What (in your opinion) are Michael's most profound lyrics?

AlwaysThere

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We all know that lyrics were secondary to Michael; melody and groove were the elements he was most attentive to. However, there are moments across his catalog where he lyricism was gut-wrenching, profound, and/or truly excellent. Some of my favorites are:

  • "Black or White": "I ain't scared of no sheets"
  • "Stranger in Moscow": "How does it feel when you're alone and you're cold inside?"
  • "Childhood": "Have you seen my childhood?" (incredible double-entendre)
  • "Little Susie": "To be damned to know hoping is dead and you're doomed/Then to scream out and nobody's there"
  • "Is It Scary": "The heart reveals the proof/Like a mirror reveals the truth/See, the evil one is you"
What are some of yours?
 
Always, be not always
And if always
Bow our heads in shame
Always, please be not always
And if always
Bow our heads in blame
Cause time has made promises
Just promises
Faces, did you see their faces
Did they touch you
Have you felt such pain
To have nothing
To dream something
Then lose hoping
Is not life but lame
But time has made promises
Just promises
Mothers cry, babies die
Helplessly in arms
While rockets fly
And research lies
In progress to become
But what of men
Of flesh and blood
We turn our backs on life
How can we claim to stand for peace
When the races are in strife
Destroying life
Always, be not always
But if always
Bow our heads in shame
Always, please, please be not always
Cause if always
Bow our heads in blame
Cause time, time has made promises
Death promises

"Cause time has made promises, just promises, death promises". This sums up politics

"Faces, did you see their faces
Did they touch you
Have you felt such pain
To have nothing
To dream something
Then lose hoping
Is not life but lame"

This part is perhaps about starving kids, people in concentration camps or perhaps just a depressed neighbor.
 
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AlwaysThere;4292443 said:
We all know that lyrics were secondary to Michael; melody and groove were the elements he was most attentive to. However, there are moments across his catalog where he lyricism was gut-wrenching, profound, and/or truly excellent. Some of my favorites are:

  • "Black or White": "I ain't scared of no sheets"
  • "Stranger in Moscow": "How does it feel when you're alone and you're cold inside?"
  • "Childhood": "Have you seen my childhood?" (incredible double-entendre)
  • "Little Susie": "To be damned to know hoping is dead and you're doomed/Then to scream out and nobody's there"
  • "Is It Scary": "The heart reveals the proof/Like a mirror reveals the truth/See, the evil one is you"
What are some of yours?

The thing with Michael’s lyrics is, while some may not look very profound when you see them on paper, they come to life through his vocal delivery. So, it’s hard for me to separate the words from the song and pick favorites, purely based on the words.
 
I have so many of theses. lol! it's gonna take while for me to do this one but i'll say one of them is I ain't scared of no sheets. that is so deep.
 
There are so many.

Tell me what has become of my rights Am I invisible because you ignore me? Your proclamation promised me free liberty, now I’m tired of being the victim of shame they’re throwing me in a class with a bad name I can’t believe this is a land from which I came
You know I do really hate to say it the government don’t want to see but if Roosevelt was living’ He wouldn’t let this be, no,no
 
JichaelMackson;4292445 said:
Always, be not always
And if always
Bow our heads in shame
Always, please be not always
And if always
Bow our heads in blame

I always forget about "Be Not Always"! The above excerpt in particular hits hard. I would say, other than "They Don't Care About Us," this song is Michael's best social/political statement song. No anger, no fury, just shame. Incredible.

ScreenOrigami;4292446 said:
The thing with Michael’s lyrics is, while some may not look very profound when you see them on paper, they come to life through his vocal delivery. So, it’s hard for me to separate the words from the song and pick favorites, purely based on the words.

Also very true! His ability to sell emotion is second to none. I can think of very few artists who can bring tears to my eyes by singing "ya da da da da dum dah" lol.
 
ScreenOrigami;4292446 said:
The thing with Michael’s lyrics is, while some may not look very profound when you see them on paper, they come to life through his vocal delivery. So, it’s hard for me to separate the words from the song and pick favorites, purely based on the words.

"I don't sing a song if I don't mean it" - Michael Jackson (1970)
 
"We are innocently standing by
Watching people lose their lives
It seems as if we have no voice
It is time for us to make a choice
Only God could decide
Who will live and who will die
There is nothing that cannot be done
If we raise our voice as one
They have got to hear it from me
They have got to hear it from you
They have got to hear it from us
We cannot take it
We have already had enough"

These are very powerful lyrics from We've Had Enough, that apply perfectly to the recent tragic event of the murder of George Floyd.

We've Had Enough has always been my favourite MJ 'peace' song and it's a shame that other than the few hardcore fans, most people aren't aware of this song's existence.
 
  • "Black or White": "I ain't scared of no sheets"
  • "Stranger in Moscow": "How does it feel when you're alone and you're cold inside?"
  • "Childhood": "Have you seen my childhood?" (incredible double-entendre)
  • "Little Susie": "To be damned to know hoping is dead and you're doomed/Then to scream out and nobody's there"
  • "Is It Scary": "The heart reveals the proof/Like a mirror reveals the truth/See, the evil one is you"

I haven't even noticed the double-entendre in "Have you seen my childhood?" :blush:, thanks for pointing it out.

That line from Is It Scary would definitely be on my list too. Actually it could be the whole song...

"Am I amusing you
Or just confusing you
Am I the beast
You visualized"

Money

"I'll never betray or deceive you my friend but

If you show me the cash
Then I will take it
If you tell me to cry
Then I will fake it
If you give me a hand
Then I will shake it"

Be Not Always is beautifully haunting. This is one of those lyrics that looks already profound on paper, but with MJ's vocal delivery it would convey the message even without words. I didn't understand English yet when I first heard it, but felt exactly the same and saw similar pictures in my head like when I finally understood the lyrics later. I don't think every line of it had to be exactly deciphered, it's a fragile song of concerns, vulnerability and images for me.

Destiny: The two lines from my signature :blush:, they're just so simple yet so straightforward.

"We are innocently standing by
Watching people lose their lives
It seems as if we have no voice
It is time for us to make a choice
Only God could decide
Who will live and who will die
There is nothing that cannot be done
If we raise our voice as one
They have got to hear it from me
They have got to hear it from you
They have got to hear it from us
We cannot take it
We have already had enough"

These are very powerful lyrics from We've Had Enough, that apply perfectly to the recent tragic event of the murder of George Floyd.

We've Had Enough has always been my favourite MJ 'peace' song
and it's a shame that other than the few hardcore fans, most people aren't aware of this song's existence.

Wholeheartedly agree.

"She innocently questioned why
Why her father had to die
She asked the men in blue
How is it that you get to choose
Who will live and who will die
Did God say that you could decide?
You saw he did not run
And that my daddy had no gun"
 
I suppose the song Morphine had profound lyrics from start to finish. Michael is singing about his addiction to pain medication. Some might say that he is also predicting his own death in the song.
 
'Happy days will drown the pain' (Stranger in Moscow)

'Half of me you'll never be, so you should feel threatened by me' (Threatened)

Love these!
 
Great thread.

Will You Be There has some amazing lyrics too.

History too.

earth Song - I used to dream - I used to glance beyond the stars - Now I don't know where we are - Although I know we've drifted far.

Heal The World - See the nations turn their swords into plowshares - amazing take on how to make swords peaceful
 
I love the lyrics from Dirty Diana, especially the third verse.

You never make me stay
So take your weight off of me
——————————

I'll be the freak you can taunt
And I don't care what you say
I want to go too far
I'll be your everything
If you make me a star
——————————

She said I have to go home
'Cause I'm real tired you see
But I hate sleppin' alone
Why don't you come with me
I said my baby's at home
She's probably worried tonight
I didn't call on the phone to
Say that I'm alright
Diana walked up to me,
She said I'm all yours tonight
At that I ran to the phone
Sayin' baby I'm alright
I said but unlock the door.
Because I forgot the key.
She said he's not coming back
Because he's sleeping with me
 
Don91;4292499 said:
I love the lyrics from Dirty Diana, especially the third verse.

You never make me stay
So take your weight off of me
——————————

I'll be the freak you can taunt
And I don't care what you say
I want to go too far
I'll be your everything
If you make me a star
——————————

She said I have to go home
'Cause I'm real tired you see
But I hate sleppin' alone
Why don't you come with me
I said my baby's at home
She's probably worried tonight
I didn't call on the phone to
Say that I'm alright
Diana walked up to me,
She said I'm all yours tonight
At that I ran to the phone
Sayin' baby I'm alright
I said but unlock the door.
Because I forgot the key.
She said he's not coming back
Because he's sleeping with me

I'm not sure whether it can be considered "deep", but it's definitely great way of storytelling, worth mentioning here.

Hess;4292497 said:
Will You Be There has some amazing lyrics too.

Especially the poem part. "In the promise of another tomorrow" is my favorite line.

Heal The World: "We stop existing and start living"
 
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She said I have to go home
'Cause I'm real tired you see
But I hate sleppin' alone
Why don't you come with me
I said my baby's at home
She's probably worried tonight
I didn't call on the phone to
Say that I'm alright
Diana walked up to me,
She said I'm all yours tonight
At that I ran to the phone
Sayin' baby I'm alright
I said but unlock the door.
Because I forgot the key.
She said he's not coming back
Because he's sleeping with me

those lyrics always shock me. like whoa.
 
Tell me what has become of my rights
Am I invisible because you ignore me?
Your proclamation promised me free liberty

**
Here abandoned in my fame
Armageddon of the brain

**
In the hood
Frame him if you could
Shoot to kill
To blame him if you will
If he dies sympathize
Such false witnesses
Damn self righteousness
In the black
Stab me in the back
In the face
To lie and shame the race
Heroine and Marilyn
The headline stories of
All your glory

**
Are you infected with the same disease of lust, gluttony and greed?
Then watch the ones
With the biggest smiles
The idle jabbers
'Cause they're the backstabbers

**
Spread the word and try to teach the man
Who's hating his brother, when hate won't do
'Cause we're all the same, yes, the blood inside me is inside you

**
Live and sigh, crying eyes
Your touch, your heart, your warmth lullaby
Live to dream, don't it seem
The tears, the pain
Reality

**
We're disconnected from love
We're disrespecting each other
What happened to protecting each other
Poisoned your body and your soul for a minute of pleasure
But the damage that you've done is gonna last forever
Babies being born in the world
Already drug addicted and afflicted
Family values are contradicted
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
The pressure's building and I've had enough


Yes, Michael was just a simple song and dance man. Nothing more. *roll eyes*
 
Yes, Michael was just a simple song and dance man. Nothing more. *roll eyes*

I think the general public mostly saw Michael for his dancing more than his music, message, humanitarian work. it's sad. they call him a bad (no pun) guy. Michael wasn't a saint but he did more good in this world than half of the people who think he was guilty etc.
 
Are you infected with the same disease of lust, gluttony and greed?
Then watch the ones
With the biggest smiles
The idle jabbers
Cause they're the backstabbers
 
Loving these submissions!

- "Situation, aggravation, everybody, allegation"
- "Beat me, hate me, you can never break me/Will me, thrill me, you can never kill me"
- "I'm tired of being the victim of hate/You're raping me of my pride, oh for God's sake/I look to Heaven to fulfill His prophecy/Set me free"
- "Tell me, what has become of my rights?"
- "I'm tired of being the victim of shame/You're throwing me in a class with a bad name"
- "Situation, speculation, everybody, litigation/Beat me, bash me, you can never trash me/Hit me, kick me, you can never get me"


These are all excellent double entendres. Michael wrote "They Don't Care About Us" as a narrative told by the oppressed, but the above lyrics could very easily be interpreted as Michael's statement against the Chandler accusations and the consequent fallout.
 
Very good topic my friend, Mike was so overlooked for his lyrical genius throughout the years. It was probably the biggest injustice within his artistry
I was talking to a friend of mine recently who said he hated the fact that Michael "resorted to his blackness" after the allegations. I obviously corrected him but one thing I said is it's the subtly that Mike had that often was so subtle it was overlooked, like Beat It was about peacefully stopping gang violence, Liberian Girl is a song about Black African being beautiful and sexy (which the fact it was so rare in pop music was terrible and credit to Michael for shining a light on these beautiful women), another was Speed Demon (pull over boy and get your ticket right) I mean nearly every black man in America can relate to that and just because it's subtle it goes unnoticed. Michael was such a genius songwriter just because his hooks were catchy doesn't mean they weren't profound
Here are some of my favourites off the top of my head.
I love Is It Scary
Can the heart reveal the proof
Like a mirror reveals the truth
See the evil one is you
Is It Scary for you baby

They Don't Care About Us, is an often overlooked lyrical masterpiece but one of the most profound parts is,
I look to heaven to fulfil its prophecy
Set me free

Stranger In Moscow
"How does it feel, When you're alone and you're cold inside"

Again great topic my friend something, I always feel gets forgotten with MJ because he was such a once in a lifetime performer
 
Absolutely love the topic. :)
I find it hard to pick favorites, but I love reading everyone’s contributions.
 
Michael "resorted to his blackness" after the allegations.

You know I find that one disgusting. I absolutely HATE it. I've heard it before too.

The inference is that Michael used "his blackness" as some kind of defence from the allegations. Like he only wanted to be black when he felt he could use it to his advantage.

Hideous.
 
Michael was always a black man. he only had two diseases. people who saying he wasn't black need to look at photos as him as a kid to the bad era. also read up vitiligo and lupus.

it really bothers me when people say that because as a person with disabilities i know what i have. i don't need some outsider and haters telling me what have and don't have. i totally feel Michael pain with that one.

heck even my mother gets annoy about it and she doesn't have any disabilities at all.

i'm so glad that we live in a time that stuff like this is more talk about. r.i.p Michael bless you dear.
 
I love his more "obscure" lyrics too, told in a "fragmentary" manner and often left open to interpretations, like Be Not Always, Little Susie or Scared Of The Moon.

Are you infected with the same disease of lust, gluttony and greed?
Then watch the ones
With the biggest smiles
The idle jabbers
'Cause they're the backstabbers

This part was quoted twice already, let me be the third to cite it, it's brilliant both lyrically and rhythmically.

These are all excellent double entendres. Michael wrote "They Don't Care About Us" as a narrative told by the oppressed, but the above lyrics could very easily be interpreted as Michael's statement against the Chandler accusations and the consequent fallout.

I think also Is This Scary, Scream and even Morphine can be viewed as personal statements about his struggles, but at the same time interpreted on a more universal level as well.
 


Yes, Michael was just a simple song and dance man. Nothing more. *roll eyes*


This comes from tv performances that were viewed by millions like Motown 25, Grammys 88, Super Bowl 93, MTV awards 1995. His great lyrics get buried in dance routines and showmanship. It's hard to shake of when you grew up in a band known for soul/funk and disco hits. If he had wanted to be respected as a lyricist he should have chosen different types of albums and tours.

But still he inspired all kinds of artists and people of all cultures, ages and sex despite being viewed as just a song/dance man by critics/press. If one inspires millions of people of all kind of professions then I think the critics are simply clueless.
 
I think the "song and dance man" expression here is more in a figurative sense, not connected to the fact how often MJ did indeed dance, but in the "just entertain us, know your place and be happy with it" sense.
 
I think the "song and dance man" expression here is more in a figurative sense, not connected to the fact how often MJ did indeed dance, but in the "just entertain us, know your place and be happy with it" sense.

This very effective way to belittle people dates all the way back to minstrel and vaudeville shows.

 
But still he inspired all kinds of artists and people of all cultures, ages and sex despite being viewed as just a song/dance man by critics/press. If one inspires millions of people of all kind of professions then I think the critics are simply clueless.

Or with an agenda. But yeah, sometimes they are simply just clueless indeed, or insecure about their values and felt threatened by the likes of MJ. It happens in cinema world as well, and it's a disappointing realization for someone like me who thinks being a critic supposed to be an important profession. But in reality amateurs often have more insight and especially enthusiasm about the topics they write about, not to mention being more open-minded to begin with.

"I'm right back where I wanna be
I'm standin' though you're kickin' me"

"I just want you to
recognize me
I'm the temple
You can't hurt me
I found peace
within myself"
 
They say it because they aren't prepared to accept a Michael Jackson that challenges himself and his audience. It's easier to dismiss him and put him in that box.

As much as Michael Jackson did the Superbowl and Motown 25, he put these lyrics on albums that sold by the bucketload. Critics in their droves ignored the lyrical content of HIStory for example, and the ones who did bother to acknowledge them dismissed them as paranoia or whiny.

Guaranteed they were fawning over other artists who they were happy to treat as such.
 
ChrisC;4293022 said:
They say it because they aren't prepared to accept a Michael Jackson that challenges himself and his audience. It's easier to dismiss him and put him in that box.

As much as Michael Jackson did the Superbowl and Motown 25, he put these lyrics on albums that sold by the bucketload. Critics in their droves ignored the lyrical content of HIStory for example, and the ones who did bother to acknowledge them dismissed them as paranoia or whiny.

Guaranteed they were fawning over other artists who they were happy to treat as such.

Yep, and the childlike aspect of his character fit very neatly in that box. They didn’t want anything to do with the panther aspect, though.
 
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