We've Had Enough - Too Political?

We've Had Enough is one of my most favourite Michael Jackson songs. It is crafted so wonderfully through its epic build up - only comparable to Earth Song. However, as we know it was never released on a studio album and instead popped up on The Ultimate Collection.

Many people blame the producers/Michael for not putting it on Invincible; and state that it was a matter of poor song selection. Whilst the song is indeed very good, I feel its topic and the issue it was addressing is unlike ANY other Michael Jackson song ever recorded. I honestly think it was down to the political nature of the song that discouraged it from ever being formally released. The beauty of Michael Jackson songs are that they often have a very universal appeal - anyone can hear a song of his and relate to it. This song was a rarity in that it didn't have that wide spread appeal and may have been too politically charged to suit a studio album of his.

What do you think the real reason was?

That could be the case, it was also too close to the truth, and big companies like Sony just can't be putting that out. Then again...HIStory did came out, and plenty of hard hitting lyrics on alot of songs as well. Whatever the reason, it's a shame it had to end up on the collection because the song is just awesome.

That song is epic. I almost fell of a chair when I heard it for the first time.
I also think it was too political, it has a strong message a certain ppl don"t wanna hear. It is against wars, like so many of his songs. But we all know in what kind of a world we live in.
We"ve had enough, TDCAU and Earth Song are songs that everybody must hear. And live it.

Yeah i don't see it as being much more political than they don't care about us for example. I've never raved about this song like some of the other fans have. I think it's getting there, but i'm not sure about the production i think it could be better when it builds you need a heat of anger and it all sounds cold still, MJ's vocals are doing all the work which are amazing as usual, i'm not a fan of the snare sound, i think the drums just need a bit of work, it's like knocking on a piece of wood, i think it could resemble a ticking watch, which would be genius, but i don't think it's quiet right, i'd have made the strings in it abit warmer and made them swell a bit more like in the only god could decide build section, i don't think they get that as epic as it could be, the chords and the vocal melody are a real opportunity for thoughtfull tears, they need to push it a little harder, i think it could have just done with a slightly more conventional production (that doesn't mean less innovative) but you can see it's trying to fit in with MJ's early 2000's sound a bit too much i think. But it's still a brilliant song, i just think if they'd have really given it another weeks work or whatever and just reviewed some things it would be perfect for me.

Wasn´t Earth Song finished before Michael started to work with Dangerous album, But Michael didn´t think it would fit with the other songs?It could be the same for We´ve Had Enough and Invincible.
Maybe Michael wanted to work more with it and release it on another album, but we know he didn´t get a chance to do that.

MIST;3546812 said:

Wasn´t Earth Song finished before Michael started to work with Dangerous album, But Michael didn´t think it would fit with the other songs?It could be the same for We´ve Had Enough and Invincible.
Maybe Michael wanted to work more with it and release it on another album, but we know he didn´t get a chance to do that.

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Yeah, you could view it as like a potential scale towards how good it could possibly sound, something like Billie Jean for example is 97% of the way there or something, i think we've had enough is only 75/80% of the way to how good it could potentially sound, i always think he missed a trick with human nature aswell fading that ending so soon, and we've always seen how great it can sound live letting it go on a bit, so enchanting.

MJultimatemusiclegen said:

Yeah, you could view it as like a potential scale towards how good it could possibly sound, something like Billie Jean for example is 97% of the way there or something, i think we've had enough is only 75/80% of the way to how good it could potentially sound, i always think he missed a trick with human nature aswell fading that ending so soon, and we've always seen how great it can sound live letting it go on a bit, so enchanting.

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I don't think Michael would have re-released We've Had Enough on a studio album if he had the chance to do so. He had already released it on the box set so I don't think he was saving it or thought it fit in with his future projects.

I agree with Human Nature - it is missing about 20 more seconds of the out-ro which we hear live. Just beautiful. I am 100% sure Michael would have wanted it on there - but Thriller, Off The Wall and Bad were recorded on vinyl, remember. They had a limit in regards to the amount of songs/album duration one could have on a two-sided record. I remember reading about for Thriller how Michael designed the album with the highest possible sound quality in mind. He wanted the listeners to hear EVERYTHING. This improvement in sound quality reduces the amount of space left on the record from a track duration perspective. So he had to make some trade-offs to include everything he wanted on there, for the highest quality possible. The out-ro for Human Nature seems to be one of those sacrifices.

That is why arguably Dangerous was such a significant step forward with the rise of CD. Michael was able to produce his music in the highest quality format but was also able to distribute it on a platform that allowed for more duration. This allowed for extended track listing, enabled him to include intros and out-ro's of longer nature For e.g. Who Is It, Will You Be There. Imagine if the CD was never invented? It would have been very interesting to see how albums like Dangerous, HIStory and Invincible would have turned out.

I thought We've Had Enough was completed after Invincible so he couldn't have put it on there. Songs for TUC were what he was working on then and could have gone on a CD if he had been planning one.

Otherwise I think it could have been released. Too political? Maybe. Whilst his songs on HIStory are political, they are broader and up for more interpretation. With We've Had Enough it's obvious: no war. I think MJ still could have released it though. But with the pre-9/11 period who knows?

One of the finest 'protest songs' ever written in my opinion.

Its a great song, still needed some work though. But on par with Earth Song.

If I want to blow somebody away who thinks MJ consists of largely of Off The Wall and Thriller- than I usually suggest We've had enough. I will EASILY put that in the category of "Lyndon Johnson told the nation", only that Michael didn't name drop.

Michael already went around the world acting "Earth Song" out with a freakin' tank on stage, the proverbial sunflower etc.

People actually sometimes forgote for example the speeches he gave abroad post 9/11- the man deserves a MEDAL for being the ONE famous American who said for example in Berlin "We don't need to have war"- he said it very much in front of an audience that was very much rallying behind those in favor of war. Don't have illusions about that. I remember a few politicians faces during the Bambi Award when he gave that speech... boy, were they not pleased.
Michael personally and as an artist risked a lot speaking in this way abroad in a post 9/11 world- a lot of people already forgot the atmosphere.

I also do not think it is coincidental that the things that happened to him happened in 2005, or in that time frame.

I wouldn't underestimate Michael as an influence in that regard- and I wonder what other gems he wrote. The man had a consciousness that is unparalleled- for someone who is usually being described as 'hermit without a clue about the world'= We've had enough' sure proves the opposite. Remember that he wasn't too thrilled that "We Are the World" somehow stood under the banner of "USA for Africa"- he had a broader vision even then and even said so himself.

Someone who writes "I'll die a man without a country" knows what's up.

So sometimes I wonder if he just had enough already himself of being the constant bashing victim of those who always simply hated his gut and wished that the black kid from Indiana would finally 'know his place'- or if he just didn't quite feel the song the way some of us feel it. I remember Michael getting photo ops with everyone from Reagan to Clinton, so at least in the past he wasn't afraid to do just about anything.

But in the atmosphere of those years- hard to tell who might have thought it to bee too political. Remember the whole prison version of TDCAU? How come that when I search it on youtubte- it is always the German station VIVA (I remember the logo and I remember it being played when all the not guilties came) to this day that is being put out as having broadcast the prison version? So someone must be thinking MJ is too political as it already happened in the past. There was already the whole stink about TDCAU when some folks willfully 'misunderstood' his lyrics. So the argument that HIStory already went off without a hitch in the political spectrum- just doesn't fly with me.

Anybody remember what happened to the group "The Dixie Chicks"?.... They got a pretty nasty label simply for not going along with the mainstream. Those were the days and now I remember Michael holding their "Shut up and sing" in his hands, he even showed up at one party, google it.

But the fact remains that Michael DID put the song out in his way- and for that I am grateful. It gives you a wonderful short glimpse into the multilayered artist that he is.

the song is all about the truth in this world we live in - it definetly should have been released on an album but anyway it found its way into our collections :scratch:

If MJ was working on an album at the time, it probably would have been on it. Since he wasn't they just put it out on TUC.