-1970-04-11.pdf|newspaper=Cash Box}}</ref>

==Chart performance== {| class="wikitable sortable" !Chart (1970) !Peak<br>position |- |UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)<ref>{{cite web|title=officialcharts.com|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/13160/marvin-gaye-and-tammi-terrell/|website=officialcharts.com|accessdate=September 9, 2022}}</ref> |align="center"|9 |- |align="left"|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 |align="center"|50 |- |align="left"|US Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles |align="center"|18 |}

==Credits== *All vocals by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell *All instrumentation by The Funk Brothers

==References== <references/>

==External links== * {{cite AV media |type=Official audio |location=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSkmzCO92yE |title="The Onion Song"}}

{{Marvin Gaye}} {{Marvin Gaye singles}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Onion Song, The}} Category:1969 singles Category:1970 singles Category:Marvin Gaye songs Category:Tammi Terrell songs Category:Songs written by Valerie Simpson Category:Songs written by Nickolas Ashford Category:Male–female vocal duets Category:Motown singles Category:Song recordings produced by Ashford & Simpson Category:1969 songs

{{1970s-single-stub}}