Song Analysis: Much Too Soon

Sarah_MJ

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Hi all,

I searched for this topic and did not find anything - if we already have a thread about this, I would appreciate if you could forward me to that.

In case not, I love to talk deeply about songs and the lyrics. I posted the ones of MTS at the end of this post.

So as far as I read it, the song is about a deep heartache. But what do the single lines mean in particular? What does it mean that she sits at a table and things won't be the same anymore? I imagine the girl sitting there and Michael comes and asks if she would like to go with him. But it seems the whole situation has some kind of background story or something that happened before she sat at the table and Michael asks her. I might overinterprete though^^

Then in the 2nd part it appears even more that there is some more story behind it. "I never thought you'd leave me here forever" sounds like they knew each other for a bit longer. I don't think the song is just about a first sight love that did not fulfill. It seems more like they had a longer relationship and broke up. But on the other hand "would you like to go with me" sounds like a get-to-know-question.

What does he mean by "never letting fate control my soul"? That he does not want to accept that she left? That he needs to fight for her?

And then overall, what exactly could he mean with learning a lesson much too soon? That the girl left too soon not giving him a second chance? What is the lesson and what happened too soon?

And lastly, I have these lyrics from AZLyrics and I think there are some mistakes in it. I.e. I think he sings "would you like" and not "wouldn't you like" and I also think "And my heart would then be whole" is wrong. I think it says "my heart would fill with gold". But I am not sure.

I am curious what you think and if you would like to share your thoughts!

______________________________________________________________________________

She was there just sitting at the table
Thinking now that things won't be the same
And wouldn't you like to go with me?
And she answered "No" to me but
I guess I learned my lesson much to soon

I never thought she'd leave me here forever
But who knows just what the future brings
And wouldn't you like to go with me?
And she answered "No" to me but
I guess I learned my lesson much too soon

Take away this never ending sorrow
Take this lonely feeling from my soul
If only I knew what things bring tomorrow
She'd be sitting here beside me
And my heart would then be whole

I hope to make a change now for the better
Never letting fate control my soul
And I'm hoping that my prayers will see
Day that you'll come back to me
But I guess I learned my lesson much too soon
Oh, oh
Yes, I guess I learned my lesson much too soon

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/michaeljackson/muchtoosoon.html
 
I love this song. I know Michael recorded the version that is on the Michael album in 1994 but I also heard the song was originally copyrighted in the early 80s. So I wonder if there were changes in the lyrics between that and 1994 and what is the background to MJ recording the song in 1994. I never heard any background story to this song and it is intriguing to me.

I think the song is about a longer relationship that is just coming to an end because the girl is not willing "to go with" Michael. Possibly not willing to get into a more serious involvement, perhaps marriage? Why? Is she scared of his fame, his status, the publicity and everything that goes with it? Who knows?

Michael sounds sad but not mad at her. In fact, he is open to the girl going back to him one day - and even hopes for that.

I am very much intrigued by this song because it sounds so personal.
 
I love this song. It's gorgeous and so so simple. To think he recorded the version we have around 1994 is amazing considering he was working on Tabloid Junkie, Scream, HIStory etc. all such complex sounding songs. The simple sad nature of the song reflects the simple instrumentation. His voice is absolutely perfect. Just lets each word flow and you can hear what he is feeling without even paying attention to the words.

This is the most McCartney song MJ has ever written IMO. It sounds exactly like something Paul would have written and can imagine him singing it note for note, word for word.

Any song with the foundations based on acoustic guitar are beautiful- Ben, Be Not Always, Destiny, this.
 
I really like this song! I always thought that the song was written as Michael was a boy. "Learned my lesson much too soon" would mean that Michael was too young to understand love, that was always my take on it. Anyway, I hope to see what others think of the song and its meaning!
 
Thanks you all for sharing your thoughts! I am also so grateful that they released this song, I mean, imagine we would have never heard it O.O

I am still thinking so much about the lesson part. He could mean it like learning from a mistake or more like he thinks the girl left him without giving him a 2nd chance, she left much too soon. So is the "soon" more of an age thing or is it within their relationship?

But it's really interesting to think about it in a way of Michael proposing to her. Maybe proposing means to go with him and he maybe overwhelmed her with that and now she sits at the table and thinks everything changed because he asked this question. And then she leaves. And Michael thinks, wait, just because I asked you, our relationship did not change and so he hopes for a 2nd chance.

But what is exactly his "lesson"?

I could interprete so much in this^^ I have no idea where I am going. It's really interesting and helpful to read your thoughts on this! Maybe we can throw in some more interpretations!

Peace,
Sarah.
 
The lyrics are nice but I think I miss something more instrument to sound better.
 
I just stumbled across the lyrics of Keep The Faith, where Michael sings:

"And You Can Go By Feel
'Stead Of Circumstance"

Somehow this reminds me very much of "Never letting fate control my soul" (fate = circumstances). I would then say, never letting fate control my soul means to become active, to try to get the girl back, to not accept yet that she left. Just a guess.
 
I can tell you all almost exactly what the song is saying. I’m almost positive he’s talking about fame, and a girl he loved choosing to not come with him on his journey. He’s writing about feeling heartbreak at a young age when he realized that fame would get in the way of any real friendships or relationships in his life, and that’s what he means by learning his lesson much too soon. That’s also why “wouldn’t you like to go with me?” is worded the way it is. She tells him no because she knows (And so does he) it won’t work with his new lifestyle. Could be writing about when he was a very young boy, or even when he went solo in his early 20s and became bigger than ever. Whoever is fling was, the relationship may have taken a fall because things in his life were getting crazier. There’s also the possibility of it being about Stephanie Mills, because in recent interviews, she talks about dating Michael in their teens and how the relationship kinda fell apart after Off The Wall and especially when he did Thriller she says he became a whole different person and they just kind of went their separate ways for good.

It’s about fame and him realizing at a very young age the heartbreak of friendships and relationships not working out or just not being easy because of it. He asked her to join him on his journey but they both know it would never work.
 
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To me the song is about unrequited love. He loves the girl but she does not feel the same. “Take away this never-ending sorrow.” He can never truly move on from this girl even though he wants to so badly. Hence the last verse. “Much Too Soon” just means he experienced this feeling at a young age. The song could be about Diana Ross.

“Things won’t be the same” because he has confessed his love to her, and the friendship can no longer continue the same way ever again. He feels like he will never recover from the pain of heartache because in his mind everything would be perfect if she just felt the same way about him. But she doesn’t, so he has to move on. He hopes to make a change now for the better.
 
This is the most McCartney song MJ has ever written IMO. It sounds exactly like something Paul would have written and can imagine him singing it note for note, word for word.

Exactly! It's more so if you have listened to 1995 mixes with only guitars and lead vocals. I remember about 4 or 5 different acoustic guitar / solo guitar takes (each), and they all sound more lively than the plain and dull 2010 version. When combined with Michael's vocals, there is something would last eternally within simplicity.
 
HIStory;4123008 said:
I know Michael recorded the version that is on the Michael album in 1994 but I also heard the song was originally copyrighted in the early 80s. So I wonder if there were changes in the lyrics between that and 1994 and what is the background to MJ recording the song in 1994. I never heard any background story to this song and it is intriguing to me.

Michael Jackson initially wrote ‘Much Too Soon’ in 1981 for inclusion on the ‘Thriller’ album.

He always pulled the song back out of the vaults for inclusion on each studio album he would release, but each time the song remained an outtake.

In 1994 specifically, he re-recorded the song for inclusion on the ‘HIStory’ album, but it has not been revealed what lyrical changes he made exactly compared to the 1981 original version of the song.

Thematically, the song refers to a lover who rejected him and left him.
 
Oh good thread, it pointed me towards the demo of the song which I had never heard before.
I like these really bare demo's like she's out of my life and love never felt so good.
 
how come yall think michael was singing about a girl that he misses/wants to be with when he was literally with lisa during the time?..... very confused about that
 
I always thought this song sounded like it was about Diana Ross
 
I just stumbled across the lyrics of Keep The Faith, where Michael sings:

"And You Can Go By Feel
'Stead Of Circumstance"

Somehow this reminds me very much of "Never letting fate control my soul" (fate = circumstances). I would then say, never letting fate control my soul means to become active, to try to get the girl back, to not accept yet that she left. Just a guess.
mmm could be.
It was always a no song on a no album to me.
 
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